# What is the purpose of alder cones?



## ravensgate (May 24, 2012)

And how do you use them? Don't you have to do them in boiling water first or something? Just curious as to what their purpose is. I'm assuming they lower pH but not sure how much or if the shrimp nibble on them or, or, or? LOL.


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## reefdive (Aug 16, 2011)

They are the best thing you can add to a shrimp tank period . The do a lot of things and even have antiseptic properties . Lower Ph provide a food source for the shrimp by creating favorable conditions for micro growth and all shrimp seem to be attracted by them doesn't matter the species . You need a bunch to lower ph much but even in small quanties will offer benefits . They stay around for a while as well . Oh and did I mention free for the picking in most of the country ? While an introduced species from Europe they have established themselve's over most of the country especially in the east and can be found around lake and waterway's and are widely planted in parks etc. A handfull seems to work best in a 20 or 30 just a few will still offer benefit's though .


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## ravensgate (May 24, 2012)

Thank you for the response! Next time I'm at the garden center I'll see if they have any trees. Might just grab one to plant for future use


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## Soothing Shrimp (Nov 9, 2011)

I don't use them as of yet. I like to have clear water and the alder cones tan it. Here's a good link:

http://www.aldercones.com/


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## ravensgate (May 24, 2012)

Thank you for the link. I didn't see anything in that info but do you have to boil them? I mean, I would anyway just to disinfect probably but will it affect them in a bad way?


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## jczernia (Apr 16, 2010)

I am looking for some, I would like to buy some from a trusted source since I would not put any thing in my tanks that grows around me and it is full of pesticides. If you guys know of any one I would love to know the contact info.
Thank you.


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## garfieldnfish (Sep 25, 2010)

I got some from Invertebrates by Msjinkzd in the sponsor's section. She charges like 5 cent a piece. They are great for shrimp tanks as well as fry tanks as they have antibacterial properties. I found that they do not release enough tannin to color a tank, not like Indian almond leaves do for instance. But plecos like to much on them and that is always a good thing. It will not hurt any aquarium critters in your tank. It can only help and you do not need to boil them.


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## reefdive (Aug 16, 2011)

Dont boil them and they will only stain in large amounts . I use large amounts of them . Last time I picked I had a thousand or more in about 15 minutes . They were in an office park surrounded by fast food restaraunts and all kind of industry nearby , They hang on the trees so I doubt contaimination would ever be an issue as they get cleaned everytime it rains . Haha one of these times I am worried the cops will ask me what I am doing as it is across from a Police station and community center  . Hey the Chicago Botanic Garden may know where they would be growing or even have some so you could identify them . But they may not want you picking their cones. Also I believe it is better to use the old cones or dry them first


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## reefdive (Aug 16, 2011)

Soothing Shrimp said:


> I don't use them as of yet. I like to have clear water and the alder cones tan it. Here's a good link:
> 
> http://www.aldercones.com/


That link used green cones as mentioned picked in June , I would not recommend that . I have dumped handfulls in of the dried cones and had 1 tank 1 time that actually showed any visible tannin stain . And it went away quickly . Likely you wont get much biological activity from green cones as well and they are not recommended for cories in the green stage as well . They are actually resinous at that point . That dried is where you get the antiseptic and dose of it that you want . Oh and the shrimp sure don't mind a stained tank


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## anh (Jul 20, 2009)

interested on the antiseptic properties, is it because of the tannin?


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## ravensgate (May 24, 2012)

Thank you for all the helpful info! I picked up 40 from the seller mentioned in this thread to give them a try. There is just so much to learn in this hobby, thank goodness for this board!


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## Kunsthure (Aug 2, 2010)

They sound cool, especially for my shrimp, but I don't need anything else dropping my pH. 

Does cholla affect params at all?

-Lisa


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## ravensgate (May 24, 2012)

Got my alder cones today and put one in the tank. This hysterical frenzy ensued. It was floating for a bit and shrimp were swarming it, grabbing onto it trying to sink it, and riding it like a barrel over a waterfall. It was a shrimpie amusement park ride! LOL! They finally got it to sink and now there's 3-4 for munching on it and fighting each other over it. I just started with one for now just to see what they did.  This is just in a 3 gallon so I won't be adding too many at a time. Worth the price (which is next to nothing) just to watch the sheer joy in the tank when they found it. Haha!


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## thechibi (Jan 20, 2012)

Haha, that sounds awesome.  I gotta order some! Someone mentioned msjinkzd has them?


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## ravensgate (May 24, 2012)

thechibi said:


> Haha, that sounds awesome.  I gotta order some! Someone mentioned msjinkzd has them?



