leaf litter

[scooter]

i thought that this would look really cool in the bottom of one of my tanks, but i wasn't sure what kinda leaves to use. are pear leaves safe?

[Jesse]

Ya, I was wondering the same thing, I got some leaves form outside and boiled them three times and then left them to dry out, would they be okay to use?

Jesse

[Alan Zimmerman]

I don't see any issues with using any kind of leaf as long as pesticides, fungicides or herbicides have not been used in the area. Some leaves will last considerably longer than others. I use magnolia leaves - as do many others.

[amphibianfreak]

Magnolia and oak leaves are the best because they break down the slowest

[_Enix_]

i use almond leaves. they are rather large, so i just take a pair of scissors and cut the big pieces into smaller 'leaf-shaped' pieces. i had them before i got into frogs because i use them in betta fish tanks to condition the water especially if its spawning time.

takes a bit of extra work, but almond leaves produce alot of tannins as they break down. adds acidity for the plants since i do not use suppliments in my soils. they last a very long time.

[Arklier]

I use maple leaves because there's two huge maple tree in my front and back yard. One of them is over 100 feet tall, and neither of them receive any spraying. Leaves are readily avaiable at this time of the year. I only use leaf litter in temporary tanks, though. I've got my four new aratus housed in a 10 with spaghnum as a substrate and about a dozen leaves for them to hide under.

[TimStout]

As mentioned by others oak and magnolia take the longest to break down. Personally, I use Live oak and Southern Magnolia. Just make sure whatever you use they are collected from a pesticide free location. Heat treating is also a good idea as it will kill off fungus, nematodes, etc.