Ripe for Picking: a Guide to Collecting your own Bountiful Botanicals

[shangman]

Ripe for Picking: a Guide to Collecting your own Bountiful Botanicals​

Do you ever look at your aquarium, full of colourful fish, luscious plants and particularly-placed hardscape and think, hmm… I wish it looked a little more natural? Well then this is the guide for you, as there is an easy and economical way to bring more nature into your aquarium, practised by many for decades, yet only recently widely recognised for its beauty. And that way is ...

Adding fallen leaves, twigs, seed pods and other bits of dried dead plant matter otherwise known as “Botanicals” to your aquarium. You can buy botanicals online, and you can collect your own for free, which is what this guide is all about! These botanical delights are ripe for picking (mostly from the ground), and have a wide range of benefits for your aquatic creatures, and for you too. This is a work in progress guide to collecting your own botanicals, made collaboratively with the UKAPS community.

Botanicals help create a more complex natural ecosystem in your tank, improving fish health, creating new territory, and providing a constant food supply. An aquarium rich in botanicals mimics the natural environment of our fish, and so helps our fish exhibit more natural behaviour, personally my South American fish have never acted more confidently than when I keep them with big piles of leaves. The slowly degrading surface area of botanicals is a perfect breeding ground for microfauna and biofilms, providing an excellent food source for many fish and shrimps, and a greater chance of breeding and fry survival.

Botanicals also have enormous aesthetic appeal and bring a true feeling of nature into the aquarium, often transforming a tank into something more obviously made by a person, into a dramatic scene seemingly plucked from the wild. In warm shades of dark brown, sienna and yellow ochre, botanicals add beautiful new tones into the aquarium colour palette, as well as a wide range of textures and architectural structures, their lightness contrasting the heaviness of hardscape. Some botanicals stain the water shades of yellow and orange, creating an amazing moody atmosphere straight from the jungle.

The great thing about all these botanical benefits is that they are easy to achieve, you can place a handful of dried leaves on the surface of the aquarium, and over the next few days they will slowly sink to the bottom, or get caught on a plant or piece of hardscape, waving lightly in the flow, often with an oto or cherry shrimp nibbling away at them, and suddenly a new sense of calm is established.

Collecting botanicals is also a great excuse to explore green spaces both local and further afield, surround yourself with nature and get a good healthy walk in. If you're collecting in Autumn, you could pair a botanical walk with a search for mushrooms. Once you start, you'll begin to notice you look at trees and plants in a whole new way, paying attention to the beauty of small brown natural things wherever you go. Not only is collecting botanicals good for your fish, it's good for you too!

By collecting, and even growing, your own botanicals you can create an even more unique and beautiful aquarium for both you and your fish. Whilst you're not likely to find a catappa tree in the UK, there is a huge variety of beautiful, useful, and often tropical-looking leaves available for collection in gardens, parks and forests around the UK. Some are easy to find, others more niche, and all listed are appreciated by the creatures of your aquarium.

So please have a look around this guide, and then have a look outside, and see what lovely brown crunchy gems you can forage for your aquarium and share your discoveries with us here.

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What makes a good botanical?​

Some people think a good botanical is all about tannins - the more tannin, the more stain - the better. Some botanicals stain the water, and some don't. Certainly, a bit of tannin stain adds a more atmospheric feel to an aquarium which creatures and keepers alike enjoy.

Some think about longevity - how long will it last in the aquarium? Many will hope for a strong enough structure (wether on their own or as a thick leaf layer) to last a few weeks to a few months in an aquarium, adding new complex habitat to your aquarium for your creatures, as well as a food source. Generally, native British plants aren't that structured and fall apart quicker. Things like magnolia leaves, palm leaves, etc last longer - even with otos munching on them regularly.

For me, the best botanicals add a beautifully natural, tropical and sculptural feel to the aquarium, so that whether you have lots of plants or not, it feels like a full and unusual ecosystem. For this, you usually have to grow the plants yourself, or have a good gardener friend to supply them.

Either way - they all seem to make fish happy!

Tips on Collecting Botanicals ​

I collect all of my botanicals from parks and gardens (my own, neighbours and friends). Once you begin to notice trees with useable botanicals on them, you'll see that they are available everywhere.

