The only guy in RUclips who actually says something interesting. Not your typical poohah of exaggerated emotions and editing just camouflaging a lack of deeper knowledge. I wish you had more exposure. The algorithm certainly won't help much with that. Keep going though. This is great stuff for aqua geeks like myself.
Thank you kindly. Im here for us nerds... its what i enjoy. You may just need to check in manually on yhe home page for this channel... the algorithm hates me unless its drama or a list lol
Commenting after just 37 seconds of video to say that your deep dives into research papers and experience and not parroting what everyone says - that's what has me search through your videos when ever I wonder about anything, which is all the time. That combined with your excellent ability to translate all of it into information I can understand and apply:) You rock! Edited to say endurance:)
That's pretty interesting. When I started keeping fish I had a bunch of blue channel catfish in my greenhouse pond that had some weird flesh eating fungal infection. It was really bad. Some of the fish looked like zombies. I knew that tannins from dried tree leaves were good for fighting bacterial and fungal infections in fish, so I grabbed a whole dead oak branch with leaves and added it to my cat fish pond. Pretty much within a week they were already looking much better and I never saw the disease show up again in my pond. Since then I like to keep some kind of wood or leaves in my aquariums and replace the leaves as they break down. I found boiled acorn caps to work great for making black water or just as botanicals that don't break down as fast as the leaves.
@@Fishtory how I got the idea is watching the river near where I used to live. During the autumn tree leaves fill the rivers and turn the water jet black with tannins. And being that catfish are commonly found living in rivers among dead tree logs and debris that fall in, there must be something the fish are befitting from all those tannins during the winter months that helps them survive without eating. Then in spring all those leaves break down and provide food for the microfana and baby fish, snails and crustaceans. It's all part of the ecosystem. I'm not a scientist, but I just love to observe nature.
I had gotten some seeds from the lakeside where my dad lived and made the mistake of planting three of them at my dad's new place...HUGE HUGE HUGE messy tree. I had no idea what it was until I learned from you...Indian Almond trees are definitely not a landscape tree for a normal property here in Florida...WHAT a mess. Although I do wish I had known I could have sold a bunch of leaves. LOL
It must have taken a lot of endurance to do the research for this video. I really enjoy this long form and informative type content. Your a wealth of knowledge Alex keep up the great work
I'm halfway through your video and I'm already supremely impressed by your depth of knowledge on this topic. Plus you seem to understand it thoroughly and not just reciting some article. Kudos!
Sitting here watching my tank as an unopened catapa leaves purchase sits there and then your video pops up! Keep inspiring through education. Endured this Fishtory to the fullest!
I’m really loving your channel because understanding all of these concepts allows me to design my own aquarium to be what I want it to be instead of just applying general principles
The depth of your knowledge you put in to your videos and your story of your lightning strike made me reevaluate your channel. You being young and from the northwest made me discount you. But whats not to love. Youtaught me a valuable lesson i had forgotten,NEVER JUDGE A BOOK BY ITS COVER. YOUR CHANNEL IS A GODSEND MY MAN.
I have enjoyed this video on several occasions & will always enjoy & make reference to it so hopefully RUclips never goes away but more importantly I do hope my fellow Seattleite friend lives a happy long life because I love watching this channel.
Thank you for a great presentation on these Catappa Leaves. As I started to build my Community Tank I am observing which apecies of Fish gravitate towards the Catappa Leaves. Besides my Betta. The Nerite Snails also love them. I find that they get right under them...as do my Brown Bristlenose Plecos. I placed one of these leaves between the glass and the live plants and noticed that my Betta nestles right up against it. The Mopani Driftwood that I bought last December (2022) is not leaching as much as it did when I first placed it in the tank. Overall, since my Fish and Invertebrates love it... i keep adding it. It is added as soon as I start up my new tanks. I always listen to the entire video. Endurance
Catappa grows in nth Queensland Australia incase anyone lives up there. Pick them in autumn when they fall. If you pick green they still work but don't brown off aswell. Oak leaves have very close properties and easliy found in the U.S.
I'm in South East Queensland and they grow here as well. My sheep keep eating mine. I have a large Jackfruit tree and those leaves seem to be a favourite with the shrimp and snails.
Thanks, great effort on the video. I’m composting London Plane tree leaves (Platanus × acerifolia) on top of my aquarium soil 2mth project. Peatx2 Worm castingx1 mushroom compostx1 - crushed and moistened plane tree leaves on top of the soil, covered and kept moist like a pot plant mix. Hope the soil homogenises and produces something special for when it’s used in my new aquarium.
I use tiny amounts of various leaves, oak, maple, magnolia, catappa, along with tiny amounts of cholla wood, and Ceylon cinnamon bark, mixed together. In nature not just one type of leaf or wood falls in the water, so I use tiny amounts of various leaves and wood. It's easy for me since I keep nano tanks with deep bed substrates and the mini amounts of the various leaves and wood shavings seem to keep the shrimp and nano fish happy and picking around without significantly impacting the Ph or color of the water. I actually use mini paper punches to cut out the miniature leaves, lol. This seems to work out well for me and the scale works really well in nano tanks. I also feel like it really contributes to a natural food web. Appreciate all the in depth info specifically on catappa leaves. 👍💖👍
Oh that's a good tip to use the paper punch for cutting mini leaves. The scrapbooking people have a huge range of those punches, must be a bunch that would be suitable for tanks.
