Catappa Leaves (Small) - Premium Grade A

The leaves of the Indian Almond Tree (Terminalia Catappa), provide numerous benefits for tropical fish. The leaves, when steeped in water, impart a beautiful golden-brown color, reduce the pH, and release rich organic compounds, such as tannins, humic acids, and flavonoids. Some of these substances are known to science to be antimicrobial in nature, while others may absorb and detoxify zinc, copper, and aluminum. Catappa leaves are free of pesticides, herbicides, and pollution. They're gathered after having fallen from the trees, rinsed and sun dried.
Our small size Catappa Leaves average about 3" - 5" (~7.6cm - 12.7cm). Perfect for small vivariums, nano aquariums, and all kinds of cool effects.

Key Features:

• Premium Grade A leaves
• Provide natural food source for shrimps.
• Anti-fungal properties to help fight off Infection.
• Releases tannin into the water which contains healing properties.
• Helps lower the pH in water.

Preparation:
Before using the leaves in your aquarium, we recommend soaking them in fresh water for a few days to let them become waterlogged and to leach off some of the tannins. Then, you can place them on the bottom of your aquarium as a functional and aesthetic substrate enhancer, or place them into a filter sock and use them simply as a filter media to help foster "blackwater" conditions in your aquarium.

Usage:
Just how many leaves to use depends upon what type of effect you're looking for. We recommend starting off slowly, with about 2 Medium Size Catappa leaves for each 10 gallons of capacity. There is no real "recipe" for how much...This is just a "rule of thumb" that we've used over the years. Your experience may vary!
Please take the time to boil or soak all botanicals prior to using them, to reduce the possibility of problems. Always go slow when introducing any botanicals into your systems, so you can judge the effect they have on your fishes and plants.

Note:
All of our aquatic botanicals are intended for ornamental aquarium or terrarium use only. They are not intended for human consumption. DO NOT INGEST!
Due to natural variations of leaves, each one will appear different. The photo is a representation of what to expect.