It's best to collect most of your leaves in Autumn, when the majority of the plants on this list drop their leaves, and make sure you collect enough for the whole year. There are exceptions - some plants are evergreen (like magnolia grandiflora), and will drop a few leaves constantly across the year, and some leaves you may want to collect green for fish food.

When collecting botanicals, make sure to only collect leaves and seedpods which have fallen to the ground. Plant matter while alive is full of nutrients and sugars, which if put in an aquarium can foul the water quality, or at least disintergrate quite quickly. A good botanical is a leaf, seedpod, or interesting part of a plant which has naturally died and dried up on the plant - any water-fouling nutrition it once had will have been reabsorbed by the plant, leaving only the tough structured matter behind. The only exceptions to this are palm leaves & fronds (make sure they are fully brown and dry), and green leaves in summer for food.

Botanicals will break down in the aquarium, so you will need to replenish them regularly (every few weeks or months depending on the type and what fish you have), so make sure you collect enough in the Autumn to keep you going year-round.

Care should be taken to avoid collecting botanicals in places where pesticides and herbicides have been sprayed. For this reason, it's usually best to collect from parks and gardens over agricultural areas. Always check Oak trees for spray paint marks in green or red, which marks that the tree has been sprayed for oak processionary moth which mostly is done with deltamethrin which is very harmful to fish gill liver and kidney tissues.

How to prepare your Botanicals

Chuck Them In Method​

This method requires that you know there are no pesticides or herbicides used near to wear you collected your botanicals, and that they don't have much too dirt or creatures on them - it's a great method if you can collect botanicals from your (or your family/friend's gardens). Essentially, you just put the botanicals in the top of your aquarium and let them soak up the water and slowly sink over the next few days.

Boil Them Method​

This method helps clean botanicals, as well as denatures some toxins (in the case of bracken, herbicides and pesticides), and allows botanicals to immediately sink in the aquarium. The downside is that you will lose some tannin colour. Boil botanicals for 5 - 20 minutes. Once cooled, if you know there are no pesticides or herbicides used near to wear you collected your botanicals, you can use the tannin-stained water in the aquarium to add a tint. Some botanicals like alder cones can be boiled in water purely for their tannin-stained water.

How should I use botanicals in my aquarium?​

The benefit of collecting your own leaves is that you can add as many or as few as you like. When you buy botanicals online they can be 50p a leaf, but once you find a few good trees locally to source your leaves you can come away with a big bags full.

You can add as many or as few botanicals as you think looks good. You could add a single dramatic leaf, or fill the aquarium top-to-bottom with a huge pile, which would mimic some natural environments well! If you want a lot of botanicals in your aquarium, it's best to start with just a small handful and add by the handful weekly, as the organics can overwhelm your aquarium if too many are added at once.

Botanicals will break down in the aquarium over a few weeks or months, faster if you have creatures that like to eat them. Some botanicals last longer than others, depending on the structure of it. For example, palm leaves last several months, but walnut leaves last several days. You will be left with broken down plant matter, a beneficial layer of mulm filled with bacteria, fungi and other microorganisms. You can siphon this out, or keep it. In my aquariums I only siphon out mulm that sits on the main area of sand, the rest stays and doesn't seem to do any harm.

Look to our Inspirations post below to see examples of botanicals in aquariums from users on UKAPS.

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Links to further reading & watching

Are Aquarium Botanicals Poisonous? from CE Essentials
Free Tank Decor from Practicalfishkeeping.co.uk
Collecting Your Own Botanicals from Bettabotanicals.com​

 

[shangman]

Botanicals Plant List

Below is a working list of trees and plants which you can collect botanicals from in the UK. We are constantly adding to the list as we discover new species appropriate for the aquarium with beautiful structured leaves.

Please post your suggestions in this thread if you have successfully collected and used other botanicals not on this list.

