# Crystal Red Shrimps (CRS) + Indian Almond Leaf (IAL) = More Breeding?



## MsNemoShrimp (Apr 25, 2011)

*Crystal Red Shrimps (CRS) + Indian Almond Leaf (IAL) = More Breeding?*

Very curious to know if that is still true or only a myth. I have found too many conflicting articles that said that is a hit and miss situation, but again, these in formations have been outdated. Would like to gather new information from experiences.

Any positive experiences?

Any negative experiences?

No change at all?


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## GeToChKn (Apr 15, 2011)

Everyone know seems to be on the Mosura products or the others coming out, all the Ebi- type stuff. Some seem to overlap their purposed and I think some like the Mineral Mud and Mineral Plus and others are more meant if you are using RO water, then you have to put something back in the water regardless. The baby food one may be good as it may add some of the things a baby needs, I'm not sure. Then there is the Eros, which is a spray that is supposed to induce breeding, Gravidis which is supposed to help molting, saddling and berrying.

From a breeding point of view, these seem like good sense, get as many babies as fast as you can to sell, especially if you have higher grades, you want to produce more babies faster. How good is it for the shrimp to trick their bodies into reproducing faster than nature for our profit and gain, don't know?

With that said, I do some of the above products ordered to try out and see how well they work but judging by the dancing shrimp frenzy in my tank right now and the fresh molts this morning, I may not need much help. lol. At least I'm hoping, I just them a little while ago, so I know they need time to settle down, they made it through a mini-cycle of the tank, etc.


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## shrimpnmoss (Apr 8, 2011)

I use IAL in all my shrimp tanks. I actually use it as a feeding dish. When it starts to decompose in your tank the shrimps and otos will be all over it eating it up. I find babies hiding under there all the time too. I don't know if it directly increases breeding but I do think it makes the environment better. 

Changing to RO water and using an additional sponge filter had a larger impact on the amount of babies in my tanks.


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## mordalphus (Jun 23, 2010)

Here's the deal, ial releases tannic and humic acid, which soften water and lower the pH, which are the breeding conditions for crs. So on a basic level they do. Also babies enjoy a lower ph, and eat the microorganisms that grow on the leaf


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## Senior Shrimpo (Dec 4, 2010)

Yeah, they help in the sense of the tannins are great and leaves in general are food. But it won't make shrimp breed more.

So really, no change, but it's still a great thing to have (not for shrimp breeding, but for shrimp rearing)


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## mordalphus (Jun 23, 2010)

It'll help breeding if the KH in your tank is high, by lowering the KH and pH, but if your parameters are already in the sweet spot, it wont do anything extra beyond supplying baby food


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## MsNemoShrimp (Apr 25, 2011)

How would I go about adding them but don't want tannins. I read that some folks presoak it in a bucket first for about 2 weeks but woulnt that also mean the shrimps won't really benefit much from what is left?


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## mordalphus (Jun 23, 2010)

You can boil a lot of the tannins out, or put purigen in your filter


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## MsNemoShrimp (Apr 25, 2011)

Gotcha. Sounds easy to do, the boiling part : )


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## mordalphus (Jun 23, 2010)

It wont get them all, but it'll get the strongest of the tannins out


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## PC1 (May 21, 2010)

Small tank? I add a huge leaf to a 10 g and there are virtually no discoloration.


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## MsNemoShrimp (Apr 25, 2011)

PC1 said:


> Small tank? I add a huge leaf to a 10 g and there are virtually no discoloration.


Its going to be for a Mr. Aqua 12 long. Perhaps a couple leaves would do it? : )


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## MsNemoShrimp (Apr 25, 2011)

Will cutting it up to tiny pieces be ok?


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## mordalphus (Jun 23, 2010)

yep, i tear mine up because it looks more natural and they tend to munch on the torn edges more.


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## MsNemoShrimp (Apr 25, 2011)

mordalphus said:


> yep, i tear mine up because it looks more natural and they tend to munch on the torn edges more.


Excellent point. Thank you.


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## MsNemoShrimp (Apr 25, 2011)

My new CRSes are really chewing down on the leaves. And some of them just mated today. Wow!


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## longbeach (Nov 2, 2011)

Red Oak leaves are also very good. I use them always in my shrimp tanks. They last for months, shrimp love the for hiding, nibbling on, and babies have hiding spots. If you do regular water changes you will never notice the tannins.
I just float them in the tank and 3 days or so later they sink. I collect them in the woods far from highways and farms (no contaminates).


