Betta Breeding

Hi Guys
Tell me, has anyone ever heard of using dried banana leaves insted of Almond leaves for Siamese fighter breeding tanks?

 

i believe any suitable leaf will do, unless toxic

what i find works best is bubble wrap. cut a sizable piece and you will be styling

 

Bubble wrap??? Not the plastic stuff I presume.

This is a link I found by accident.
http://www.tropicalfishforum.net/showthread.php?t=3357

 

yes the plastic stuff works wonders!

turn in upside down so the bubble side is facing in the water. this also keeps the eggs together nicely. iv bred 100s of bettas this way

 

Hi Gaf
Bubblewrap just help the betta to build a well constructed nest that won't break up.
I think you want to know if bannana leaves release the same beneficial chemicals
As almond leaves.

 

Thats correct Vis, whats your opinion?

 

my apologies.. i was not even thinking about the beneficial chemicals that get released..

i can promise you now that the bubble wrap wont help with that haaha

 

And I have some in all four breeding tanks at the moment and the fry ( last brood was born on the 3rd march and deaths till now) and parents are doing very well. Ps I use half a styrofoam cup for the nest building

Exept for raising checkers bags??

 

Peat filtered water has a natural antibactarial property, not sure if it is because of the tannins that's being released.
Dried bannana leaves will also release tannins, not sure if almond leaves releases additional chemicals.
The best guy to ask would be the Prof.

 

Did you go to the link above and have a read Vis?

I would love to use almond leaves but cant find any!!!

 

Unable to at the moment, I am using my phone.

 

Not sure if I am allowed to quote but this what they say on that forum

" Bit of info regarding Dried Banana Leaves :

Successfully used in Asia for many years, the leaves of the banana plant (Musa sp. var. sapientum) have long been used by successful ornamental fish breeders, in the same way as indian almond leaves (Terminalia Catappa) to prevent and treat diseases such as for example :

Bite injuries, Fungal diseases, Head and lateral line erosion in cichlids, Fin rot, Ectoparasites, Damage to mucous membranes.

In particular, Breeders of Siamese fighting fish, swear by banana leaves and use these with even greater success than indian almond leaves. The coloration of the fish is greatly improved and thay have very positive effects on the fishes' readiness to spawn (especially in Betta Splendens such as Half Moon, Plakat etc.).

The fact that banana leaves are not so very well known may also be due to the leaves not being widely available. Our banana leaves are harvested and treated just as carefully as our indian almond leaves. We have several trees that grow on our land, they are free of pesticides and harmful bacteria.

Add 1-2 pieces of leaf per fish to the water, for general prevention of disease, to improve the colour and to promote well-being.

Add one 9 " piece banana leaf per 3 - 5 l to the water, for intensive treatment of disease or to promote readiness for spawning.

The leaves will absorb water for 2 - 3 days (you can speed this process up by pushing the leaves under the water) slowly transmitting their active constituents to the aquarium water over a period of 1 - 2 weeks. The leaves can then be taking out and replaced with new leaves. Just the same as indian almond leaves, they are devoured with gusto by plecostomus and crustaceans. "

 

Gaf... based on the above quote, I would say give it a try. Not sure how it compares to Almond leaves, but you can always give it a try. Maybe do a bit more googling to find out more. Sometimes it's better to get confirmation from other sites. It you can get hold of Solex69, maybe give him a shout... he might be able to advise?

When I was there in Dec he had some Almod leaves he was giving me... I didn't take them because I wasn't planning on breeding Betta's... he might even be prepared to post some to you?

 

Cool, thanks Zoom.

Im also looking for microworm cultures, anyone in JHB?

 

Donny is in CT I think.. he can ship some up to you if you prepared to pay the shipping costs? (I think it can be shipped.)

 

I hope they can be. what size are these critters?

 

- but smaller

adults 1/10 to 1/8 inches long
less than a mm to just over 1 mm

 

im doubtfull. banana leaves are huge firstly wich means you have to cut them .when you do the leaves release a white residue . im guessing this is what you want to be released into the aquarium ? if you have seen this before im sure you would also be doubtfull. rather first soak the leaves in a bucket then run normal tests on the water after a couple dats and see what happens to ph etc. then dry the leaves , it doesn't say how the leaves are dried? that's why I advise to cut them then soak them as banana trees attract a lot of bugs which you don't want to dry up on the leaves. these bugs could be harmfull . why don't you just boil the leaves? and add some of the boiling water to the tank ? this will kill germs and leave what you want. just ideas I say refer them to the prof first .
cheers

 

The Almond leaves are dried before being put in, so I would assume the Banana leaves would have to be dried as well.

Would boiling not also kill any beneficial nutrients etc?

Maybe this is a Q for the Prof. to answer

 

Im not boiling them, just putting them dried straight into the tank Zoom