Common Trees in the UK

These trees can be found all across the UK in parks, gardens, streets and other green spaces, and their leaves and seedpods are the easiest botanicals to collect.
​

Name	Part of plants	Photo	When to Collect	Does it tint?	Notes
English Oak (Quercus robar)	Leaves, twigs & acord caps (not acorns)	x	Collect brown fallen leaves in Autumn and Winter	-	A very common, easy to collect botanical. If you don't think it looks exotic enough, consider ripping the leaves up into smaller pieces to create a great leaf litter that looks more tropical.
Sweet Chestnut (Castanea sativa)	Leaves	x	Collect brown fallen leaves in Autumn	-	My personal favourite of the common British trees, the sweet chestnut has medium-to-large serrated leaves which have a definite tropical feel.
Common Beech (Fagus sylvatica)	Leaves & Pods	x	Collect brown fallen leaves & pods in Autumn	-	-
Alder (Alnus glutinosa)	Leaves & Seedpods	x	Collect brown fallen leaves & alder cones in Autumn	Yes, strongly	Alder seedpods are known as 'Alder Cones'
Apple (Malus x domestica)	Leaves	x	Collect brown fallen leaves in Autumn	Yes, golden	-
Hazel (Corylus avellana)	Leaves	x	Collect brown fallen leaves in Autumn	No	-
Silver Birch (Betula pendula)	Leaves	x	Collect brown fallen leaves in Autumn	No	-
Hawthorn (Crataegus monogyna)	Leaves	x	Collect brown fallen leaves in Autumn	-	Tiny leaves suitable for nano aquaria
Norway Maple (Acer platanoides)	Leaves	x	Collect brown fallen leaves in Autumn	-	Make sure these leaves are fully brown and dry before adding to the aquarium, when picked up they are often not fully dry, which means they rot when stored in a bag, and can leech sugars and other unwanted organics into the aquarium water.

Trees Often Found in Large British Parks

These trees come from around the world, and are often found in British parks. These trees have been picked because their leaves make beautiful, unique additions to the aquarium, with many creating a more authentic tropical look than the very common British trees.​

Name	Part of plants	Photo	When to Collect	Does it tint?	Notes
Southern Evergreen Magnolia (Magnolia Grandiflora)	Leaves	x	An evergreen, collect small quantities of brown fallen leaves year-round.	Yes	A fantastic tropical-looking leaf which lasts well in the aquarium, it is common to have one of these trees in almost every large British park
Magnolia sp.	Leaves	x	Collect brown fallen leaves in Autumn	-	All magnolia species leaves can be collected as botanicals, with some reaching up to 30cm long!
Sweetgum Tree (Liquidambar styraciflua)	Seedpods	x	Collect brown fallen seedpods in Autumn	-	The spiky fallen brown seedpods of this beautiful tree make great small botanicals for shrimps.
Persian Walnut (Juglans regia)	Leaves	x	Collect fresh green leaves in Spring & Summer, and fallen dried brown leaves in Autumn	-	Dried green walnut leaves collected in Spring & Summer make a great shrimp & oto food.
Holm Oak (Quercus Ilex)	Leaves	x	An evergreen, collect small quantities of brown fallen leaves year-round.	-	Lovely small leaves for a nano aquarium
Red Oak (Quercus Rubra)	Leaves	x	Collect brown fallen leaves in Autumn	-
American Live Oak (Quercus virginiana)	Leaves	x	An evergreen, collect small quantities of brown fallen leaves year-round.	-
Sessile Oak (Quercus petraea)	Leaves	x	Collect brown fallen leaves in Autumn and Winter	-	Small versions of oak leaves, well suited to a nano aquarium
Turkey Oak (Quercus Cerris)	Leaves & oak cups	x	Collect brown fallen leaves in Autumn and Winter	-	Nice hairy acorn cups
Ginkgo biloba	Leaves		Collect fallen leaves in late Autumn	-	An ancient species of tree with unique shaped leaves. When picking, avoid the stinking fruit which can cause skin irritation.
Swamp Cypress (Taxodium distichum)	Leaves & twigs	x	Collect fallen leaves and small branches in Autumn	-	The only confierous tree we've found so far which isn't toxic to aquatic life! A lovely bright orange colour with lacy needles, this is a unique botanical.
Japanese Maple (Acer palmatum)	Leaves	x	Collect fallen leaves in Autumn	-	Beautiful coloured leaves, make sure to take the time to dry these at home after collecting as often red leaves are filled with sugars still.
Crab Apple (Malus sylvestris)	Leaves	x	Collect fallen leaves in Autumn	-	Lovely small leaves. I also suggest collecting the fruit to make delicious homemade jelly.

