Leaves, Green or Brown

[ricksza]

Close to end of summer here, should I collect my leaves while they're still green on the tree or should I wait until they turn brown? In the past I collected brown leaves while they were still on the tree, boiled them and then dried for the rest of the year. I've recently read that the green leaves have more nutrition. I have a safe Magnolia tree that I use one leaf per week in each tank.

[Crabby]

I don't see harm in collecting green leaves. The guy I bought my first ever group of shrimp from used fresh mulberry leaves (I assume boiled) in his shrimp tanks. 

[sdlTBfanUK]

I collect leaves in autumn when they have dropped from the tree to the ground, and have enough for the whole year! I don't boil them, just make sure they are properly dry and store them away. With leaves from the tree you probably do need to boil them if you plan to use them as a directt food source though and I assume there is more nutrition in fresh leaves. I don't really use the leaves as a direct food source, I tend to use them for releasing goodness into the tank and growing biofilm. Sometimes I use fresh spinach and that needs cooking first and the shrimp used to swarm on that and eat that. 

If you are asking whether it is best to DRY green leaves, or brown leaves I'm not all that sure which would be better? Obvviously any leaves must be from an organic source free of any possible polution as well.

Simon

[jayc]

This is what I do...

1) if using as food, I pick green and blanch them in boiling water for a minute.

2) if using leaves to create a biotope, I use brown leaves that have dropped. 

[ricksza]

2 hours ago, jayc said:

This is what I do...

1) if using as food, I pick green and blanch them in boiling water for a minute.

2) if using leaves to create a biotope, I use brown leaves that have dropped. 

As soon as I drop in a dried brown leaf into my tank, the shrimp & otos land on it. Otherwise, I feed 1 scoop Bacter EA once a week, they feed off the biofilm (they won't touch any brand pellet I drop in). It's a 20 gallon tank with about 100 Fire Red Neocaridina. 

[Taste]

What leaves common in NA would be suggested for use in aquariums?

 

 

[jayc]

Any deciduous tree, is preferred if you want dried leaves. Reason being, deciduous trees draw the sap out of the leaves before it browns and falls off the tree. Anything like Oak, or Maple.

If you are picking green leaves for blanching and feeding, then pretty much any tree would be fine, as long as it's not like an uneatable leaf.

Mulberry leaves are popular for feeding shrimp as they are soft.

Edited September 23, 2020 by jayc

[Crabby]

Are there any common native Australian plants that you know of, jayc, that shrimp especially like to eat the leaves of? Or any to steer clear of? I'm just thinking there might not be any sense in buying IAL if I can just as easily collect locally. Oh, and on the subject of local collecting, although it may be a bit out there - do you know which weeds and nettles are typically used as shrimp food? Is it just anything that humans can eat, and the same protocol as with leaves? 

Cheers.

[jayc]

1 hour ago, Crabby said:

Are there any common native Australian plants that you know of, jayc, that shrimp especially like to eat the leaves of? Or any to steer clear of?

Most are fine except for gum leaves, too oily. You should be able to find Oak and Maple locally.

1 hour ago, Crabby said:

do you know which weeds

You can try Dandelions, Nasturtium. Shrimps particularly like the flowers. 

Roses, Basil flowers, Bee Balm (Bergamot) flowers, Borage flowers, Echinacea flowers, Pot Marigold flowers, Chamomile flowers, Chrysanthemums flowers, Garlic flowers, Onion flowers, Oregano flowers, Pansy flowers and Violet flowers.

 

1 hour ago, Crabby said:

Is it just anything that humans can eat, and the same protocol as with leaves? 

Yes. Stuff to avoid ...

Primulas, Primroses, Polyanthus, Iris, Daffodils, Nghtshade, box wood, foxgloves, amaryllis, clematis, bryony, buttercups, begonia, columbine, lily of the valley, sweet pea, Brachycome, Nolana, Rudbeckia, periwinkle, oleander, dogbane, aconite.

 

I cover a lot of these in this post.

https://skfaquatics.com/forum/forums/topic/5701-edible-flowers-for-shrimp/

 

[Crabby]

16 hours ago, jayc said:

You can try Dandelions, Nasturtium. Shrimps particularly like the flowers. 

Roses

I've got all of these, going to try each of them at different points. I tried a blanched dandelion today, but I may have a problem... my endlers love shrimp food more than their own food!!! They swarm any barley pellets I put in, or algae wafers, or today, the dandelion! Tomorrow I plan to remove all the endlers from the tank, though, so I can use it for the blue stars. Hopefully with only 4 small endlers, the shrimp can get some food.