# Making the best "Leaf Litter"



## krazykilroy (Jun 12, 2016)

So from what I'm told, some bottom dwelling cichlids like to stay in 'leaf litter' among other things.

How do I reproduce the best effects of "leaf Litter" that won't just become a problem in the tank.

I mean, is it really just as easy as collecting some Oak and Maple leafs from off the streets of Newark, NJ??


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## tanker3 (May 18, 2015)

I am not sure about just collecting oak leave and putting them in a tank, but I do know they sell them.


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## Bd79 (Apr 11, 2011)

Oak leaves work, as do Indian Almond leaves, and Magnolia leaves, but they may make a mess over time. In some of my tanks, I get a mess, but in others I don't. Hard to say what the difference is. Here's an article on the topic. Everybody sing along:

http://www.seriouslyfish.com/all-the-leaves-are-brown/


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## ButchAZ (Mar 2, 2018)

Interesting that half of what you read says boil first, and you *must* remove old leaves after they break down. The other half says never boil them first, and you don't need to remove the old leaves...


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## Ichthys (Apr 21, 2016)

Yes you can collect dried autumn leaves, give them a quick rinse and drop them in the tank. Boiling them releases the tannins so if you don't want blackwater, boil them. If you do want blackwater don't boil them. You also don't need to remove them when they break down. That's your choice, but the 'mess' harbours lots of infusoria etc which is great for fry.
You can use oak, maple, beech, any fruit tree leaves, and many more. Most leaves are non-toxic but if in doubt.... check.

Think about what happens in nature. River bank trees drop their leaves into the water...


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