Common Bushes & Shrubs

These common bushes and shrubs are found in British parks, gardens and some wild areas. Many of them are easy to grow at home if you have a green space.​

Name	Part of plants	Photo	When to Collect	Does it tint?	Notes
Camellia Sp.	Leaves	x	Evergreen shrub, with leaves often dropping in Spring and Summer	-	Commonly found in gardens and small parks, this is a beautiful shrub (and sometimes tree) which you could plant in your garden.
Heather (Calluna vulgaris)	Twigs & small branches	x	Year-round, find dead brown undergrowth and cut off.	-	Growing on moors and peat bogs, dead heather twigs make delicate looking roots. Also often found in British parks in borders.
Blackcurrant (Ribes nigrum)	Leaves	x	Collect fallen leaves in Autumn	-	To collect these leaves you may have to grow blackcurrants, which sounds annoying until you remember that you can then make homemade blackcurrant jam.
Bamboo	Leaves		Collect fallen leaves year-round	No	The thin papery fallen leaves of bamboo make an unusual botanical which is surprisingly tough.

Palms ​

Palms grown in the UK are a great source of larger botanicals - both their fallen leaves and their dried flower stalks make dramatic sculptural botanicals which last several months, their fronds must be allowed to dry out completely on the plant before being cut off. Some 'palms' are actually cycads (Cycas sp.), which are mostly not useable as botanicals due to toxins (and very stiff sharp leaf ends)

Make sure you cut off the sharp spikes on the stalks. Below are some common species to look out for, or even grow in your garden. I have had good luck knocking on doors and asking neighbours for the dead palm leaves.

Name	Part of plants	Photo	When to Collect	Does it tint?	Notes
Parlour Palm (Chamaedorea elegans)	Leaves		All times of year, usually one leaf at a time is ready. When fronds are dead on the palm - dried out, pale brown and facing down.	-	A popular house plants, keep this yourself and enjoy the occasional botanical leaf for your aquarium. Less thick and long-lasting than hardy outdoor palms.
Trachycarpus fortunei	Leaves & Flower Stalks	x	All times of year, usually one leaf at a time is ready. When fronds are dead on the palm - dried out, pale brown and facing down. Flower stalks are ready when black and dried out on palm.	No	A round medium leaf , approx 50cm long. Hardy.
Chamaerops humilis	Leaves	x	Same as above	-	A round small leaf, approx 20cm long. Hardy.
Phoenix canariensis	Leaves	x	Same as above	-	A long long, suitable only for large aquariums, often over 1m long. Hardy in Southern England.
Washingtonia robusta	Leaves	x	Same as above	-

Diamondleaf Fern (Lophosoria quadripinnata)

Ferns ​

Ferns are a more difficult botanical to source, as many fall apart when they drop their fronds or shrivel up in autumn. This category of plants will be slowly added to over time, if you are a fern enthusiast who has kept a fern which makes a great botanical, let me know!

​

Name	Part of plants	Photo	When to Collect	Does it tint?	Notes
Bracken (Pteridium aquilinum)	Fronds	-	Autumn	-	CAUTION - Bracken contains the poison Ptaquiloside, which kills horses, it is unknown if this poison affects aquatic life. One aquarist has had success using this fern as a botanical in their aquarium, but they made sure to boil the fern fronds in water for 20 minutes with the idea that it would denature the poison. Use at your own risk. Bracken is common throughout the British countryside and woodland areas.
Diamondleaf Fern (Lophosoria quadripinnata)	Fronds	-	Autumn, once the frond has gone fully brown, cut off at base.	No	An unusual fern that would need to be bought in a garden centre and grown at home, makes a beautiful botanical.
Davallia sp.	Fronds	-	All times of year, usually one leaf at a time is ready. When fronds are dead on the fern - looking pale brown and facing down. Add to aquarium in this state, rather than when fully dried out as they become brittle.	-	These ferns can be kept inside as houseplants, and have beautiful small fronds. The delicate fronds last a few weeks whole, and will then make a beautiful natural leaf litter.

To try - Pyrrosia sheareri, Matteuccia orientalis, Lomariocycas magellanica, Polypodium 'Whitley Giant'

 

[shangman]

Photo left @shangman, Photo right @Courtneybst

Plants for Fish & Shrimp Food​

All the botanicals in this guide are good for your fish and shrimps, often a great food source, but some plants are better than others! Below is a list of some of the best plants you can collect for food for shrimps and fish like otocinclus. Unlike the botanicals and leaves mentioned earlier in the guide, many of these plants can be added to the aquarium when green, though often need drying.

