Reply With QuoteWow....good information, thanks for sharing
Please tell me how to prepare the leaves before putting into our shrimp tank?
Appreciate yr help
Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
I keep leaves in all my shrimp tanks for a couple of good reasons. Firstly, the shrimps feed on the micro organisms that in turn feed on the leaves as they decay in your tank. These same organisms are the ones that most types of shrimp would feed on if they were in their natural environment.
Secondly, a few leaves on the bottom give young shrimp a place to feed and feel safe while eating these same organisms which are essential to have readily available for them after birth. The leaf offers a place where these micro-organisms will thrive and concentrate making them readily available to young shrimp.
There was an article in Practical Fish Keeping magazine (2012) where a group of scientist went to visit the natural environment of shrimps in South China and Hong Kong. On the banks, there were ferns and mosses. There were no plants in the water, just rocks or sand with large amount of fallen leaves which supported huge colonies of healthy shrimps.
Hobbyists in the West have been known to use the following leaves:
Apple
Apricot
Ash
Beech
Cherry
Peach
Oak
Plum
However, not all fruit tree leaves are suitable for shrimps.
The ones I have tried are mulberry, guava and banana leaves.
Different fruit tree leaves have different attributes and benefits.
Mulberry have a wide range of vitamins and is high in calcium to assist in moulting. Guava and banana leaves are well known for their anti-bacterial properties. The latter is also used by Betta fanatics to achieve the same effect as Indian Almond leaves.
What other fruit leaves have you tried before and what are the benefits? Please share so that we can learn together.
Wow....good information, thanks for sharing
Please tell me how to prepare the leaves before putting into our shrimp tank?
Appreciate yr help
Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
My pleasure bro.
I normally will soak them in water for an hour or so.
I would skip the boiling process for the mulberry leaves, but I will boil the guava ones for 10 minutes as they are naturally quite thick.
The boiling process helps to soften them and make them more palatable
Originally Posted by gyjd
Wow....good information, thanks for sharing
Please tell me how to prepare the leaves before putting into our shrimp tank?
Appreciate yr help
Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
Nice... Thanks for the writeup
You are most welcome.
What are the different attributes and benefits that you have experienced with the different leaves?
Mulberry provides the calcium for better shell and colours and the banana and guava leaves aids in prevent bacterial infection. The latter also reduces the pH of the water.
Today, I will share a personal favourite of mine - The pink guava leaf. The guava which we are familiar with, carries with it a little known fact. It has active ingredients in its leaves which fights against bacteria such as Salmonella, E. coli, Clostridium, Pseudomonas and more.
In the freshwater shrimp tank, guava leaves have been proven to prevent and eliminate the notorious luminous bacteria, which are generally considered to be opportunistic pathogens-causing disease when shrimp are stressed.
Most of the guava leaves we see in the trade are harvested commercially in Thailand where they are grown organically. This explains the slightly steeper price.
The ones I used come from pink guava trees harvested in bulk from North Thailand during the drier months.
Personally, I don’t think the leaves harvested from a pink or green guava tree makes a lot of difference. Be it green or pink guavas tree leaves, all are equally beneficial to your shrimps.
Posting Permissions
Bookmarks