Oak Leaves

[David]

I have some oak leaves I purchased to use for substrate. Do most people cook these at 350 for 1/2 hour or just put them right in the tank without cooking first?

[DartMan]

I boil mine in a pot of water for around 10 minutes. Never had any problems using this method. I'm sure there are other methods out there though. I'd be afraid the "dryness" of the over might make the leaves spontaneously combust.

[tkromer]

I've always told people to bake them, but boiling should work for fine too. With boiling you will take out some of the tannins that I've always liked in the water, but especially when you're just covering the soil it won't matter.

[divingne1]

I usually boil them and then bake them. Baking them just makes them extra crispy. They get soggy again once you mist the tank.
Candy

[Baltimore Bryan]

I usually bake them for about 30 minutes at 300º-350º F. However, I don't see why boiling wouldn't work.

[Ed]

Why not just let them sit and throughly dry?

Ed

[elmoisfive]

Ed.

I actually do both. Let them dry for several months and then bake for 30 minutes at 350 degrees. I'm afraid some of your posts on super persistant pathogens has made me paranoid. Of course I realize that this regimen won't eliminate everything...I'd need to autoclave the daylights out of them for that to be the case.

Bill

[Ed]

Hi Bill,

I understand it but context is also important. For example, Mycobacterium is extremely persistant and is going to be found in anything that has soil in it.. unless the soil is autoclaved and then only until spores colonize it via dust.

If the leaves are well dried then the major pathogens like chytrid can be eliminated. It will also eliminate some nematodes.

I wasn't attempting to foster an paranoid atmosphere but want people to take reasonable precautions. The main idea behind the resilent pathogens is that people should not be recycling wood or other non-disenfectable items from cage to cage unless it is following the frogs and they are not being treated for something like Rhabdias or comes from an enclosure that had animals die from Mycobaterium infections (necropsies are needed to confirm).

For example I just find it odd, that people bake leaves and then add plants or moss, etc to the enclosure from outside. The idea behind leaf litter is that it should breakdown somewhat slowly... .

Just some thoughts.....

Ed

[McBobs]

microwave?

[Ed]

Microwaving dry organic matter has some interesting results like smoke and fire...

Ed