Why oak leafs???

[Apisto ranch]

I've been doing a lot of reading on breeding my cockato's. I've seen alot of pics with oak leafs in the bottom of the tank. But I've never seen any reason behind this. I went out in my front yard today and got a whole bag full of oak leafs and waitting on repiles to this to see if it helps with the breeding or not?
So if someone can point me to an artical or post anything on this please do. I've had to specail order the cichlid atlas to kinda learn alittle more on them. But til the book gets here I'm at a lost on what the leafs do.

 

[Fatts]

I only use leaves if nothing else works. Kinda as a last resort thing. Most of my tanks have nylon bags full of peat. I don't like what the leaves do to the tank when they start to break down. Also makes it harder to change the water in the tank without sucking all the leaves out, which of course breaks them into a bunch of little pieces so then you gotta add more.

 

[tjudy]

If you are trying to provide cover with leaves you can probably get away with more wood. If you are trying to add tannins and such, you can boil the leaves and leech the chemicals to pour in your tank when you need them. For that I use catappa. I will also put the boiled catappa leaf in my tanks. They are broad leaves so there is a nice hiding spot under them. My adults do not seem to care... but the fry love them! I have ten-gallon grow out tanks with bare bottoms and a large catappa leaf on the bottom. All the fry will congregate under that leaf. I have a tank with 60 1cm krib fry that you cannot see. Flip over the leaf, or feed, and the come pouring out.

There are some species of tree that have leaves that are not going to break down as fast as others, but I have not heard much about using leaves other than oak or beech. Beech should last longer than most oaks. I keep meaning to ask my mother to send me a bag of the oak leaves she has in Florida.. they are small and very stiff. I have wondered how the thick leaves of magnolia, rhododendron or azalia (sp?) would do.

 

[Mike Wise]

I have wondered how the thick leaves of magnolia, rhododendron or azalia (sp?) would do.

Most thick, glossy-leaf trees have a milky substance in them that can be toxic to fish. Magnolia & figs are examples. The only reason that fish live in leaf litter composed of mostly fig leaves in the wilds of South America is because the continuous flow of water dilutes the toxins.

 

[tjudy]

Ok... no magnolias.