# Go get some leaves!



## BigTom (4 Nov 2013)

Went for my annual leaf collecting walk this afternoon and got a nice mix of beech, oak, sweet chestnut and sycamore which should see me through 'til next autumn. Beats paying to have Indian almond leaves flown halfway around the world! Great for shrimp and breeding fish, and can add a nice accent or two even in more formal tanks.






Good article here for anyone that needs convincing -  All the leaves are brown… — Seriously Fish


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## Andy D (4 Nov 2013)

I'll be doing this soon. Loads of oak leaves near me.

Nice shot of the tank too I see you sneaked in


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## stu_ (4 Nov 2013)

I'm invariably wrong on this sort of stuff, but is Sycamore safe to use ?


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## Andy D (4 Nov 2013)

I think as long as it is from a deciduous tree it is generally alright.


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## BigTom (4 Nov 2013)

I've not used sycamor myself before, I think they'll probably break down a bit quickly and I read on The Krib that maple leaves tend to retain more nutrients that beech or oak, but I can't see either being an issue unless you're using it in large quantities.


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## sa80mark (4 Nov 2013)

Im far from knowledgeable about these things but im sure I read the opposite,  I think sycamore breaks down more slowly ?


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## stu_ (4 Nov 2013)

Glad we cleared that up then...


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## BigTom (4 Nov 2013)

Right, one of each is going in the tank now, I'll report back in a week 

Beech can last for months in my tanks though, can't imagine sycamore taking longer to break down.


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## Claire (4 Nov 2013)

I need to collect more for my tank - it's bigger than I remember it was... lol.

Probably the only time in my life I'm ever gonna use that statement


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## wijnands (5 Nov 2013)

I'm away on business at the moment but this is definitely on my todo list for when I'm back.Thanks for the reminder!


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## Claire (6 Nov 2013)

It keeps pouring rain here. It's annoying because I can't be bothered trying to dry out 3 million leaves in my house.


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## BigTom (6 Nov 2013)

Yeah I collected mine after waiting ages for two consecutive dry days and they've not taken much drying out. Tricky in Scotland though! No rush though, there'll be beech leaves available at least in good condition a long way into winter.


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## Claire (7 Nov 2013)

Yeah, I'm cool about it, but it's just annoying!


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## BigTom (21 Nov 2013)

BigTom said:


> Right, one of each is going in the tank now, I'll report back in a week


 
OK, so for reference after two and a half weeks the sycamore is probably 80% skeletalised, the sweet chestnut about 50%, the oak about 5% and the beech still looks exactly the same as when I added it.


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## sa80mark (21 Nov 2013)

Beech and oak it is then  just need to find a beech tree near me know


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## Nathaniel Whiteside (21 Nov 2013)

sa80mark said:


> Beech and oak it is then  just need to find a beech tree near me know



If you struggle, I'm gonna go out at some point and grab a load. Will send you some.


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## sa80mark (21 Nov 2013)

Thanks nath I may well just take you up on that


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## Rob P (21 Nov 2013)

Could somebody identify this?



Loads of them just fallen in the grounds of my nippers nursery (looks beautiful). I thought that if they were safe and good to use in tank they'd look nice 

Quite big by the way, around 6/7 inches in length.


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## sa80mark (21 Nov 2013)

Possibly cherry ? Or beech ?


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## Rob P (21 Nov 2013)

Good shout! Cherry sounds right, remember seeing the trees in blossom earlier this year now you say it.

Safe?


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## sa80mark (21 Nov 2013)

I would guess there alright but im not confident enough to say yes 100% safe, someone on here will know for certain though


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## roadmaster (21 Nov 2013)

Look like not quite ready for the tank elm leaves.
Don't know if you folk's even have elm tree's across the pond though.


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## Rob P (21 Nov 2013)

The trees they've come off are nowhere near as big as Elms lol


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## roadmaster (21 Nov 2013)

Rob P said:


> The trees they've come off are nowhere near as big as Elms lol


 

Well,small elm's have small leaves,and larger tree's have larger ones.


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## dw1305 (21 Nov 2013)

Hi all,


> Possibly cherry ?





