Indian Almond Dried Leaf Catappa Leaves Fish Aquarium Care Shrimp Betta 20 pcs

Description

Indian Almond Dried Leaf Catappa Leaves Fish Aquarium Care Shrimp Betta 20 pcs
If you’re an aquarist, you’ve probably heard of using Indian almond leaves (also known as catappa leaves) to make your aquarium water more natural and better for your fish. There are a few reasons why you might consider adding Indian almond leaves to your freshwater tank, including their medicinal properties and popular usage as an additional food source for small shrimp and fish. These leaves will also stain your water, giving your fish tank an unparalleled natural appearance that can really make your mini-ecosystem come to life.
But how, when, and why should you use Indian almond leaves in your tank and what will they do for your fish?
What are the Indian almond leaves?
Indian almond leaves come from the
Terminalia catappa
tree. The leaf of this tree is especially known for its ability to act as a natural medicine and aquarium water conditioner for betta fish and shrimp tanks when the leaf has emerged in water for extended periods of time. Indian almond leaves are said to help combat fungus and bacterial problems like fin rot and can further help prevent fish from getting stressed by mimicking the water they are naturally found in.
The
Terminalia catappa
tree grows throughout the tropical regions of Asia, Australia, and Africa. As we’ll discuss later, the leaves fall from the tree and into the water. Tannins then leach out of the leaves into the water, adding hues of yellow and brown while lowering the pH.
Indian almond leaves are usually harvested by simply picking them up off the ground leaf by leaf. After drying them properly, the leaves can then be added into the water or the tank.
What do Indian almond leaves do for your water and for your fish?
When placed in water, Indian almond leaves slowly start to decompose. While this happens, the leaves turn the water a yellow or brown color by releasing tannins. These tannins gradually lower the pH of the water and are said to have antifungal and antibacterial properties, which comes in handy when you have a fish suffering from fin rot or when you’re raising vulnerable fry. This ‘healing’ ability is actually a direct effect of what tannins are meant to do; in trees and plants, tannins are mainly stored in the bark and new leaves. The tannins have the ability to precipitate out important enzymes from bacteria and fungus, preventing the tree or plant from becoming infected. This would then likely bolster the ability of the fish to fight off infections as well when Indian almond leaves fall into the water and the tannins leach out.
The dark water tank appearance caused by these tannins is considered unsightly by some aquarists, but it actually mimics the natural habitat of many fish species! In fact, it’s said that a lot of fish feel less exposed when in dark water, which may help shyer fish gain more confidence that will bring them to the front of the tank. These properties alone definitely make using Indian almond leaves worth considering, but we’ll discuss even more benefits to adding some leaf litter to your tank later!
How do you use Indian almond leaves in your fish tank?
There are a few different ways to use Indian almond leaves in your tank; the easiest way is to just place a leaf or two in the tank at first and wait for them to do their job. The more leaves you add, the more tannins will be released and the darker the water will get; you can tear the leaves up if you want the tannins to release more quickly. Once the Indian almond leaves start decomposing, you can take them out or replace them, but it’s also fine to wait for them to completely decompose on their own. Shrimp and fry will actually appreciate it if you don’t remove the leaves because, as mentioned earlier, they feed on the decomposing remains; no piece of leaf will go to waste no matter how small!
If you’re not a big fan of having leaf litter in your tank, another option is to soak the Indian almond leaves separately and then introduce the stained water into your tank between water changes. You can also make your own black water Indian almond leaf extract, which is a very concentrated version of stained water that has lots of tannins. This is done by taking a very large amount of Indian almond leaves, boiling them in a pot of water, and letting them soak for multiple days afterward.
You only have to add a small amount of the Indian almond leaf extract to your tank to get that blackwater look, so don’t overdo it!
Package Includes :
20 Dried
Indian almond leaves
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