Name	Part of plants	Preparation	Photo	Notes
Common Walnut (Juglans regia)	Green Leaves	Collect leaves from Spring to Autumn, allow to fully dry.	-	These walnut leaves are the favourite food of my otocinclus catfish
Stinging Nettles (Urtica dioica)	Green Leaves & 'Pollen'	Collect leaves when green, fresh growth is best. Collect pollen ....	-	Favourite food of shrimps
Mulberry (Morus sp.)	Green Leaves	Collect leaves when green, fresh growth is best, allow to fully dry.	-	-
Fruiting trees	Green leaves	Collect leaves when green, fresh growth is best, allow to fully dry.		Apples, Pears and other fruiting tree leaves

Poisonous Plants to Avoid​

Plant matter often contains substances which are toxic, which is sometimes an issue and sometimes not. Tannin, a substance found in many botanicals is poisonous to humans and other mammals if consumed in large quantities, but healthy for fish in the aquarium, and so we use these leaves without problems.

But not all plant and tree matter is appropriate for aquarium use - the plants and trees on this list should not be collected because they contain substantial quantities of toxins which will most likely poison your fish. These plant's leaves and pods may look attractive, but you should avoid anything on this list unless you are an expert. If you are an expert, good luck and please record your findings for us! Despite writing this guide I don’t consider myself an expert on plant toxicity and wouldn’t risk these myself in my aquariums.

If you are unsure about the suitability of a botanical, feel free to ask in this thread about it.

Name	Why you should avoid it	What it's similar to	Photo
Rhododendron Sp.	Some Rhododendron sp. contain the poison grayanotoxin, a neurotoxin.	Similar to some species of magnolia and often grow together in large parks. Although the leaf of this large bush look attractively tropical, avoid them.	-
Azalea sp.	Some Azalea sp. contain the poison grayanotoxin, a neurotoxin. Azalea Root Wood/hardscape bought from shops is not dangerous, and can be used without worry.	Grayanotoxin tends to collect at the tips of leaves, shoots and flowers, and so although azalea root is used as an aquarium hardscape material, it's best to avoid using the leaves.	-
Black Walnut (Juglans nigra)	Black walnuts contain a high proportion of juglone, which can cause a skin rash when collected, and may harm both creatures and plants in the aquarium.	Related to the common walnut (Juglans regia), which is non-toxic to aquatic life, as it contains a relatively small amount of juglone.	-
Pines and Conifers	Pines and Conifer trees (and their leaves) all contain large quantities of oily sap and resin which would soil your aquarium water.	Swamp Cypress is the only coniferous tree with leaves that are confirmed to be useable in an aquarium.	-
Cycads	Cycads (Cycas sp.) have potentially dangerous toxins, and often very stiff sharp leaf ends which could easily skewer a fish.	Palm fronds can be used in aquariums, so better to use those than cycads.	-

 

[shangman]

Botanical Aquarium Inspiration​

wip

Inspirational aquariums featuring botanicals from UKAPS users

Inspirational links showing botanicals and fish together in nature - videos & photos

 

[John q]

Thanks for doing this @shangman 🥰
Thought it might be useful to some folks to see what effect various botanicals have on water tint. So to start the ball rolling I'll begin with Alder cones, 3.5g added to 500ml of 60 tds tapwater. Will add more pictures to this post over the next 7 days.






Will also do the same experiment with catappa leaves.



T + 7 hrs.



24 Hours.

48 hrs.


80 hrs.


Final picture at 104hrs.


Thought I'd add one final picture. I drained the water and rinsed the Alder cones, then added 500mls of new tap water. After 12hrs this was the result.


Tint release has slowed, but seems Alder cones are the gift that keeps on giving.

 

[Courtneybst]

Huzzah!

 

[tigertim]

Good timing, i've just being out and collected these this morning, mostly Beech with a couple of Oak hitchikers, to be used in a Cryptocoryne potting mix further down the line.

 

[Tyko_N]

I didn't have any accurate enough scales, so these are 1ml of ground leaves (thoroughly dried beforehand) in 2dl of rain water. Top row includes (from right to left): Maple (Acer platanoides), black currant (Ribes nigrum), and hazel (Corylus avellana). While the bottom one has: Apple (Malus domestica), oak (Quercus robur), and birch (Betula pendula).