@@MaxNippard oh yeah! They have all kinds of fern and realistic leaf shapes in various small sizes and it's actually fun to punch them out. A sharp potatoe peeler works well for getting some nice small shavings of wood.
I've just found this channel after literally getting back into fish keeping. It's fascinating to hear the deep science. Thank you for your enjoyable information presentation you really quench my thirst for knowledge and stretch my learning endurance. Love your content. Thank you thank you thank you.
Welcome aboard! And welcome back to the hobby. Im so glad you are enjoying feeding your inner scienti...nerd. you are always welcome here and just drop a line if you have any questions!
Stellar content! Well-researched, organized and credible. Your endurance in bringing content like this is appreciated. Thank you for your diligence and commitment to provide such quality fishkeeping information.
Growing up in Sri Lanka I had a pond that might have been around 400 to 500 gallons. It was next to our I Indian Almon tree which we call (Kottamba) dead leaves from the tree would fall in to the pond and created a very nice atmosphere to the fish. I had varieties of fish there from giant guramis to koi to guppies. Sometimes I would go to the local water stream near the village to catch some freshwater shrimp to the pond. I maintained a wonderfully balanced and diversified ponds without knowing an ounce of the scientific background. I hope I could watch these sorts of contests at that time. I never fed them or changed the water of the pond. It was covered with plants
Dude been throwing these in my tanks for shrimp for months just bc everyone I’ve watched on RUclips says it’s good for em they eat the leaves but had no idea all this info. Thanks a lot for the video saw you on LRB’s channel. Glad I found yours thanks for all you do for the hobby
I’ve seen your other posts and all interest me in a way indescribable, a positive one at that. All your videos really made me think that videos like yours are really underrated. Keep up the good work!
I thoroughly enjoyed this video. I am not a newbie to the aquarium world but I am a newbie as far as introducing leaves and other botanicals to my aquarium. I am obsessed with the overall look of my aquarium and I find the various leaves, pod seeds, etc to be fascinating in the aquarium world. Of course I didn't quite understand everything you were saying I will have to go for a second listen which is no problem since I telework from home. However, I do appreciate you taking the time to explain the benefits of the Indian Almond leaf. I have a black piranha and ever since I've introduced the leaves to my tank, he seems much happier...well as much as piranha can be. So thanks again. ;)
You have been popping onto my list randomly i have been loving the fact that you do research and can back it up and it shows how much you love this hobby. I like your explanations...I know you have done a video but could you maybe do a video of culturing blood worms daphnia and green water from like start to finish? Step by step....I ummm get the gist but I get super confused
I just want to say thank you for your strong research into these Indian Almond Leaves. This is my first Betta Fish who is my first Fish since 2005 when I was hurt and gave everything away back then. I just bought my first small pack of 3 Catapa Leaves. I learned last week that the Betta love the. At the same time, I bought 4 Neon Tetras to see how they would get along. Great. Interestingly, I have been seeing the Neons hanging out with the Catapa Leaf just as the Betta does. I guess, innately and instinctively... they know what the they need. I am glad that they are happier now that I added them to the tank. I am glad that I stayed to the end. Being that I am a retired Animal Health Technician/Technologist... I really enjoyed the science. I need to get back to school and research even at 70 and learn more about Fish... Aquatic Science. I am glad that I endured this video as I had to watch it twice. Great job. Thanks again. Much Appreciated.
If you live in the PNW specifically like he does: Red Alder cones are absolutely incredible. They are the reason a lot of our streams and ponds are nearly black. Just a handful will blacken a 20 gallon aquarium quickly. Best harvest is autumn, but you can find them on the trees all year round. They can be found in soft wet ground, often right next to water. I have found them near stands of dogwood, which are much easier to see at a distance, and groves of red cedar.
Brilliant content. It takes real endurance to talk straight for over an hour. I’m just preparing my second generation pond water sample (minus both dragon fly larval monsters).
Hi, I enjoyed this video and didn't need endurance at all:) That reminds me, I need to comment on the tannins vid, very much enjoyed that one as well! I actually found myself thinking I would buy these "deep dives" for my library if made available in such a format... A suggestion for continuing with this topic of botanicals; Usnea. This last year (happy new year :) I learned about this lichen called "Usnea" that grows abundantly here in the PNW, it has been used for generations as a medicine, and there are some who are testing its use in fish. One use is for ammonia burn, as it can coat the gills in a helpful way (it can people with smoke inhalation). I have been trying it out myself, but no hard facts to share. I look forward to the continuation of this series 👍
I love your videos man. I find it crazy that you can make these long videos packed with info! And your tanks are awesome. I can't wait until all my plants grow in the way yours have
I really appreciate you spending SO much of your time reading scientific papers and condensing all of this invaluable information into a video for us all to access for free! I’ve been learning a lot on your channel and will be contributing monetarily to you now. Cheers and keep up the amazing work! 🍃😊🍂
Endurance! Great video by the way I know it's a year ago but I've been using the leaves for the last 2 years predominantly for my shrimp, and everybody seems happy. This is the best breakdown I have heard, though. Watching from Perth Australia 🇦🇺
Hi Alex, I’ve wondered for a long time if our Catalpa bignonioides from down in the SE United States is similar. Armed with the scientific name you provided in the video my google results tell me, No, it’s a different group of trees. The upside of the south’s Catalpa trees is that they attract a large worm/caterpillar that is excellent catfish bait. As a child we collected jars of them for fishing. The worms develop into a mouth-less moth and they completely defoliate the catalpa trees as part of their life cycle. Real neat.
