Indian Almond Leaf As L Number Food

[Midwater]

I have got a couple of one inch L25s in one incubation box, and a two inch L96 in another.

They are doing well on a diet of ghost shrimp and tilapia, as they are carnivorous, supplemented with spirulina pellets for vegetable matter. They seem to be growing, and I think the L96 is three inches already.

A couple of weeks ago, I put an Indian Almond leaf in each box to give them cover and feel more comfortable. The leaves are fraying now, and devoid of tannins already. But it looks significantly as if they have been chewed through.

Generally I put a bag full of IA leaves in the overflow/sump each week and throw away the old lot. But I have just taken these used leaves and added one to each incubation box.

I assume that in the natural habitat, there are lots of decaying leaves. I am considering using the spent IA leaves as regular L number supplemental food.

Does anyone have any ideas about this?

 

[FJB]

I use leaves of Magnolia grandifolia from the tree in my backyard. Only a few leaves in each tank, added just because I notice plecos (bushynose) like to browse them and other fish like to play/hide around them. I replace them about weekly.
This is about one week in the tank (left, new leaf going in; right, week-old leaf leaving the tank).
Clearly a lot of browsing going on.
Is this beneficial toi the fish or the tank? I think so but can't prove it.
Is is bad or damaging? I sincerely doubt it very much.

 

[BIG-G]

I use mulberry leaves.
Shrimp and snails love them.
Several plecos like to munch them.
The L14, L25 and spiney monster not as much now that they are older.
I think they ate more wood, leaves and algae when they were younger not so much now they love their pellets, shrimp and tilapia chunks to much.

 

[Midwater]

Fallen_Leaves16 Pleased for the like, but more so appreciate your name suits this thread well!!

 

[Fallen_Leaves16]

I've seen a lot of my smaller plecos nibble at live oak leaves (heat-treated and dried leaves from a 'live oak' tree; they're called live oaks for whatever reason), presumably to feed on aufwuchs, but they do also seem to consume a fair amount of the leaf itself as well. I don't think there'll be anything wrong with using them as a supplement; after all, it does lower the pH level somewhat and as you pointed out, gives the fish some cover, and doesn't seem to have any ill effects. I put leaf litter in most fish tanks I have, mainly to promote lower pH levels and copepod growth (through decaying matter and more available surface area) as well as a means of allowing smaller fish to hide better and forage in, and so far it's fairly effective at all of that.