Seems like apple could be useful for a yellow tint @Courtneybst , this is after only a few minutes so it'll be interesting to see what it looks like in a week.

Edit: After 1 week:

Turns out apple leaves wasn't such a good idea if you wanted yellow water, maybe birch is instead the best option. It's not that clear on the photo, but the water with maple and hazel leaves in it has turned slightly cloudy. In my previous experience these leaves tend to decompose quite quickly, so I use them when I want to create a lot of "mulm" in little time (such as when starting a new setup) or to provide food for various microorganisms in fry setups.

 

[The Miniaturist]

This is great @shangman, thank you for starting the botanicals list!
I use mainly oak & beech leaves with alder cones but this year I have collected some hawthorn so I can see how they go. Hawthorn & beech seem more in proportion with a nano tank, I think magnolia leaves would take up too much space!
The best botanical I've found for tannins is alder cones, you can control the tint by how many you add & there are bagfuls available from even a fairly small tree.
I pour boiling water over them 24hrs before using them so they sink straight away.

 

[Tim Harrison]

Great work @shangman 👍
These articles might be of interest too.

Using leaves in your tank

Collect fallen leaves from a nearby forest and use these to decorate your tank.

www.practicalfishkeeping.co.uk

Free Tank Decor! - Collecting Your Own Botanicals – Betta Botanicals | Natural Aquarium Products

Safely collecting, cleaning and adding aquarium botanicals is a rewarding part of the botanical style aquarium niche. Let's explain how we do it, how to avoid tragedy while adding aquarium leaves, where to safely collect botanicals, and list out safe species of trees we regularly use! Let's...

bettabotanicals.com

 

[Courtneybst]

Malus domestica

Amazing! That's the colour I'm going for, for sure. So you literally got leaves from a random apple tree? Were they green or brown when you collected them?

I would like to get some apple leaves in that case. I'd just be wary of which tree I get it from since apple trees often get sprayed with pesticides.

 

[Tyko_N]

So you literally got leaves from a random apple tree?

Yes, we have a few in the garden so I can make sure that they have not been treated with anything. The leaves are picked freshly fallen, or if I'm lucky (and we have had calm weather) stripped directly from the tree. You can easily check if the leaf is "ripe" by very gently tugging it backwards towards the trunk, a leaf that's ready to fall will then pop off with a clean break. I mainly do it that way because I'm lazy (it's easy to just run one hand along the branch and let the leaves fall directly into a paper bag), but it also saves you the trouble of having to sort them out from any others on the ground as well as avoids getting dirt on them.

Were they green or brown when you collected them?

Yellow when collected, with no gren left, but during storage and drying (or if picked later) they turn a light brown. If I kept shrimp I would probably try a couple of green ones though, they should be more nutritious.

 

[AlecF]

I've been using gingko, birch, beech, oak, and some alder cones.

 

[Wookii]

Well done @shangman great start here 👏

I was going to suggest adding images, then I spotted you'd already got a column in the table waiting for them. it might be useful to have some photos of the leaves when they are brown and ready to collect, when they are green and still on the tree and an image of the whole tree, as the latter two will help ID a tree in the summer ready for collecting in the Autumn.

If you want me to start collating some images for you, to share the burden, drop me a PM.

 

[Witcher]

@shangman
Tilia (cordata, platyphyllos and european which is a hybrid of the first two) - not directly useful for changing water parameters etc. (folks, if you know any use please comment) but dried block of tilia is probably the best (and cheapest) air stone you can make with little diy needed:



Ps. Not an "aquatic" info but:

Young leaves of tilia are edible and can be used in salads, flowers of tilia can be made into a tea (linden tea) and tilia honey is a very tasty one.
Young leaves of European beech which is on your list are also edible and have nutty flavour. Nuts are also edible (and very tasty) but moderation is needed if eaten raw as they are slightly toxic if eaten in large quantities - they contain lots of tannins (which can be leached out by soaking), they also contain trimethylamine (also called fagin) - an alkaloid causing hallucinations when lots of nuts are eaten. After boiling or roasting (in my opinion roasting makes them an absolute delicacy) they are perfectly safe to eat as toxic compounds are broken down by heat.