Thanks so much for the more scientific info. Very good to hear this. I am so happy, coz my neighbor has one, which I have collected the fallen leaves in many years. I also have guava trees in my front yard, which I use also in my aquarium. All pestisides free
Endurance!!!!! Dude, you're the best!!! Great job 👍👍 Keep up the amazing work ☺️- Btw this is exactly the kind of content I've been looking for, just found your channel. I've had some sick axolotls (better now) I've been looking at water samples under my microscope, wondering what I was seeing. You've solved a lot of mystery for me. 🙏🏻 Thanks again!!!!
Thanks for writing and tuning in. Welcome to the community. Obviously its a bit nerdy, but full of compasionate and experienced fish keepers here and in the facebook group
@@Fishtory I'm pretty geeky myself. This is exactly what I was looking for. I was thinking I've got parasites in my tank, but it seems like normal microorganisms (I saw from another one of your videos). I keep shrimp as well, and a few nanos to keep things in check. I'm going to find your channel very useful. I can't wait to dive into your content. Thanks again 👍
130 foot tall tree is even more amazing when you realize most of the USA doesn’t have anything that gets taller than 35 feet. Then you go somewhere which has one of the 50 foot types mixed in, and if you notice they have a tree which dwarfs your typical oak or maple, then that 50 footer can suddenly seem spooky with how huge it is. A 130 feet tall tree next to one of those “huge” 50 footers is a little tough to imagine.
Funny thing...I've been adding leaves to my tanks for years wherever I have lived. About a year ago I moved to tropical far north queensland, onto some property that backs onto a bit of swampy jungle. So I naturally went there to collect some leaves for my tank, the nearest tree being a large one which produced these hard fruits with very little flesh, but which the flying foxes (aka fruitbats) would regularly gnaw on when nothing else was around. In any case, the leaves of this tree were large and seemed tough, so I mostly chose those for my tanks. Turns out it's an Indian Almond tree!
Thanks for commenting and tuning in. It is much appreciated. Having a community dedicated to the science of what works, is an awesome step for the hobby to be heading towards
@@Fishtory mo worries man i will always watch your videos from start to finish mate and thats the one hopefully more and more people get into the hobby so we can keep on with the species and the science and everything in between for the future 🫡
Since watching this I’ve started using different leaves in my tanks. I’ve found that aspen and cottonwood leaves break down fast, oak lasts longer, but the mulberry leaves I’ve used are the closest to catappa that I’ve found out of the different leaves in my area. They seem to last even longer than catappa, and provide a good amount of tannins. I also have an indoor passion fruit vine that drops leaves occasionally and these break down faster than any other but the snails and shrimp absolutely love them.
I’m experimenting with a few tanks that will have only leaf litter as substrate, a nice thick layer. The first batch of leaves are pre-soaked in aerated water for 1-2 weeks to leach out the bulk of tannins, nitrogen etc., and manage pH impact. Later additions will be fresher leaves. So far so good.
Fishstory is hands down the best educator on aquatic biology I have seen! I think of you as the wise fish wizard 🧙♂️😂 I love the scientific based deep dives you take on every topic you cover. Every single time I walk away with a treasure trove of information. I really really like your approach to natural self regulating aquariums. It is such a breath of fresh air from the sterile approach broadly recommended that takes SOOOO much more maintenance
I wish I would have watched this video prior to throwing around 9 almond leaves into my 20 gal aquarium. On the upside I’d definitely consider it to be a true Blackwater aquarium, and the downside I need to check my pH as soon as I get home. Although all my fish are indigenous to the Amazon and thrive in low pH environments I just worry the sudden shift may be a shock
Brilliant info champ and cudos for the exceptional research. I.m from Melaluca country on east coast of Australia, so black water is pretty much all we have here. It's not colloquially known as Tea Tree for it's prime afternoon picknick locations in mosquito infested swamps. Cheers again bloke. P.S i am spoilt. Catappa trees have been planted all over our area years ago. P.P.S In your search was there any mention of the Aquarium benefits of Melaluca quinquinerva ( Hope i spelt that right common name Five Veined Melaluca ) Reason i am curios is a lot of the Rainbow breeders here ( and there are a lot; after all we can just go catch them from our creeks ) all seem to be addicted to Catappa leaves which as your video reinforced as it is not part of a Rainbow's natural environ, there must be plants that the fish have evolved with which suits their needs better. Melalucas and Eucalypts as well as several other well known trees however are a fundamental part of their ecology. In particular however both plants mentioned are well established medicinal plants with a history of human use spanning some 50 000 years. Some of the common uses both traditional and modern include fighting Infections both internal and external, Skin disorders fungal or parasitic, a wide range of digestive malady's and the same for respiritory matters to name but a few. These trees and their masses of leaf litter on the waterway floor is the reason for the tea coloured hue of many of Australia's waterways.. As i say just a curio and something that may lead down another rabbit hole for you. Thanks.