Rob P said:


> Good shout! Cherry sounds right,


 Definitely cherry.

cheers Darrel


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## dan4x4 (21 Nov 2013)

I take it your adding the leaves because of nutrients they will release as there broken down? can you add them to any tank? I have pretty much an unlimited supply of leaves


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## Michael W (21 Nov 2013)

dan4x4 said:


> I take it your adding the leaves because of nutrients they will release as there broken down? can you add them to any tank? I have pretty much an unlimited supply of leaves


 
Hi Dan,

Its not really nutrients that the leaves give. Leaves are added due to the tannin they release, they can have anti fungal properties which are quite useful in shrimp tanks, as it can also act as a feeding ground for shrimps to graze on microorganism that develop on the decaying leaves and eventually the leaves themselves. I often leave leaves   in the shrimp tank and not intentionally feed the baby shrimps with algae wafers etc as there are enough leaves for them to graze on so I don't run the risk of excess feeding. Some use the leaves to create biotopes too.

Some people will use leaves to help induce spawning as they can often lower the ph depending on how much is used and tank size. Others will use leaves like Indian almond leaves to aid female bettas' recovery after spawning too. Leaves could also be added in containers which have fish eggs in due to their anti fungal properties. Alder Cones could also be used to achieve same the same effects has leaves.

P.S. You can put 'em in lots of different tanks providing the fish/shrimps will like lower ph levels or softer water. Leaves are great to use as a source for creating the black water effect which can be seen in say the amazon.


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## dan4x4 (22 Nov 2013)

I'm goin to try this also as I have a shrimp and a betta, will this do anything to fresh water limpets or snails as I have a few in the tank and would like to keep them


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## Michael W (22 Nov 2013)

dan4x4 said:


> I'm goin to try this also as I have a shrimp and a betta, will this do anything to fresh water limpets or snails as I have a few in the tank and would like to keep them


 

it shouldn't harm snails, in fact like the shrimps the snails could graze on the leaves.


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## dan4x4 (4 Dec 2013)

Ok the leaf is in, has been for a few days and has sunk, snails love it, the shrimp likes to hide under is but hasn't started eating it yet, my fish seemed to become slightly better, but has now gone back downhill, i think I'm going to loose him, had to change tank, so in an unicycles tank too. 


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


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## BigTom (4 Dec 2013)

Sorry to hear that Dan, sounds like you've got some problems that are unlikely to be fixed with a few leaves. Maybe a new thread for some advice?

In the meantime, a little leaf lovin' -


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## Richardbunting (4 May 2014)

If i was to collect leaves now, is it much of a drama? Under the top layer of leaves in my area im finding intact whole leaves.


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## sciencefiction (4 May 2014)

Oh, I am so jealous. I've been searching for an unpolluted area here to find oak leaves and I couldn't(at least there are none nearby my sofa )
I got a few bags sent to me last year and I still have lots left. I prefer them to the almond leaves which break down pretty fast and in high flow tanks the dust from them covered everything. I suppose because I dump enough to cover the entire bottom...thankfully the ph stays rock solid if you use liquid rock water.  Oak leaves last for ages for me(if there are no shrimp to eat them)  and they don't seem to make the same mess as the almonds. I have to try some beach leaves too.


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## BigTom (5 May 2014)

Richardbunting said:


> If i was to collect leaves now, is it much of a drama? Under the top layer of leaves in my area im finding intact whole leaves.



I reckon you'll be fine. They'll probably have a whole ecosystem of bugs on then at this time of year so probably worth a rinse, dry and rakeover before storing them to minimise household microfauna.


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## BigTom (5 May 2014)

sciencefiction said:


> Oh, I am so jealous. I've been searching for an unpolluted area here to find oak leaves and I couldn't(at least there are none nearby my sofa )
> I got a few bags sent to me last year and I still have lots left. I prefer them to the almond leaves which break down pretty fast and in high flow tanks the dust from them covered everything. I suppose because I dump enough to cover the entire bottom...thankfully the ph stays rock solid if you use liquid rock water.  Oak leaves last for ages for me(if there are no shrimp to eat them)  and they don't seem to make the same mess as the almonds. I have to try some beach leaves too.



Yeah oak are pretty long lasting (and nice looking). Beech should last 2-3 times longer still.


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## pukas (9 May 2014)

I think as long as it is from a deciduous tree it is generally alright.


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