Using indian almond leaves: are they worth it?

[rollwave]

I'm thinking of getting some Indian almond leaves for my betta Angel and I was wondering, what are they actually for? Are there any benefits that I should know about? I'm really curious to learn more about them before I buy.

[Clack]

Indian almond leaves can help lower the pH in your tank, not drastically, but enough to make a difference. They provide a nice bit of floating cover when you first add them, which Angel should appreciate. As they break down, they release infusoria, which can be a useful food source. I think they're a great addition to a tank, personally I only add one at a time, but they last for ages and add a natural touch.

[barnicle]

Indian almond leaves also have antibacterial and antioxidant properties that can help with the overall health of your betta. Apparently, they love a bit of tannins in the water - you'll notice the colours of Angel will really start to stand out as the water darkens. If you're concerned about the leaf decaying in the tank, you can break it up and steep it in a cup of tank water to make a 'tea', then just pour it back in to get the desired colour.

[happyone]

I swear by Indian almond leaves - they're a staple in all my tanks. The benefits are well-documented and I've seen them firsthand. I highly recommend giving them a try if you haven't already.

[boomer]

I'm in agreement with the others here, and that article linked by happyone is definitely worth a read. It's interesting to note that this concept isn't exclusive to Indian almond leaves - any safe, dead, and dry deciduous tree leaves can be used. I've personally had success with oak and maple leaves in some of my tanks, although I did encounter a bit of a challenge with my Black Ruby Barb tank - those little guys just loved to munch on them as fast as I could add them.

[bettaMagenta]

On a slight tangent, I came across alder cones being marketed for aquarium use - aren't they part of the pine family? I'm not sure pine is typically considered a great addition to an aquarium setup.

[Lexat]

I've mostly stuck with Indian almond leaves in my setup, about 70% of the time, then I swap them out for a new one. My tank's 180 litres, and the JBL leaves I got are quite large. I'm a fan of tannins, but I do have to remove the leaf after 5 or 6 days to avoid reducing the light intensity too much. What I find interesting is that my corydoras, who usually try to eat anything, tend to leave the almond leaves alone. However, my ancistrus, the Bristlenose, seem to really enjoy them - they have a great time on the leaves. But I suppose the leaves must lose their appeal after a few days, because the ancistrus then ignore them until I put a new one in.

[boomer]

On a slight tangent, I came across alder cones being marketed for aquarium use - aren't they part of the pine family? I'm not sure pine is typically considered a great addition to an aquarium setup.

Conifer tree wood is a definite no-go for aquariums - the sap is highly toxic. Alder cones, on the other hand, come from the Alnus genus, which is part of the birch family, Betulaceae. They may resemble pine cones, but they're not related to conifers at all, being deciduous trees.

[graye]

In many blackwater aquariums, the fish have limited exposure to the bacterial pathogens commonly found in harder water setups, even well-maintained ones. The bacterial community composition varies significantly depending on the water hardness. Generally, aquarium bacteria don't thrive in very acidic water, and those that do seem to cause fewer diseases.

Asian wild type Betta breeders used to employ a clever trick by adding almond leaves to their water to make it less hospitable to pathogens. This approach helped increase the lifespan of small forest Bettas and Parosphromenus. However, nowadays, almond leaves are often marketed as a cure-all, which they're not. If you're interested in keeping blackwater fish, they can be very useful; otherwise, they're not particularly necessary.

Alder cones, on the other hand, release tannins into the water but I find them relatively useless for my blackwater setup. Instead, I prefer using oak leaves or rooibos tea. It ultimately comes down to whether you want to provide your blackwater fish with conditions that are closer to their natural environment.