 

[shangman]

Thanks everyone!! Feeling much more motivated to get it all going now 🙂

Thanks for doing this @shangman 🥰
Thought it might be useful to some folks to see what effect various botanicals have on water tint. So to start the ball rolling I'll begin with Alder cones, 3.5g added to 500ml of 60 tds tapwater. Will add more pictures to this post over the next 7 days.

View attachment 198176
View attachment 198175
View attachment 198174


Will also do the same experiment with catappa leaves.
View attachment 198178
View attachment 198177

T + 7 hrs.
View attachment 198190
View attachment 198192View attachment 198191

24 Hours.
View attachment 198202

This is a great contribution, thank you! I've linked your post to the Alder's tint info.

Huzzah!

Thanks for the continuing harrassment! It's good to finally do this tbh

Good timing, i've just being out and collected these this morning, mostly Beech with a couple of Oak hitchikers, to be used in a Cryptocoryne potting mix further down the line.

Beech! Totally forgot about that one, I've added it in thank you! They're great leaves to use.

I didn't have any accurate enough scales, so these are 1ml of ground leaves (thoroughly dried beforehand) in 2dl of rain water. Top row includes (from right to left): Maple (Acer platanoides), black currant (Ribes nigrum), and hazel (Corylus avellana). While the bottom one has: Apple (Malus domestica), oak (Quercus robur), and birch (Betula pendula).
View attachment 198182
Seems like apple could be useful for a yellow tint @Courtneybst , this is after only a few minutes so it'll be interesting to see what it looks like in a week.

Another fabulously useful post, thank you! I've added links to this post in the tables, and will add the trees/bushes I haven't put in already too (apple, birch, blackcurrant, maple)

This is great @shangman, thank you for starting the botanicals list!
I use mainly oak & beech leaves with alder cones but this year I have collected some hawthorn so I can see how they go. Hawthorn & beech seem more in proportion with a nano tank, I think magnolia leaves would take up too much space!
The best botanical I've found for tannins is alder cones, you can control the tint by how many you add & there are bagfuls available from even a fairly small tree.
I pour boiling water over them 24hrs before using them so they sink straight away.

Hawthorn! Another one I forgot, will add that for nano tanks thank you 🙂

Great work @shangman 👍
These articles might be of interest too.

Using leaves in your tank

Collect fallen leaves from a nearby forest and use these to decorate your tank.

www.practicalfishkeeping.co.uk

Free Tank Decor! - Collecting Your Own Botanicals – Betta Botanicals | Natural Aquarium Products

Safely collecting, cleaning and adding aquarium botanicals is a rewarding part of the botanical style aquarium niche. Let's explain how we do it, how to avoid tragedy while adding aquarium leaves, where to safely collect botanicals, and list out safe species of trees we regularly use! Let's...

bettabotanicals.com

These are great links, thank you! I've added them to further reading in the first post, and nabbed a few extra species from their lists 🙂

I've been using gingko, birch, beech, oak, and some alder cones.

I haven't seen anyone use gingko before in a tank, that's awesome. It's got such a good unqiue leaf shape too, I'll add it to the list. Would love to see pics of it in your tank!👀

Well done @shangman great start here 👏

I was going to suggest adding images, then I spotted you'd already got a column in the table waiting for them. it might be useful to have some photos of the leaves when they are brown and ready to collect, when they are green and still on the tree and an image of the whole tree, as the latter two will help ID a tree in the summer ready for collecting in the Autumn.

If you want me to start collating some images for you, to share the burden, drop me a PM.

Thanks Wookii! yeah I want to add pics, but just threw something up on Saturday. Today I've moved things around a bit, and at least added links for every species to websites which some what the trees look like. It would be great to get pics of botanicals in the aquarium or a small pile.

@shangman
Tilia (cordata, platyphyllos and european which is a hybrid of the first two) - not directly useful for changing water parameters etc. (folks, if you know any use please comment) but dried block of tilia is probably the best (and cheapest) air stone you can make with little diy needed:

View attachment 198252

Ps. Not an "aquatic" info but:

Young leaves of tilia are edible and can be used in salads, flowers of tilia can be made into a tea (linden tea) and tilia honey is a very tasty one.
Young leaves of European beech which is on your list are also edible and have nutty flavour. Nuts are also edible (and very tasty) but moderation is needed if eaten raw as they are slightly toxic if eaten in large quantities - they contain lots of tannins (which can be leached out by soaking), they also contain trimethylamine (also called fagin) - an alkaloid causing hallucinations when lots of nuts are eaten. After boiling or roasting (in my opinion roasting makes them an absolute delicacy) they are perfectly safe to eat as toxic compounds are broken down by heat.