Thanks for telling me about that plant. It is not one i have come upon in my reading. However, even studying the impact of microbiomes and tannins , biofilms and so forth- is only about 10 or 15 years old. It's very under funded research and there is a lot of hearsay. Or drug chemists that dont share their findings because they want to utilize a certain compound for medicine. Its getting more common to find papers on the subject, but its a very new feild, frustratingly
Wow your video is always packed full of information!! My thoughts are so changed about these leaves. Now I see the benefits of these catappa leaves. I'm wondering maybe it could help me if I drink some tea of those leaf for my inflammation condition. But will try it in my tank. Thank you for your deep dives into things!
I dont know about the impact on humans...but other tannins ...like wine and tea, are showing up in medical journals to be very healthy...specially when isolated
My pond is basically a blackwater pond with dead trees,oak,sweet gum,elm and many other leaves/pine needles,etc. the amount of fish and frogs that spawn every year is insane.
@@Fishtory meant to tell you in case nobody else has already, a lot of times researchers will share their articles for free if you contact them directly. They're allowed to do so and they get nothing from the journals so there's no incentive not to share.
Link to everything you need to know about TANNINS.
ruclips.net/video/VjdLE1u4rZw/видео.html
Thanks for the quick link
The only guy in RUclips who actually says something interesting. Not your typical poohah of exaggerated emotions and editing just camouflaging a lack of deeper knowledge. I wish you had more exposure. The algorithm certainly won't help much with that. Keep going though. This is great stuff for aqua geeks like myself.
Thank you kindly. Im here for us nerds... its what i enjoy. You may just need to check in manually on yhe home page for this channel... the algorithm hates me unless its drama or a list lol
Commenting after just 37 seconds of video to say that your deep dives into research papers and experience and not parroting what everyone says - that's what has me search through your videos when ever I wonder about anything, which is all the time. That combined with your excellent ability to translate all of it into information I can understand and apply:) You rock! Edited to say endurance:)
You are the one that rocks 🪨 🎸 😎
Hi from Singapore. So interesting ..
What he said. 🎉
AGREED 100% ... Just wish he time stamped.
Couldn't have worded this any better myself
In this hobby u can never stop learning new things
That's pretty interesting. When I started keeping fish I had a bunch of blue channel catfish in my greenhouse pond that had some weird flesh eating fungal infection. It was really bad. Some of the fish looked like zombies. I knew that tannins from dried tree leaves were good for fighting bacterial and fungal infections in fish, so I grabbed a whole dead oak branch with leaves and added it to my cat fish pond. Pretty much within a week they were already looking much better and I never saw the disease show up again in my pond. Since then I like to keep some kind of wood or leaves in my aquariums and replace the leaves as they break down. I found boiled acorn caps to work great for making black water or just as botanicals that don't break down as fast as the leaves.
Also little fish & shrimp look adorable sitting in an acorn cap
Awesomeness thanks for sharing that info!
@@Fishtory how I got the idea is watching the river near where I used to live. During the autumn tree leaves fill the rivers and turn the water jet black with tannins. And being that catfish are commonly found living in rivers among dead tree logs and debris that fall in, there must be something the fish are befitting from all those tannins during the winter months that helps them survive without eating. Then in spring all those leaves break down and provide food for the microfana and baby fish, snails and crustaceans. It's all part of the ecosystem. I'm not a scientist, but I just love to observe nature.
@@voluntaryismistheanswer I've never kept shrimp but I bet that would be the cutest thing ever! Lol
It makes sense.
Tannins were/are used for tanning leather.
I had gotten some seeds from the lakeside where my dad lived and made the mistake of planting three of them at my dad's new place...HUGE HUGE HUGE messy tree. I had no idea what it was until I learned from you...Indian Almond trees are definitely not a landscape tree for a normal property here in Florida...WHAT a mess. Although I do wish I had known I could have sold a bunch of leaves. LOL
Nature has its own UNDERSTANDING AND BIOLOGICAL MEDICINE of the greatest ENDURANCE!! You really taught me a lot thank you !! Bless
Wonderful my friend. Thanks for stopping by the channel
That was the deepest dive I could imagine. Great endurance, by all.
It must have taken a lot of endurance to do the research for this video. I really enjoy this long form and informative type content. Your a wealth of knowledge Alex keep up the great work
Thank you so kindly!
I'm halfway through your video and I'm already supremely impressed by your depth of knowledge on this topic. Plus you seem to understand it thoroughly and not just reciting some article. Kudos!
I've endured through your video! Its almost a dissertation, very much preferable to tik-tok format.
Wow, thank you kindly. Im glad you enjoyed it
Sitting here watching my tank as an unopened catapa leaves purchase sits there and then your video pops up! Keep inspiring through education. Endured this Fishtory to the fullest!
Quite impressed that you have the endurance to talk for that long. Always appreciate the Contant that you’re putting out.
Haha thank you kindly! You rock for making to the end
I’m really loving your channel because understanding all of these concepts allows me to design my own aquarium to be what I want it to be instead of just applying general principles
Awesome, thank you. That is my biggest hope of giving folks the info to decide what works for them...and what doesn't... AND WHY¿
@@Fishtory the why is the most important part in my opinion
this was an awesome video. Been using these leaves slowly as i hear so much about it. Switched from gravel to sand. My favorite relaxing hobby
Awesome thanks for coming by!
