Decaying leaves

[brad]

I was thinking of setting up a tank with the bottom covered with leaves. Either Indian Almond or Oak. I was wondering if there's any danger once these leaves start to decay. Of course, I will occasionally change them, but in the mean time, they will still be slowly decaying.

Thanks for any help.

 

[blueblue]

I was thinking of setting up a tank with the bottom covered with leaves. Either Indian Almond or Oak. I was wondering if there's any danger once these leaves start to decay. Of course, I will occasionally change them, but in the mean time, they will still be slowly decaying.

Thanks for any help.

If the filtration system is not well-established, a lot of decaying leaves will polute the water. When fish moves quickly, the decaying leaves will be spreading around like "dust in the air" which doesn't seem to be good to your fish...

 

[valice]

blueblue, what do you mean by well-established in this case?
The particles will still float around when they are kicked up by say cories or plecos...

Thinking of adding Indian Almond leaves to my biotope tank as well... So want to know more of the possible problems...

 

[Refael Hdr.]

I'm usually using dried Oak leaves. I Soak them in boiling water to get them sink and be sterilized. In this manner they won't decay and stay solid for about six month without any problem.
At any rate you should pay attention for sludge accumulating under the leaves and clean it up...

 

[zmirek]

At any rate you should pay attention for sludge accumulating under the leaves and clean it up...

Well it depends on fish you are keeping in such tank ;-)
When I've kept D. filamenosus they very often picked edge of leave and tried to turning it searching for food of course.

BTW I am not quite sure if it is necessary to boil leaves. I have never did it and leaves I am using (beech ones) also stay solid for long time. Of course they are not sinking so fast as "bolied ones" - usually it takes approx 1 week to have them "aground" but final efect is the same.
Are there any other reasons to boil leaves before "use". Maybe such preparation has also some disadvantages?

 

[Refael Hdr.]

Mirek, as you said it is not necessary to boil the leaves (actually it's not literally boiling the leaves but soaking them in a bowl with boiled water that are no more been heated), though this preparation make them sink shortly and save you the long time waiting for them to sink by themselves. In addition I've never encountered any disadventages of this manner...