# Adding tree leaves to aquarium?



## Durrg (Nov 18, 2010)

I've been thinking about adding some leaves to my aquarium for my shrimp and loaches to hang out around, but I can't find too much information on what types of leaves to use. Are there any general guidelines to use when choosing leaves to add? I've got a ton of Star Jasmine leaves around my office and the Common Fig tree in front of my apartment is just about to start dropping leaves.

Adding some leaves for the shrimp to munch on and the loaches to hide out in would look great i think, and with the amount of leaves i could find (as opposed to buy) i could replace the old ones with newer ones quite easily.


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## mistergreen (Dec 9, 2006)

Anything that's not poisonous is fine... A lot of the fruit tree/bush leaves work, oak, and Indian almond leaves is traditionally used.

Make sure they don't spray the trees for pesticides.


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## Durrg (Nov 18, 2010)

Thank you so much :thumbsup:! Good to know that they'll probably be fine. I know that both places are horribly maintained and most likely rarely get sprayed for anything. My only fear is that my roommates my have 'contaminated' the Ficus during their raucus nights of drinking...


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## MrMoneybags (Apr 13, 2010)

i read somewhere before that you cant use evergreen trees either (...like pine needles)

...only broad leaf deciduous leaves (...like maples)


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## Durrg (Nov 18, 2010)

Ya, that is what I figured. Pine Needle are notorious for having wild effects on animals, not to mention they leech chemicals to kill off other plants that could outcompete the growing pine tree.


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## mattycakesclark (Jun 11, 2010)

I always wondered about magnolia leaves. They are large and thick.


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## chad320 (Mar 7, 2010)

Sticking to the hard wood trees is a good rule of thumb as well. I personally use fruit, nut, or hardwoods.


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## Durrg (Nov 18, 2010)

Check out this site, it has a list of common plants and their toxicity from the UC Davis Medical Center; could be quite helpful in determining which plants to use. It looks like the ficus in front of my apartment is a no go, contains irritating chemicals in the sap. Turns out its Indian Hawthorne in front of my office, which is non-toxic; w00t!

http://www.pesches.com/gardenrx/reference/toxicity.php


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## Sharkfood (May 2, 2010)

Don't use walnut leaves either.


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## ddinox64 (Nov 24, 2010)

When I use to be more knowledgeable about plants. Rule of thumb was if you break a stem, leaf or any part of the plant and it was milky. It had some toxicity.

Does this pertain to aquatics? I don't know.

Check into a Dart frog forum. I know they like leaves for them to hide under and for things to grow under. They certainly wouldn't put anything toxic into their very expensive frog habitats.


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## Diana (Jan 14, 2010)

Star Jasmine is questionable. It certainly has milky sap. So do figs before they are ripe. 

Oak is safe, and there are many species in California. I have used _Q. lobata_ leaves and twigs and _Q. douglasii_ bark in my tanks. 

Albizia julibrissin wood is also safe. I have a large chunk of root in a tank. 

Crape Myrtle (_Lagerstroemia indica_ and _L hybrid_) wood is aquarium safe. <ost of my tanks have some (several years old, and starting to fall apart) 

Manzanita (_Arctostaphyllos_, many species) wood is also safe. The leaves of some Manzanita are sturdy enough to try in an aquarium. 

Some Magnolia grandiflora leaves have a sort of fuzzy stuff on the back. I wonder if this is OK? 

I have read that Beech leaves and Alder cones are OK in aquariums. 

Different groups of animals are sensitive to different plants, so if you start with a list of 'toxic to mammals' I am not sure how many of these are the same for fish. On the other hand, frogs are so sensitive to more things than many fish, so if it is safe for frogs, I would think it is safe for fish.


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## guppygolucky (Nov 9, 2009)

If anyone can answer this question it would be AWESOME!
Would leave from an apple tree, persimmon tree, guava, peach, or necterine be ok in a Crystal shrimp tank?
Somebody had already mentioned figs being milky white, so I just trashed what dried fig leaves i had.
Also I'm not drying green leaves, I'm picking the leaf litter up and drying them. (I don't know if that makes a difference)
T.I.A.


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## Durrg (Nov 18, 2010)

Thanks for the help everyone, this is all super helpful. A lot of those species are around the area, it being fall I shouldn't have too much of a problem finding fallen leaves.

I found that the plant I would be using isn't a Star Jasmine, but an Indian Hawthorne. Its a very woody shrub/tree with no toxicity to mammals at least and edible fruit; so I think it should be ok.

Thanks again, and if anyone else has more to put in I would be very thankful!


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