Endurance to the end. Just love the nerdy aspect
Thank you kikdly
The depth of your knowledge you put in to your videos and your story of your lightning strike made me reevaluate your channel. You being young and from the northwest made me discount you. But whats not to love. Youtaught me a valuable lesson i had forgotten,NEVER JUDGE A BOOK BY ITS COVER. YOUR CHANNEL IS A GODSEND MY MAN.
Wow, thank you. Glad you have it a shot and welcome to the community my friend! I'm honored that you enjoy some of it!
You have much endurance, in the time and materials, you have to research to bring us this much appreciated information as always well done 👏
Thanks Chris
glad you got the endurance to put out long form content like this! thanks for all the research man
Glad you enjoy it!
I have enjoyed this video on several occasions & will always enjoy & make reference to it so hopefully RUclips never goes away but more importantly I do hope my fellow Seattleite friend lives a happy long life because I love watching this channel.
Haha thank you kindly. If you live in seattle perhaps we should do a seattle Meet-up with channel members and meet one another sometime this summer
Thank you for a great presentation on these Catappa Leaves. As I started to build my Community Tank I am observing which apecies of Fish gravitate towards the Catappa Leaves.
Besides my Betta. The Nerite Snails also love them. I find that they get right under them...as do my Brown Bristlenose Plecos.
I placed one of these leaves between the glass and the live plants and noticed that my Betta nestles right up against it.
The Mopani Driftwood that I bought last December (2022) is not leaching as much as it did when I first placed it in the tank.
Overall, since my Fish and Invertebrates love it... i keep adding it. It is added as soon as I start up my new tanks.
I always listen to the entire video.
Endurance
In nature there is always a new supply of wood, just as with leaves 👍😁
I'd say yes, I use Meyer lemon leaves. My shrimp and snails love them. Within a few days there will only be a skeleton of leaf left.
Thanks for sharing! Thats awesome
Catappa grows in nth Queensland Australia incase anyone lives up there. Pick them in autumn when they fall. If you pick green they still work but don't brown off aswell. Oak leaves have very close properties and easliy found in the U.S.
I've been using oak leaves for some time now.
I don't even have to leave property to get oak leaves
@@Lisa.Sparkman they work they just don't last as long before the break down. Free is good ✌️🤎🍄
@@johnmanrow2667 I've even used them for breeding Bettas. Tonnes of infusoria in the water.
I'm in South East Queensland and they grow here as well. My sheep keep eating mine. I have a large Jackfruit tree and those leaves seem to be a favourite with the shrimp and snails.
Briliant and captivating. This video represents a load of work and was well worth the watch. Thanks again Alexander.
Many thanks!
All the Best from Scotland. Endurance.
This is a truly remarkable and refreshing deep dive. You have great presentation skills and do thorough research. Thank you!
Wow, thank you!
The endurance you had for doing all that research! Thanks!
You bet! Thank YOU for the endurance
Thanks, great effort on the video.
I’m composting London Plane tree leaves (Platanus × acerifolia) on top of my aquarium soil 2mth project. Peatx2 Worm castingx1 mushroom compostx1 - crushed and moistened plane tree leaves on top of the soil, covered and kept moist like a pot plant mix. Hope the soil homogenises and produces something special for when it’s used in my new aquarium.
Whoa! Sounds amazing! Id love to hear how it went
Enjoyed that, you got pretty good endurance to make these vids for us 🤣💯
Haha so do you clearly. Thanks
So interesting to listen- both scientific and practical.
Excellent content! Hands down the best video on this subject matter I’ve ever seen!
Wow, thanks!
The endurance of catapa leafs is astounding.
Amen 😉
your the one with the endurance ..lol..great video!
You are a champion among the ADHD screen attached zombie generation . How dare you criticallg think whole consuming media!
Always love these deep dives ! Thanks for all the research you’ve put in and lovely presentation 👍
Thank YOU for tuning in
I use tiny amounts of various leaves, oak, maple, magnolia, catappa, along with tiny amounts of cholla wood, and Ceylon cinnamon bark, mixed together. In nature not just one type of leaf or wood falls in the water, so I use tiny amounts of various leaves and wood. It's easy for me since I keep nano tanks with deep bed substrates and the mini amounts of the various leaves and wood shavings seem to keep the shrimp and nano fish happy and picking around without significantly impacting the Ph or color of the water. I actually use mini paper punches to cut out the miniature leaves, lol.
This seems to work out well for me and the scale works really well in nano tanks. I also feel like it really contributes to a natural food web.
Appreciate all the in depth info specifically on catappa leaves.
👍💖👍
Thank you for sharing what works best for you ❤️
Oh that's a good tip to use the paper punch for cutting mini leaves. The scrapbooking people have a huge range of those punches, must be a bunch that would be suitable for tanks.
@@MaxNippard oh yeah! They have all kinds of fern and realistic leaf shapes in various small sizes and it's actually fun to punch them out. A sharp potatoe peeler works well for getting some nice small shavings of wood.
@@Fishtory You're welcome. This is a new hobby for me within the hobby and I'm having such a good time with it, like a kid with new toys, lol.
❤
Love the info thanks for taking the time out to bring this to us 👍👍👍
Thanks for tuning in and dropping by
I've just found this channel after literally getting back into fish keeping. It's fascinating to hear the deep science. Thank you for your enjoyable information presentation you really quench my thirst for knowledge and stretch my learning endurance. Love your content. Thank you thank you thank you.