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## plamski (Sep 25, 2009)

I use IAL in all my tanks but crystals doesn’t care about them much. Tiger shrimps eat them. Cardinal shrimps and poso snails love them.
I presoak IAL in clear container on sunny windows for 5 days in RO water. Doing water changes 3 times- 3,4 and 5 day. For those 5 days you are growing very nice algae and diatoms on it + you are taking off tannins.


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## Moe (Jan 22, 2004)

I use IAL in my crs tanks, they love it. There are lots of microorganisms on the leaf
and they provide shelter/ privacy for the shrimp too. They also last a long time!


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## MsNemoShrimp (Apr 25, 2011)

My IAL's don't produce tannins, is that a good thing? I bought the Super A+ Grades. Maybe that is why : )


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## madness (Jul 31, 2011)

NeoShrimp said:


> My IAL's don't produce tannins, is that a good thing? I bought the Super A+ Grades. Maybe that is why : )


I bought a large IAL from a LFS that was in the betta breeding section (which is where the IAL are most commonly used) and it released no noticeable tannins. 

I purchased some IAL from someone here and I soaked two of them in a five gallon bucket overnight and in the morning the bucket water was so dark it looked black. I tossed one of them into a 30G tank and it still released so many tannins that the tank looked like an ice tea jug sitting out in the sun. 

Just soak them if you change sources because the freshness and tannin content can vary a lot.

I didn't really mind the tannins (I only soak driftwood to clean it - I never worry about soaking it long enough to get the tannins out) but most people get upset over them.


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## MsNemoShrimp (Apr 25, 2011)

Well so far mine is doing very good without the need to leak any tannins. Shrimps are loving it just fine : )


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## smg980 (Dec 28, 2007)

Did you boil them or just put them in?


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## MsNemoShrimp (Apr 25, 2011)

smg980 said:


> Did you boil them or just put them in?


Just put them in :biggrin: They are super high grade leaves so I judge that they'll be at its best


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## NightshadeF1 (Aug 6, 2011)

I am personally a big fan of IAL, before I began using them I had no berried CRS and now after 2 weeks with IAL there are at least three! 

I think they are key for me as I use tap water to fill my tank as its a 55 gal and I find that the tannins from almonds leaves will bring my params to exactly where my Crs like them... both lowering the ph and adding valueable organics (humic acids) to the mix... so if you don't mind a little black water I would recommend not pre soaking and allowing all that goodness to buffer and amend your water... humics are great for plants TOO!:icon_mrgr


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## MsNemoShrimp (Apr 25, 2011)

NightshadeF1 said:


> I am personally a big fan of IAL, before I began using them I had no berried CRS and now after 2 weeks with IAL there are at least three!
> 
> I think they are key for me as I use tap water to fill my tank as its a 55 gal and I find that the tannins from almonds leaves will bring my params to exactly where my Crs like them... both lowering the ph and adding valueable organics (humic acids) to the mix... so if you don't mind a little black water I would recommend not pre soaking and allowing all that goodness to buffer and amend your water... humics are great for plants TOO!:icon_mrgr


I do believe that the IAL is very good in helping with the things you mentioned but I read somewhere online in order to make that much change in a 55G, you will need much more than just 1 leaf right? I just wanted to clarify that. For a 55G I think you need like 10 or something if I remembered correctly.


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## Bjielsl (Sep 13, 2011)

Neo, where did you get the IAL's


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## NightshadeF1 (Aug 6, 2011)

NeoShrimp said:


> I do believe that the IAL is very good in helping with the things you mentioned but I read somewhere online in order to make that much change in a 55G, you will need much more than just 1 leaf right? I just wanted to clarify that. For a 55G I think you need like 10 or something if I remembered correctly.


:icon_lol: Yes I would defintly use way more than one leaf for a 55, I currently have ~6 in the tank and at least 2 crushed up in one of my Ehiem's. I think it would be hard to put in too many. That being said, I did get some nice deep blackwater the first week after adding them, so if you like your water untinted I might add them slower. 

At this point, ~4 weeks after addition, I can hardy see the tint at all (though this may be because I have gotten use to the hue, which is somewhat nice as it means breeding CRS for me roud


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## Gulfcoastguy (Nov 4, 2011)

Curious if anyone has tried leaves off a pecan tree as I have 2 in my yard and they jus dropped there leaves for the winter so I gathered up the biger ones and have them soaking in a bucket of water atm.


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## MsNemoShrimp (Apr 25, 2011)

Gulfcoastguy said:


> Curious if anyone has tried leaves off a pecan tree as I have 2 in my yard and they jus dropped there leaves for the winter so I gathered up the biger ones and have them soaking in a bucket of water atm.


I would assume they are fine but do your research to make sure they are perfectly safe :biggrin:


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