YESSSSSS lets stick random leaves and a stick in a tank

Inc nitrogen/phosphorus / god knows what else bomb in 5, 4, 3,.....

No... hardwood leaves give off tannins and lower Ph levels which are excellent for South American tanks - Oak leaves specifically are excellent for this

Also have little microscopic critters that help feed fry from using oak leaves

interesting- wouldn't risk it in a million years but interesting - mind you the fresh water peasantry is far bellow the salt

I'm with you on the leaves, but I always have driftwood in my tanks x3 I'd be afraid to put anything in my tank that I found outside. everything I put in mine is bought at a store. Kuro is very brave, but not alone with his methods

I make driftwood outta sticks, but the process takes foreverrrrr.

Omgawed that's insane... this is just two branches I can collect all the manzanita I want because my father in law thinks of it as an evil weed that needs to DIE XD

I use natural deadfall (I live near a forest) that hasn't rotted, then I bake them in the oven, then I leach them in water with frequent changes for a month or so. A long process, but worth it for cool wood! :D

HA! That's so awesome! The manzanita was collected up in the mountains of tahoe on private property, I gathered from dead bushy area's manzanita is quite nice was going to go for mopani or red moor but someone convinced into this and I found out I had a free source to it. (Which is epic in the long since most people pay 40 bucks a branch for the ones in my tank on aquabid.com)

Natural tanks are rockin imo specially since I got into this ^_^ (Though yes it is a little risky with the leaf litter and dealing with pesticides this is why I prefer to get far FAR away from humans when I did my collecting)

Hey they sell Almond leaves at my fish store!! Just not... common oak >,..> Or they try to be all fancy and call it "Catappa leaves"

it's manzanita driftwood. Totally clean stuff.

Leaves, as mentioned, are good for lowering the pH and hardness as well as giving off tannins (proven to be good for a lot of freshwater fish that aren't from hard water)

they just need to be gathered from the right area, no pesticides or anything. Very common tactic used in blackwater aquaria.

no pesticides or anything"

Or air born pollutants.. etc etc
way to risky in my opinion- mind you cheap fish= more risky aesthetic is feasible

But on the same note - trees that naturally drop leaves into water for fish in the wild would have the same air pollutants too. However, if you are in an area where tree diseases or in a heavily populated city with factories and such surrounding - I wouldn't use the leaves either.

I've used oak leaves in my tanks after inspecting nearby trees for diseases and such - so almost like when you go purchase new fish and you check for diseases, its the same for using natural resources around you. :) I live in a suburban area, so I was fortunate in that regard.

Some people put pesticides directly to the trees depending on what they are keeping away, but I wouldn't be concerned about distant airborne pollutants since that realistically is all over the planet.

"trees that naturally drop leaves into water for fish in the wild would have the same air pollutants too"

Not comparable- a FAR larger amount of water and flow, MUCH higher pbt. - and is allowed to become saturated in a closed system

Lol the quote, I really need to watch what I type XD

Yes there is a current and such, but ... Okay I got nothing further other than that I am comfortable using hardwood leaves for South American tanks and have never had any problems with them XD

Analyzing trees before hand and using common sense when collecting them is all I have left to say lol

and as such- I do not judge ones usage of such materiel- It still looks esthetically pleasing

Real leaves? D:

Helps with adjusting the PH and gives off tannins

Yup ^_^ They are oak leaves, Red Oak to be specific, it acts as a ph down, recreates south american black water streams, and releases tannins into the water which have a lot of healing properties ^_^

Some breeders even use almond leaves in their tanks to induce betta's into breeding, protect fry from ailments like fin rot and provide as a shelter for some lower dwelling fish.

Cool right? I had no clue until recently I could do such a thing xD Thakfully I gahter all my supplies from up in the mountains of tahoe on private property that is rarely visited cept 2 seasons of the year.

Neat! Love the blackwater effect :)

Hehe thanks!!! ^_^ Its my pride and joy, a lot of friends say it reminds them of autumn their favorite season of the year.

Manzanita collected from private property in Tahoe, Leaves collected from their as well ^_^ Its pretty desolate up their don't even get a signals on the cell phone I love it!!! Btw its been running like this few months now~ So clearly its not covered in poison :P

Btw For the person above~

Almond leaves are something that's a common trade as a way to induce breedin habbits in betta fish, protect fry from fin rot. The acids inside buffer ph but also give of tannic acids that act as a booster to the immune system ^_^ Its pretty cool imo. Plus its a great way to re create black water south american biotopes~ Which 2 apistogramma agassizii inhabit this tank and the female has actually turned quite yellow meaning she'll probably breed soon. Muahaha.