Welcome aboard! And welcome back to the hobby. Im so glad you are enjoying feeding your inner scienti...nerd. you are always welcome here and just drop a line if you have any questions!
Thanks!
THANK YOU!
Stellar content! Well-researched, organized and credible. Your endurance in bringing content like this is appreciated. Thank you for your diligence and commitment to provide such quality fishkeeping information.
Much appreciated! My pleasure.
Growing up in Sri Lanka I had a pond that might have been around 400 to 500 gallons. It was next to our I Indian Almon tree which we call (Kottamba) dead leaves from the tree would fall in to the pond and created a very nice atmosphere to the fish. I had varieties of fish there from giant guramis to koi to guppies. Sometimes I would go to the local water stream near the village to catch some freshwater shrimp to the pond. I maintained a wonderfully balanced and diversified ponds without knowing an ounce of the scientific background. I hope I could watch these sorts of contests at that time. I never fed them or changed the water of the pond. It was covered with plants
Sounds magical!
Dude been throwing these in my tanks for shrimp for months just bc everyone I’ve watched on RUclips says it’s good for em they eat the leaves but had no idea all this info. Thanks a lot for the video saw you on LRB’s channel. Glad I found yours thanks for all you do for the hobby
I’ve seen your other posts and all interest me in a way indescribable, a positive one at that. All your videos really made me think that videos like yours are really underrated. Keep up the good work!
I thoroughly enjoyed this video. I am not a newbie to the aquarium world but I am a newbie as far as introducing leaves and other botanicals to my aquarium. I am obsessed with the overall look of my aquarium and I find the various leaves, pod seeds, etc to be fascinating in the aquarium world. Of course I didn't quite understand everything you were saying I will have to go for a second listen which is no problem since I telework from home. However, I do appreciate you taking the time to explain the benefits of the Indian Almond leaf. I have a black piranha and ever since I've introduced the leaves to my tank, he seems much happier...well as much as piranha can be. So thanks again. ;)
Glad you found this interesting. Also, black piranha are beautiful! Cool fish
You have been popping onto my list randomly i have been loving the fact that you do research and can back it up and it shows how much you love this hobby. I like your explanations...I know you have done a video but could you maybe do a video of culturing blood worms daphnia and green water from like start to finish? Step by step....I ummm get the gist but I get super confused
Used to ignore catappa leave. This video has changed my mind considerably! Endurance for the win!
Haha I felt similar for a while
Thank you for your time processing and sharing this scholarly reviewed information!
Sure thing! Thanks for listening
I just want to say thank you for your strong research into these Indian Almond Leaves.
This is my first Betta Fish who is my first Fish since 2005 when I was hurt and gave everything away back then.
I just bought my first small pack of 3 Catapa Leaves. I learned last week that the Betta love the. At the same time, I bought 4 Neon Tetras to see how they would get along. Great. Interestingly, I have been seeing the Neons hanging out with the Catapa Leaf just as the Betta does. I guess, innately and instinctively... they know what the they need. I am glad that they are happier now that I added them to the tank.
I am glad that I stayed to the end. Being that I am a retired Animal Health Technician/Technologist... I really enjoyed the science. I need to get back to school and research even at 70 and learn more about Fish... Aquatic Science.
I am glad that I endured this video as I had to watch it twice. Great job.
Thanks again.
Much Appreciated.
Aww thank you! Im so glad you are giving the fishy hobby another go, too! Welcome to the channel and consider yourself a friend. Cheers!
Thanks
Thank YOU
This was a great video!!!
I thought it was going to be too long - but so worth the watch!
Proper deep dive!
Thank you kindly!
very informative video Alex. Endurance buddy
Haha thank you. You are in the elite few!
If you live in the PNW specifically like he does: Red Alder cones are absolutely incredible. They are the reason a lot of our streams and ponds are nearly black. Just a handful will blacken a 20 gallon aquarium quickly. Best harvest is autumn, but you can find them on the trees all year round. They can be found in soft wet ground, often right next to water. I have found them near stands of dogwood, which are much easier to see at a distance, and groves of red cedar.
Yes indeed! Most bang for your buck ...gram per gram (that ive found)
Thank you so much for all the work you've put into this video.
Much appreciated!
Don't really need endurance ti get through long form videos when the subject is so interesting! Thanks for sharing this info with us all!
Glad you enjoyed it!
Brilliant content. It takes real endurance to talk straight for over an hour. I’m just preparing my second generation pond water sample (minus both dragon fly larval monsters).
Haha thank you for your endurande my friend
I learn so much listening to your channel,keep it up
Happy to hear that!
Hi, I enjoyed this video and didn't need endurance at all:)
That reminds me, I need to comment on the tannins vid, very much enjoyed that one as well!
I actually found myself thinking I would buy these "deep dives" for my library if made available in such a format...
A suggestion for continuing with this topic of botanicals;
Usnea.
This last year (happy new year :)
I learned about this lichen called "Usnea" that grows abundantly here in the PNW, it has been used for generations as a medicine, and there are some who are testing its use in fish.
One use is for ammonia burn, as it can coat the gills in a helpful way (it can people with smoke inhalation).
I have been trying it out myself, but no hard facts to share.
I look forward to the continuation of this series 👍
"It can help people " grammar fix...
