caffeine thoughts this morning.... adding leaves to tanks.... um, maybe not all of them...

[Magnum Man]

so I have a couple dark water tanks, that the fish are listed as living in waters full of leaf litter... and we can see several benefits of adding leaves to the tanks... however I'm questioning adding leaves to tanks that contain fish from clear flowing waters... for example ( my Hillstream tank ) I was looking for leaves that would not stain the water, and recently added a few Guava leaves... I'm not seeing any staining, or negative activity with the fish... but sitting here drinking my caffeine, I'm wondering if that was a good idea, as most of these fish are from clear mountain ( hill ) streams... I have tons of water movement in this tank, but in nature, fresh water comes though continually, and old water goes out... I don't have the means to do that in a tank, so my rapidly moving water is recycled until I can do a "water change"... this make me wonder if my tank water should be as fresh and pure as possible, between water changes, and adding leaves of any kind are counter productive to these fish... makes me want to remove the leaves and do an extra water change... and reminds me. that all my fish don't come from the same environment, and what works for one fish, isn't necessarily good for all...

thoughts???

 

[MaloK]

I agree, Hillstream are often found in areas with minimal organic waste, and excessive detritus can negatively impact water quality for them.

 

[GaryE]

To me, leaves are tools we use when we need them. I don't see them as a principle. I have sadly used up all my oak leaves from this year's collection, but they paid off.

I only use them for tannins, and as I've mentioned before, I am wary of their ability to harbour Oodinium. I haven't seen that parasite here for a long time, but it's like the old Monty Python skit about the Spanish Inquisition - no one expects it but it shows up.

I've never seen a rapids or riffle full of leaves, so for quickwater fish, I don't use any. They're for slow blackwater creek fish. I wouldn't use them for my Nanochromis or lampeyes, as their native waters are clear really move. My Parananochromis used them, and they were welcome in their breeding tanks. It just depends on the tank or the fish.

I want to know what the species of tree has to offer though. Our tanks are such tiny bodies of water that things build up fast, and want to know what I'm adding with each specific type of leaf.

 

[MaloK]

The chemistry influence of botanicals on their environment.

Is not something that looks like it has had great investment in researches.

But If you dig a bit, there's is tremendous difference in acids and byproducts leached from them... The list of acids alone is long enough to be a concern.

So I'm always on the prudence side with these.

And also lately I received a batch of almond tree leaves that even shrimps are rejecting for weeks.

They start to disintegrate untouched. I'm trying again and garbage all will go, if it persist.

 

[CassCats]

Watching wild videos even in hillstream or crystal clear setups do show the occasional leaf in the water, so while not essential, they do seem to occur a little bit.

I've occasionally tossed a couple leaves here and there in my clearwater setups, just as an accent to the scape, and the fish do enjoy them.

But, it's not like most the habitats are totally covered with leaves either, that likely makes a huge difference out in the wild with constant fresh water

 

[GaryE]

Beyond tannins, the main use of leaves by fish here is hiding and breeding space. We netted up a lot of very tough leaves that looked like they would keep an arched shape for a long time. I'm no botanist, and don't know African trees to say what they were. But they collected where the water slowed, and hid elephant noses and Phractura catfish. In my tanks, oak leaves are used as caves by dwarf Cichlids, although the leaves aren't tough enough to last. Outside of tannins, there's nothing they do that a piece of driftwood, a coconut shell cave or a similar structure can't do more safely.

In one habitat, fallen leaves, large tough ones, were cover for an Aphyosemion killifish. I know African exporters use papyrus to keep aggressive males of the big nasty species from seeing and killing each other.

Most of the leaves I've netted in Africa, Guatemala or Florida were loaded with bugs, and in Fla with ghost shrimp.

 

[Magnum Man]

I add them for bio foods, and tannins ( with the almond leaves ) my thought with the Guava leaves, was additional bio foods, but with the help of my morning routine I considered concentration levels