Paratya australiensis

[fishmosy]

Some pics from recent moss collecting trip.

Edited June 5, 2014 by fishmosy

[Squiggle]

Awesome stuff dude, super cool pics!

[fishmosy]

Some more pics from my latest field trip.

Loving the colours and textures of the leaf habitats that these guys live in. Really must do a biotope tank one day soon.

[KillieOrCory]

Great photos! :)

[EarthyGeo]

Really enjoyed these photos!

Where abouts were these taken? The water is very clear :-)

[fishmosy]

Really enjoyed these photos!

Where abouts were these taken? The water is very clear :-)

Pics were taken in a creek in the hills behind Coffs Harbour, NSW. I'm not sure of the name of the creek, or even if it has a name.

[inverted]

Looks sick man.......

Like someone just threw leaves sticks rocks and sand everywhere.......

I'm inspired!

I suspect that if you put that many leaves in a tank it would be black

Edited April 8, 2015 by inverted

[fishmosy]

Not necessarily. If you boil the leaves first, that should remove a lot of the tannins. Likewise you could use activated carbon or other chemical absorption media in your filter.

[newbreed]

Great images in this thread. Lovely saddle shots!

[Matuva]

When I use indian almond leaves, I don't boil them. Amber coloured water with tannin is very nice.

To get rid off any potential germs or eggs or any other hidden virus or "things", wash the leaves by hand, and put them in the microwaves hoven, full power for at least 30 seconds.

 

Risk free after ;)

Edited May 11, 2015 by Matuva

[fishmosy]

I've recently been using mulberry leaves to feed my shrimp. They dont release any tannins (well nothing noticable) but seem to be broken down (eaten?) quicker by the shrimp. Seems they are a great alternative to IAL.

[yeswaitnosorry]

I have always soaked my IALs to remove the tannins, but tell me, am I losing any benefit by doing this?

[fishmosy]

I have always soaked my IALs to remove the tannins, but tell me, am I losing any benefit by doing this?

The tannins released from IAL are said to have anti-bacterial properties. IAL also tends to lower TDS but I dont know if that has anything to do with the tannins specifically, or just with the breakdown of the leaf itself. 

My opinion is that tannins are not of great benefit to the shrimp we keep. Water quality is much more important in determining the health of our shrimp. Certainly I have not seen any decline in the health of my shrimp since swapping to feed predominately mulberry leaves.