Oh right on! Thats super interesting... ive been wondering about lichen and moss too. Thanks for the tip!
I like using them to float on top of floating plants to provide a hide for my top and mid dwelling fish. Love the look
Endurance! Great presentation. Thank you
Very thorough Alex. Thank you for sharing!
No...thank YOU for your support and contributions
nice to have you around doing all the job :)
Any time!
Endurance? Yeah, I got it. ;) I had no idea there were so many botanicals that could be used. Looking forward to watching the other videos on this.
More to come! Thanks for tuning in!
I love your videos man. I find it crazy that you can make these long videos packed with info! And your tanks are awesome. I can't wait until all my plants grow in the way yours have
Glad you like them! Best wishes!
I really appreciate you spending SO much of your time reading scientific papers and condensing all of this invaluable information into a video for us all to access for free! I’ve been learning a lot on your channel and will be contributing monetarily to you now. Cheers and keep up the amazing work! 🍃😊🍂
ps. endurance
Endurance! Great video by the way I know it's a year ago but I've been using the leaves for the last 2 years predominantly for my shrimp, and everybody seems happy. This is the best breakdown I have heard, though. Watching from Perth Australia 🇦🇺
Very interesting and informative lecture. I commend you. I'll have to share this one around with other people that I know. Good job to you 👍
I finally got all the questions answered, thank you!... endurance! 🙂
Right on! Glad it was of use to you. Cheers
Great endurance video, thank you.
My pleasure! Thank YOU
Great informative video. The endurance you must have to make such a long video. Hats off!
Thank yuh
Hi Alex, I’ve wondered for a long time if our Catalpa bignonioides from down in the SE United States is similar. Armed with the scientific name you provided in the video my google results tell me, No, it’s a different group of trees. The upside of the south’s Catalpa trees is that they attract a large worm/caterpillar that is excellent catfish bait. As a child we collected jars of them for fishing. The worms develop into a mouth-less moth and they completely defoliate the catalpa trees as part of their life cycle. Real neat.
Oh that's really fascinating. Thanks for sharing
Im really enjoing your videos. I do find them better when i increase the playback speed to 1.5. Its sounds more fluid for me. Great channel.
Glad you like them! And great tip if you dont mind chipmunk voice haha
Loving your channel- listening to your videos has been giving me the endurance to fold my laundryXD
Thank you so very much!
Thanks so much for the more scientific info. Very good to hear this. I am so happy, coz my neighbor has one, which I have collected the fallen leaves in many years.
I also have guava trees in my front yard, which I use also in my aquarium.
All pestisides free
That is awesome!
Great video. Very informative. Watched from beginning to end.
Glad you enjoyed it
have you ever tried t=leaves from the Catalpa trees here in the US?
Yup. In florida they worked perfectly
ENDURANCE! Answered all my questions dude. Good job!👍
Glad to hear it! Thank YOU
Awesome deep dive into leaves and tannins! Takes some real endurance 😁😁😁
Thank you so kindly for your support!
Endurance!!!!! Dude, you're the best!!! Great job 👍👍 Keep up the amazing work ☺️- Btw this is exactly the kind of content I've been looking for, just found your channel. I've had some sick axolotls (better now) I've been looking at water samples under my microscope, wondering what I was seeing. You've solved a lot of mystery for me. 🙏🏻 Thanks again!!!!
Thanks for writing and tuning in. Welcome to the community. Obviously its a bit nerdy, but full of compasionate and experienced fish keepers here and in the facebook group
@@Fishtory I'm pretty geeky myself. This is exactly what I was looking for. I was thinking I've got parasites in my tank, but it seems like normal microorganisms (I saw from another one of your videos). I keep shrimp as well, and a few nanos to keep things in check. I'm going to find your channel very useful. I can't wait to dive into your content. Thanks again 👍
130 foot tall tree is even more amazing when you realize most of the USA doesn’t have anything that gets taller than 35 feet. Then you go somewhere which has one of the 50 foot types mixed in, and if you notice they have a tree which dwarfs your typical oak or maple, then that 50 footer can suddenly seem spooky with how huge it is. A 130 feet tall tree next to one of those “huge” 50 footers is a little tough to imagine.
Tulip trees are pretty close!
Funny thing...I've been adding leaves to my tanks for years wherever I have lived. About a year ago I moved to tropical far north queensland, onto some property that backs onto a bit of swampy jungle. So I naturally went there to collect some leaves for my tank, the nearest tree being a large one which produced these hard fruits with very little flesh, but which the flying foxes (aka fruitbats) would regularly gnaw on when nothing else was around. In any case, the leaves of this tree were large and seemed tough, so I mostly chose those for my tanks.
Turns out it's an Indian Almond tree!
Oh right on! Thanks for the info and experience!
@@Fishtory Thank you for the detailed education about this amazing tree!
Love these deep dive videos. YOU have endurance to produce content this thorough.
Enjoying watching this again!