That's super interesting! Do you ever use lime leaves in the aquarium?

@Courtneybst you could make some fascinating delicious meals from these.

 

[shangman]

I’ve started updating things a bit more.. (and will do a bit more tonight as well with ferns and palms)

In the first post I’ve added a pic, edited the intro slightly and added the titles of some bits of info I want to add later, as well as begun adding links to further reading. Please send me more links for that, and any other info you think should be on here. Will later write a longer introduction, and a guide on preparing botanicals and other things to consider( a bit about pesticides, etc) LMK if there are other things like this to add.

In the second post I’ve edited the tables a bit more, splitting 'Trees you can find in UK Parks' into - 'Common UK Trees & Plants' like the oak, beech, alder, apple, chestnut, hazel. Then the rest of the trees as 'Trees Often Found in Large British Parks' ... I have found most parks have a few more unusual individual trees. Perhaps could even list a few locations for the more unusual trees if they are big specimens. I’ve added links to each tree so far so people can see what they look like in various seasons, and changed around some other bits too so it all makes more sense, and added tint info from posts heres too.

In the third post I’ve added a table listing plants to collect for fish & shrimp food. @Wookii, could you write how/when you collect nettle pollen? Would love to add more to this if anyone else can think of good examples!

In the fourth post I’ve added a short list of plants to avoid, including rhododendron, azalea, pine and black walnut. If you can think of any other plants that should be avoided, let me know so I can update them.

I was also thinking maybe later could list some notable parks around the UK for their great range of trees. Last year I went to Windsor Great Park and collected a fabulous selection of magnolia leaves, some over 30cm long, and I think there is a camelia section in there too. Something I like about the hobby is that we have these great destination shops to visit, and it's nice that in the Autumn you can go on a destination walk, collect a few leaves and look at some fungi. The only ??? thing is IDK if someone official there would frown upon us collecting leaves in parks? I haven't had anyone have a go at me yet, though I don't take that many and do it discreetly lol.

 

[Courtneybst]

@Courtneybst you could make some fascinating delicious meals from these.

One tilia salad, coming up!

Young tilia with fermented tilia honey and roasted chilli tilia nuts.

 

[AlecF]

I have azalea wood in my tank and haven't had any problems. Should I expect any?

 

[shangman]

One tilia salad, coming up!

Young tilia with fermented tilia honey and roasted chilli tilia nuts.

Can't wait for it at the Spring supper club!

I have azalea wood in my tank and haven't had any problems. Should I expect any?

No it's fine!

It's a complicated topic because some 'toxins' (like tannins) in plants would hurt us if we ate them, but are harmless for fish. Other toxins might be harmful to fish, and the only way for us to test it is to try it. The azalea/rhododendron toxin is a neurotoxin, which to me seems more dangerous than most. However, azalea root has been used in aquariums for years by thousands and thousands of people, it'll be fine.

Generally the poisons in rhododendrons and azaleas are in the growth which might get eaten - tips, leaves and flowers, rather than the roots or hardwood. Not all species of azalea & rhododendron are toxic, but from what I've read the ones which are are VERY toxic so I just thought better to tell people to not bother unless they're an expert/willing to risk things. Particularly because often these plants are grown together in mixed species groves where it would be hard to tell which leaf is from which plant.

I really wanted to try some rhododendron leaves last year as they look perfect for aquascaping in a tropical way, and I even have an expert dad who could probably identify them, but then <read that honey made by bees using the pollen of rhodendron flowers has been used to poison armies> and thought... hmm, maybe not.
____

This evening I've added a bit more to Palms & Ferns, let me know if you have any additions to here. For the ferns, I've added some plants I hope to try soon.

I've also moved the 'Poisonous Plants to Avoid' section into the third post, so that the fourth post could be an inspiration post featuring aquariums with hand-collected botanicals. Tomorrow I'll add some photos from my tanks to that section, and I would really really appreciate it if you post/link yours here so they can be added too. @Courtneybst @Wookii