I have become a believer in these recently, definitely seeing my bettas perk up whenever I have them in the tank. My question now is how long can you use a single IA leaf for in the tank before I should replace it? I've noticed that some leaves degrade quicker than others. And lastly, what is the worth of 'grade A' or otherwise?
It depends on a lot of factors, imo/e. In my planted tanks with snails and shrimp and the like, I leave them in longer as they seem to eat things that grow on them as the leaf degrades, the degrading leaf might also provide nutrients for the plants (but I don't know...). However, for a betta only tank (no plants, etc) I would change them out about once a week immediately after a water change.
As far as grades, grade A means no holes or anything. The leaf looks the very best. For some people this matters, but for most, especially if you are like me and like to use only half a leaf, or break them up to release tannins faster, or even if you crumble them up really small and put them in a tea bag, the grade of the leaf matters much less.
As mentioned above, if you don't care about looks, this is a good deal, free shipping too! Otherwise, I have bought grade A from this seller and was very pleased.
For long time use/return purchasers (those who know they want to use IAL all the time) a larger quantity will save you money in the long run. This has more than 100 leaves! But there is a shipping cost here because it is much heavier.
aemaki - you should really try these....I tried them (only b/c they came free with one of my orders) in my betta jars and all of my males perked up instantly...it was almost like a burst of energy. AND I am not one to simply jump on bandwagons.
Yup, literally that. And as I said, a lot of us cut them or break them up into halves or much smaller pieces anyways, so the holes are not an issue. Some even cut them into fine pieces and put them in tea bags or similar. It releases the tannins faster.
I also would like to note, per OFL suggestions, that oak leaves do the same thing, and are 99% the same as IAL, but often found in your backyard (free). Just make sure they are free from pesticides and the like.
OFL- I've been wanting to try them but most sellers I want want crazy prices. I don't care about grade as long as its a good price. I think I'll try a small package of them and see how my boys do.
How many of what size leaves are recommended for what size tank??
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