Leaves for Aquarium

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Calihawk

Plecostomus
MFK Member
Dec 15, 2010
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I recently met up with a fellow breeder and he says that he uses Peat moss from Home Depot, okay that sounds good.

But then he said, He also used dried up Magnolia leaves. EH?

Help me on this people, Can Magnolia and other simple brown leaves be used for fish tanks?
 
Yeah, it has the effect of driftwood; tannins, lower PH, etc. The effect on PH will be dependent on how good your buffering capacity is. I've used the indian almond leaves and regular oak tree leaves. Gives it a nice, natural, blackwater look.
 
The purple leaves from fancy japanese maples turn water a pleasant rose color. Safe as anything else, too. I read that they need to be collected as they naturally die in autumn for best results. Something about decomposing faster if simply taken and dehydrated. But any oak or maple will do fine, though IME oak doesn't release the same quantity of tannin as maple does.
 
Yeah, and peat is cheap. Im trying to soften and lower the pH just a tad. Mine is 7.8 right now and its my city water. My street is lined with Magnolia trees, LOL, I named my daughter Magnolia, how fitting huh.
 
What's your KH? If your have a decent buffering capacity you could add an entire tree and your PH won't budge.
 
Alternatively, you can cut your tap with rainwater unless you live in a polluted area. It's almost the same as distilled water, so use carefully.
 
Fresno, is close or has surpassed LA as most polluted...if you research Fresno has the highest case of respiratory complications.
 
knifegill said:
The purple leaves from fancy japanese maples turn water a pleasant rose color. Safe as anything else, too. I read that they need to be collected as they naturally die in autumn for best results. Something about decomposing faster if simply taken and dehydrated. But any oak or maple will do fine, though IME oak doesn't release the same quantity of tannin as maple does.
Click to expand...

I never even thought about using these... I have a Japanese maple shedding its leaves right now next to and into my pond right now.

Not to thread jack, but if I alread have a PH of about 6.5 How much leaf material should I collect to just get the rose color tannin effect? A couple handfulls, or more? Or is this a try a little and wait procedure? I have no substrate , fake plants, duckweed and a few bigger rocks. Cold water with a couple young channel cats and some pre-quarantined golf fish in a 90g.
 
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