Leaf litter?

[Iamtechno13]

Now that I'm really getting into this I figure I should know this. I see that leaf litter can be fairly beneficial in multiple ways but I guess I'm curious as to what is the best type of leaf to use if there is one? How long would you typically leave them in before changing? And I guess is there anything else I need to know about this?

 

[regani]

Many types of leaves, once brown and dry, are suitable. Most commonly used are probably oak, maple, or Indian almond leaves, depending on where in the world you are or what you can your hands on.
The important thing is not to pick green leaves but use the leaves that have naturally browned and fallen off the three as that means all easily available nutrients have been drawn out of the leaf leaving mostly slow degrading fibrous material.

 

[Mike Wise]

I never remove the leaves. I only remove what is left (detritus) after the leaves have disintegrated. I do this while siphoning the substrate during water changes. Regani gives you good advice. Leaves of trees that naturally live in acidic soil generally are better (one of the reasons the soil is acidic) for blackwater tanks.

 

[Iamtechno13]

So how long do the leaves typically take to break down? How long does the whole process typically take? And do I have to worry about an ammonia spike or anything negative like that? I see it softens the water a little bit and lowers the pH a little bit?

 

[Mol_PMB]

It depends on the type of leaf, typically 4 weeks? I find that oak leaves last longer than Catappa.

 

[regani]

As Paul said, it can take from a few weeks to a couple of months depending on the type of leave.
If the leaves are dried dead leaves you won't have to worry about nutrient/ammonia spike as there is not much left in the leaves in terms of nutrients.
I have put up to maybe 3-4 good handfuls of leaves in a 2ft tank and have not had any problems

 

[Iamtechno13]

I guess that kind of brings me to my next question. How many leaves of a particular size would typically be used/ok roughly for a 40Gallon tank?

 

[Mike Wise]

If you want it similar to nature then add 8-24"/20-60cm deep layer. In other words, there really isn't too deep in most hobbyists' tanks.

 

[dw1305]

Hi all,
I've been using the dead leaves of Magnolia grandiflora as "structural" leaf litter. They are more persistent than Oak (Quercus) , Beech (Fagus) or Indian Almond Leaves (Terminalia catappa). I usually use Oak and Magnolia leaves, withthe Magnolia leaves lasting up to 6 months. Have a look at this thread <http://www.apistogramma.com/forum/threads/what-dead-leaves-used-in-tanks.12777/>.

You can buy Magnolia grandiflora leaves for use in "Dart Frog" vivaria, if you can't source them locally.

cheers Darrel

 

[jumpmaster]

If you are using oak leaves, collect them far from major roads or industrial areas, and give them a proper wash.

 

[Mike Wise]

I recommend treating them like salad lettuce: spray wash well & dry in a salad spinner. Then a 1 minute 'nuke' in the mircrowave and they're ready.

 

[jumpmaster]

I like using Indian almond leaves. I always break three or four up and plop them into the tank. Every two weeks I brew up black water with the leaves and add it to the tank after a major water change.