Thank you
Nice Lagenandra in the bottom corner, it's got at least one more leaf than mine that I can see
Answered questions I didn't know I had. Love the format, even if it requires a little endurance
Glad you enjoyed it! Thanks for sticking around! Cheers
i love the science of how deep you get into it bro! you and father fish are kings in your own rights! thanks brother! from the UK
Thanks for commenting and tuning in. It is much appreciated. Having a community dedicated to the science of what works, is an awesome step for the hobby to be heading towards
@@Fishtory mo worries man i will always watch your videos from start to finish mate and thats the one hopefully more and more people get into the hobby so we can keep on with the species and the science and everything in between for the future 🫡
48:00 great info🦐🐌
Since watching this I’ve started using different leaves in my tanks. I’ve found that aspen and cottonwood leaves break down fast, oak lasts longer, but the mulberry leaves I’ve used are the closest to catappa that I’ve found out of the different leaves in my area. They seem to last even longer than catappa, and provide a good amount of tannins. I also have an indoor passion fruit vine that drops leaves occasionally and these break down faster than any other but the snails and shrimp absolutely love them.
Endurance repaid! Loved the depth and breadth of this one....and enjoyed the tangents!
I’m experimenting with a few tanks that will have only leaf litter as substrate, a nice thick layer. The first batch of leaves are pre-soaked in aerated water for 1-2 weeks to leach out the bulk of tannins, nitrogen etc., and manage pH impact. Later additions will be fresher leaves. So far so good.
Sounds great! I'd love to hear how it's going a few months in, pretty please
@@Fishtory I’ll let you know -I won’t be adding fish until I have a deep, rich, well-decayed substrate with stable parameters. Give it a month.
Great vid 👍, I'll have to use leaves in an apistogramma tank in near future.
They'd absolutely love it!
Really appreciate a deep dive like this, super interesting, thanks!
Glad you enjoyed it! I like them too haha.. ill set up a playlist of them
Recently found your channel. Tons of great information. Thanks for what you do. Endurance!
Welcome aboard! Thank you
This is so informative!!! Fantastic reporting; I enjoy this kind of content!🌻🌼🐝
Glad you enjoyed it!
Fishstory is hands down the best educator on aquatic biology I have seen! I think of you as the wise fish wizard 🧙♂️😂 I love the scientific based deep dives you take on every topic you cover. Every single time I walk away with a treasure trove of information. I really really like your approach to natural self regulating aquariums. It is such a breath of fresh air from the sterile approach broadly recommended that takes SOOOO much more maintenance
I wish I would have watched this video prior to throwing around 9 almond leaves into my 20 gal aquarium. On the upside I’d definitely consider it to be a true Blackwater aquarium, and the downside I need to check my pH as soon as I get home. Although all my fish are indigenous to the Amazon and thrive in low pH environments I just worry the sudden shift may be a shock
I just put a catappa leaf in my tank Alex. This video was a feat of endurance 😊😊
So happy to hear that ☺️
Brilliant info champ and cudos for the exceptional research. I.m from Melaluca country on east coast of Australia, so black water is pretty much all we have here. It's not colloquially known as Tea Tree for it's prime afternoon picknick locations in mosquito infested swamps. Cheers again bloke. P.S i am spoilt. Catappa trees have been planted all over our area years ago.
P.P.S In your search was there any mention of the Aquarium benefits of Melaluca quinquinerva ( Hope i spelt that right common name Five Veined Melaluca ) Reason i am curios is a lot of the Rainbow breeders here ( and there are a lot; after all we can just go catch them from our creeks ) all seem to be addicted to Catappa leaves which as your video reinforced as it is not part of a Rainbow's natural environ, there must be plants that the fish have evolved with which suits their needs better. Melalucas and Eucalypts as well as several other well known trees however are a fundamental part of their ecology. In particular however both plants mentioned are well established medicinal plants with a history of human use spanning some 50 000 years. Some of the common uses both traditional and modern include fighting Infections both internal and external, Skin disorders fungal or parasitic, a wide range of digestive malady's and the same for respiritory matters to name but a few. These trees and their masses of leaf litter on the waterway floor is the reason for the tea coloured hue of many of Australia's waterways.. As i say just a curio and something that may lead down another rabbit hole for you. Thanks.
Thanks for telling me about that plant. It is not one i have come upon in my reading. However, even studying the impact of microbiomes and tannins , biofilms and so forth- is only about 10 or 15 years old. It's very under funded research and there is a lot of hearsay. Or drug chemists that dont share their findings because they want to utilize a certain compound for medicine. Its getting more common to find papers on the subject, but its a very new feild, frustratingly
Wow your video is always packed full of information!! My thoughts are so changed about these leaves. Now I see the benefits of these catappa leaves. I'm wondering maybe it could help me if I drink some tea of those leaf for my inflammation condition. But will try it in my tank. Thank you for your deep dives into things!
I dont know about the impact on humans...but other tannins ...like wine and tea, are showing up in medical journals to be very healthy...specially when isolated
That was awesome! Endurance😊
Glad you liked it!!
My pond is basically a blackwater pond with dead trees,oak,sweet gum,elm and many other leaves/pine needles,etc. the amount of fish and frogs that spawn every year is insane.
I have endurance when i watch your videos. I always enjoy listening to all the knowledge you share. I like to listen while i mess with my tanks 😁
So nice of you
Endurance! 😂
Love the deep dive. Thank you.
You're so welcome! Thank you
@@Fishtory meant to tell you in case nobody else has already, a lot of times researchers will share their articles for free if you contact them directly. They're allowed to do so and they get nothing from the journals so there's no incentive not to share.
Endurance and inspired!
You are a champion. Thank you :)