@plankton is now drooling at his screen.
LeafWatch 2020
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Martinspuddle
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@plankton is now drooling at his screen.
WARNING - DO NOT BREED, FEED OR PET THE PUDDLE! 
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plankton
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Doesn't look very decaying.......much too fresh! 
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Wishafish
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This is one of my local oaks this morning - slowly changing colour.
![:]](./images/smilies/smile.gif "Smile"){kind=small}
125L: Corydoras trilineatus, Endlers, celestial pearl danios, Amano shrimp, nerite snails, MTS
25L: cherry shrimp, nerite snails, MTS
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Vale!
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Not a stupid question at all!
They leach humic and fulvic acids into the water-column. These have mild anti-bacterial an anti-fungal properties, valuable in particular when keeping fish which don't have especially strong defences against common aquarium-type diseases. Fish which live naturally in soft/acidic/blackwater environments are such : their natural ecology is hostile to many pathogens, so they have had little need to evolve elaborate defences!
They have the effect of acidifying the water - much less so if the water has a reasonable level of KH (carbonate) of course - so that helps to replicate their natural environment. But they still leach those acids irrespective of the chemistry of the host water.
As they break down, they become havens for all sorts of microblighters and microcritters which contribute to the in-tank food chain. They can provide food for fish fry in this way.
They provide shelter, or at least bolt-holes, for some fish.
They look nice!
[Edit : to acknowledge m's interposed post.]
They leach humic and fulvic acids into the water-column. These have mild anti-bacterial an anti-fungal properties, valuable in particular when keeping fish which don't have especially strong defences against common aquarium-type diseases. Fish which live naturally in soft/acidic/blackwater environments are such : their natural ecology is hostile to many pathogens, so they have had little need to evolve elaborate defences!
They have the effect of acidifying the water - much less so if the water has a reasonable level of KH (carbonate) of course - so that helps to replicate their natural environment. But they still leach those acids irrespective of the chemistry of the host water.
As they break down, they become havens for all sorts of microblighters and microcritters which contribute to the in-tank food chain. They can provide food for fish fry in this way.
They provide shelter, or at least bolt-holes, for some fish.
They look nice!
[Edit : to acknowledge m's interposed post.]
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mantis
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Fews things I didn't know there! Should I be careful about adding leaves if my KH is already low? 1-2 drops?Vale! wrote: ↑Mon Oct 26, 2020 11:22 am Not a stupid question at all!
They leach humic and fulvic acids into the water-column. These have mild anti-bacterial an anti-fungal properties, valuable in particular when keeping fish which don't have especially strong defences against common aquarium-type diseases. Fish which live naturally in soft/acidic/blackwater environments are such : their natural ecology is hostile to many pathogens, so they have had little need to evolve elaborate defences!
They have the effect of acidifying the water - much less so if the water has a reasonable level of KH (carbonate) of course - so that helps to replicate their natural environment. But they still leach those acids irrespective of the chemistry of the host water.
As they break down, they become havens for all sorts of microblighters and microcritters which contribute to the in-tank food chain. They can provide food for fish fry in this way.
They provide shelter, or at least bolt-holes, for some fish.
They look nice!
[Edit : to acknowledge m's interposed post.]
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Vale!
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I think they'd be unlikely to cause a significant problem for you, pH-wise, unless you were to maintain a deep bed of fresh leaves.
Their acidifying properties diminish after immersion for a couple or three weeks (depending on conditions) and typically they eventually reverse, tending to push up the pH. Hence if it's the acidification you're after, it's important to keep adding fresh leaves (hence my bulk collections of them from local wooderies!).
Their acidifying properties diminish after immersion for a couple or three weeks (depending on conditions) and typically they eventually reverse, tending to push up the pH. Hence if it's the acidification you're after, it's important to keep adding fresh leaves (hence my bulk collections of them from local wooderies!).
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Juwelrio
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Ok I’ll send missus out on a leaf hunt when she walks dogs I don’t mind how the tank looks. I prefer a good bit of random mess in everywhere plus if better for bottom dwellers to root around in I’m in.
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Ricrhys
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PFK have just put out an article on this, thought I'd share here. https://www.practicalfishkeeping.co.uk/ ... ~gqpRqXqVn