That's who I got mine from. I don't know if she'll have a minimum order on them or not. Gotta remember Paypal takes .30 off each transaction, so just selling a few would actually cost her money. I got some Repashy food and some plants to go along with mine and got 40 of the alder cones just to try. 

I'll definitely be ordering again from her!


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## diwu13 (Sep 20, 2011)

Kunsthure said:


> They sound cool, especially for my shrimp, but I don't need anything else dropping my pH.
> 
> Does cholla affect params at all?
> 
> -Lisa


Cholla lowers pH. Anything with tannins will.


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## ravensgate (May 24, 2012)

diwu13 said:


> Cholla lowers pH. Anything with tannins will.


I've never had it affect my pH personally and mine has never released tannins. I boiled mine to be on the safe side, but just stuck them in there with a plant sinker wrapped around them to get them waterlogged. My pH stayed constant before and after I put it in there. 2- 6 inch long pieces in a 3 gallon tank. I've since cut them down into third and just have 3 small pieces in there currently.


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## nosebleed (Apr 2, 2012)

Not to jack the thread or anything but would pine cones consider okay to use in the tank?


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## diwu13 (Sep 20, 2011)

ravensgate said:


> I've never had it affect my pH personally and mine has never released tannins. I boiled mine to be on the safe side, but just stuck them in there with a plant sinker wrapped around them to get them waterlogged. My pH stayed constant before and after I put it in there. 2- 6 inch long pieces in a 3 gallon tank. I've since cut them down into third and just have 3 small pieces in there currently.


Well there you have it. No tannins means you won't have any pH change lol.



nosebleed said:


> Not to jack the thread or anything but would pine cones consider okay to use in the tank?


I don't think so. I could see the sap leeching and causing issues.


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## ravensgate (May 24, 2012)

Even my nerite approves of course, I had to upright him when he was done munching, LOL. I'm going to plop another in today or tomorrow and get a video of the acrobats if they do the same thing they did with the last one


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## Kunsthure (Aug 2, 2010)

I guess I need to get some. Good idea about buying other stuff from Msjinkzd to make sure she makes some money on the transaction. roud:

-Lisa


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## thechibi (Jan 20, 2012)

me, too!  I love them sitting in my tank. I might grab a whole bunch. Is there somewhere she has them listed?

And would they work well with IAL?


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## ravensgate (May 24, 2012)

Here's her thread

http://www.plantedtank.net/forums/showthread.php?t=177699

And I keep IAL in my tank so they do fine in my limited experience. I just put a new one in but it didn't float so no fun acrobatics but they did swarm the heck out of it and started fighting over it.


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## reefdive (Aug 16, 2011)

diwu13 said:


> Well there you have it. No tannins means you won't have any pH change lol.
> 
> 
> 
> I don't think so. I could see the sap leeching and causing issues.


Cholla can come with lots of tannins or barely any . They will benefit the shrimp with the tannins if you don't mind the stain . I think if you boil them most of the benefit would come from the cholla as decaying organic matter not as a slight acidifier . Still help's the shrimp though . I am testing pine cones and sap is not an issue as it does not leach but cone's that tend to have a lot of sap also may decay quicker and not offer benefits as long . Long slender cone's like spruce or white pine are not as good as the rounder smaller cones . Scotch pine , Pinyon pine , with the best cones on Japanese white pines interestingly the same plant often used as Bonsai . Again aged ones are more stable but the longer they age the quicker they decay and the less benefit you get . This is true of alder and pinecones . The ideal time to collect them would be September and later selecting the one that have just matured . These would also last the longest in the tank . You can also pick them green and let them dry . It does not matter if the alder have dropped their seed's or not as they are prolific in producing seeds and offspring , but with pines that is not always the case so it won't hurt to let the pines drop their seed's before collecting . Ideally from your yard or a botanic garden or park where natural reproduction is unlikely not from a wild area . I though the same thing about sap at first but it just is not very water soluble and actually it may contain some beneficial compound's


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## Salvanost (Mar 30, 2014)

bumb old thread
i want to know how much tanin come out from alder cones?
i drop 10 into 60cm tanks, but don't see any visible stain

right now i'm testing the alder cone with 100ml water
i just want to know how much change from the water


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## harrythebat (Sep 30, 2012)

I use 1 for every gallon.


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## Salvanost (Mar 30, 2014)

after 12 hour still no stain... very very different with the website aldercones.com

i'm scared now, already give 70 aldercones to my friends already 
i will test another alder cone

gonna wait for few days


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## jmf3460 (Aug 21, 2013)

IME, alder cones do nothing but create places for poo to get stuck and not get syphoned, they also did their part in getting sucked up in the syphon hose and clogging it...terrible


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