What is the skinny on leaf litter?

[Faralon]

What kind of leaves seem to be the most preferred?

 

What kind of leaves are DO NOT FEED?

 

I have a lot of oak, walnut, poplar around my area.  Obviously if they're wild you want to make sure they haven't been sprayed.

 

Do they just have to be dried out until they're crispy?

 

Rinse em at all?

 

If I can't get wild, for sure I'll buy from some sponsors here.  

 

Thanks

[Steve R.]

There are generally two types of leaves.

1. Ones that are eaten by shrimps directly.

2. Leaves that decompose and are allowing biofilm to grow. The biofilm gets eaten by the shrimps.

Drying is not a must. It is best to collect leaves for biofilm formation in the Fall because the plants absorb sugar from the leaves back to the roots, branches and trunks. If they contain too much sugar you increase the chances of bacterial blooms.

 

Here is a link to an earlier post.

 

http://www.shrimpspot.com/index.php?/topic/1810-domestic-leaves-for-shrimps/

[EricM]

I also have a little info on my blog.

 

http://www.discobee.com/blogs/news/15655129-benefits-of-leaf-litter-in-shrimp-tanks

[35ppt]

Mulberry is a top pick. I gave mine dried at first, and they loved it. Tried a fresh green leaf a few weeks ago, and no issues with fouling, so perhaps it has a low sugar content?

Right now my shrimps are enjoying fresh Melissa officinalis; they don't like it dried, for some reason.

I think you can put most leaves in as is (a rinse is always a good idea), but if you give them a hot water treatment, the shrimps seem quicker to utlize them.

[Shrimpinista]

I have a peach tree in my yard that the deer and bear raid every year leaving us nothing. So this year I purposely did not spray or fertilize so that I can collect the leaves this fall. Peach leaves are very desirable but do not last long in the tank because they are so thin and soft. Shrimp love them. It is difficult to find organic leaves due to the regular practice of spraying to make the fruit look nice. 

[monty703]

You can pick your own oak and virtually any other leaf in the fall.  Best place is a forest somewhere they don't use pesticide.  I wait till its late in the season when all the leaves are on the ground and go looking for the ones still left hanging on the trees.

I leave them in a paper bag in a dry spot in the fish room and use them whenever I am going away for a few days or just as an occasional treat for the shrimps.   They pick over them until they look like lace.

 

Peach tree leaves are great as the shrimps seem to like the taste, same as most fruit trees, but again has to be from trees not treated with pesticides.  Try finding someone local who has a tree and ask them if you can pick the leaves in the fall....Im sure they won't say no...they won't have to rake them up when they fall off.

 

Another thing the German breeders use is stinging nettle leaves.  You can buy plants yourself and dry out some of the leaves whenever you want them.