what are the benefits in haveing almond leaves for CRS?

[jakevwapp84]

Just wonderin if almond leaves will help..

[Chipoi84]

It grows beneficial bacteria for them to eat and lower the ph

[jakevwapp84]

do the CRS eat the leaves or will they fall apart and clog my filter

[HD Blazingwolf]

from experience, they dont just fall apart. more just melt into nothing and are eaten... takes a long time for sure

[jakevwapp84]

do the grade of the leaves affect the benefits to the water

[psalm18.2]

The water will turn tea colored.

[Pooky125]

Originally Posted by jakevwapp84

do the grade of the leaves affect the benefits to the water

Not that I can tell. I think it's all based on thickness and whole-ness of leaves. I bought mine from Fleabay, grade D. I paid more to ship them then I did on the leaves themselves, and the ones I got were huge, full leaves. A few had a couple of holes in them, or weren't perfectly flat, but, still quite effective. Each one takes about 3 weeks to break down in my aquariums, and the first week or two, my water is so brown you can barely see through it.

[jakevwapp84]

Originally Posted by Pooky125

Not that I can tell. I think it's all based on thickness and whole-ness of leaves. I bought mine from Fleabay, grade D. I paid more to ship them then I did on the leaves themselves, and the ones I got were huge, full leaves. A few had a couple of holes in them, or weren't perfectly flat, but, still quite effective. Each one takes about 3 weeks to break down in my aquariums, and the first week or two, my water is so brown you can barely see through it.

will the water eventually clear?

[Pooky125]

With water changes, absolutely. If you don't want the tea stained water, or the attributes that come with it, you can soak the leaves in a separate bucket, or boil them for an hour or two to remove the tannins, then toss them in the tank. They break down a bit faster, but leave your water clear.