Attendre que la lumière soit prête est sans doute le plus dificile au début de cette aventure. Avoir un écosystème qui fonctionne à moindre frais (moins de 200 € en tout avant les poissons) est possible mais cela suppose beaucoup de tatonements sur internet et l’achat de produits qui n’arriveront maintenant que dans 7 à 30 jours. D’ici là je m’efforce de trouver des idées et de surveiller le bon déroulement du riparirum : les plantes en une semaine ont peu réagi. Sous les trois lampes (simplissime 60 watt en guise d’ampoule chauffante à filament sur le haut, ampoule économique sur la gauche ainsi que la lumière naturelle restreinte 
de la fenêtre sans soleil direct et un néon T8 10 watt sur la droite, les organismes se sont certes développés, bactéries et micro-animaux que l’on voit à l’oeil nu (vers de 3 mm et autres mini daphnies de 1mn) — ils sont nombreux mais pas tant que ça pour former une alimentation permanente des poissons. De gros escargots se promènent depuis deux jours et après avoir chassé une dizaine de petits escargots je décide de laisser tous les escargots tranquilles pour qu’ils mangent l’algue marron clair qui se forme de mnière invisible mais sûre sur les vitres. J’ai conclu, en absence de test que le pH doit être élevé 7.8 supposé car le calcaire déposé sur les vitres se forme en une heure seulement à partir de goutelettes d’eau du robinet. Je m’efforce de mettre des eaux minérales (4 litres pour l’instant) à 40 mg de calcaire le litre (Aquarius) et de l’eau de pluie (5 litres) car il pleut beaucoup en ce moment (inondation historiques). Je me demande comment je vais faire pour remplacer 20 litres d’eau chaque semaine. Comme je ne recevrai le test ph que dans 1 à 2 semaines je ne peux que supposer que le PH a guère changé (7.2?). J’ai commencé à enlever de grosses feuilles jaunies des deux grosses Sword,
et il y en aura d’autres
J’ai supprimé un brin pourri le 4e jour de la plante aquatique et un deuxième commence à pourrir ; cette plante dont je n’ai toujours pas trouvé le nom… 
et j’ai coupé au ciseaux pas mal de longues feuilles de la
Vallisneria asiatica
qui visiblement a besoin de plus de lumière pour aller bien. Je l’ai dispatchée un peu partout dans le bac en espérant qu’un pied prenne un jour…
Les Cabomba 
et Rotala 
n’ont pas eu trop de problème, ni évoluées non plus, peut-être parce que je les ai mise plus à la lumière dès le début car elles sont réputées plus difficiles. Les racines ne poussent pas, les nouvelles feuilles non plus….
Tant que je n’aurai pas ces lampes led je ne pourrais pas me rendre compte de la solvabilité de l’écosystème ni mettre des poissons d’ailleurs… Je patiente donc et en attendant je lis le web : les feuilles de chênes pourrait abaisser mon PH, le temps d’une promenade dans le parc en hauteur donc peu pollué du coin et je reviens avec une centaine de feuilles de chêne. J’en ai mis hier les plus belles et j’en décante beaucoup d’autres dans un demi litre d’eau après les avoir toutes rincées. Je ne fais pas bouillir ces feuilles de chêne dans la perspective d’introduire de nouveaux micro-organismes, peut-être une erreur car je pourrais y amener aussi des futures maladies pour les poissons.
J’ai une autre préoccupation, comme le thermostat est caché malgré que je tourne la température dans tous les sens il fait toujours 28 ou 29 degré dans l’eau et c’est un peu trop.
Pour les plantes exterieures voir le post précédent. Mon but étant d’arriver à un écosystème indépendant de la lumière de la fenêtre (l’appartement est vraiment sombre en hiver de toute façon) entre autre et qui marche seul au mois d’octobre pour passer l’hiver assez froid et sombre dans cet appartement sans dommage pour la faune du riparium… J’ai aussi l’idée d’ici là de fabriquer un haut au riparium en plexi-glass qui me permettrait de le protéger des températures basses de la pièce (16-17 parfois 14-15 la nuit voir moins quand le chauffage est coupé l’hiver, et peut-être y mettre un couple de gecko inspiré par ce post: http://www.plantedtank.net/forums/showthread.php?t=73569 (sans qu’ils se noient!)
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http://www.plantedtank.net/forums/showthread.php?t=73569
Voici une aventure intéresante à plus d’un titre (écosystème “rain forest” humide de type “nano” –mousses et fougères proche de la partie aquatique, animaux très chouettes et qui semblent peu “pollueurs” et respectueux. Je copie en partie par peur qu’elle disparaisse du net… En résumé : en quelques trois ans Marko a pu faire se reproduire facilement un couple de gecko dans un petit terrarium à moindre frais au New Jersey. Le milieu semble bien prendre dès le début et le couple s’y plait très vite… (Je mets en gras les questions du forum qu’on lui a posé)
16 Septembre 2008:
im setting up a terrarium for a gold dust day gecko (phelsuma laticauda).
it will be in an 18x18x18 exo terra (45x45x45cm). substrate will be coconut fibers with liquid nutrients added to it (and a drainage layer). the background will also be coconut fiber. i have everything ut a UV light and basking lamp (will get this weekend) and the tank and stand (being shipped). i hope to start setting up the hardscape and equipment this weekend. planting will be done hopefully tuesday or wednesday, but i will wait until i have the tank to order the plants.
20 Septembre :
so i got the stand and terrarium. the stand was a witch with a capital b to set up. the holes werent drilled right for the screws to fit through the wood and the other thing (weather it be the door handle, or the magnet for the door or the other wooden plank). it will definately hold, but it was a workout forcing the screws in.
it looks good though.
next i set up the drainage layer. pretty easy. then came the coco-fiber. even when wet in an improvised bucket, it was hard to tear up and get out. the tips of my fingers are sore. i did it though. the background was easy. just cut the coco fiber to size and put it in, didnt even need glue (the wood holds it in place).
What does the coco fiber do?
It just serves as bedding, or, essentially dirt
Why not use dirt? And what do the liquid nutrients do?
The ferts help the plants. Dirt can have all kinds of nasties in it
yeah, if i use potting soil, some of the fertz in that arent good for animals and the perlite (little white balls) is bad for most animals since they try to eat it. and if i dig up some dirt, i dont know what im getting with it. plus im in NJ, everyone has a garden, but its the most densely populated state, so its all gardens and not too many large areas of untouched nature. i would have a big chance of getting pesticides in the tank, and that would be really bad.
so i used coconut fiber and added animal-safe fertilizer (needed to since coconut fiber is inert, its nearly pure cellulose).
25 Septembre :
i still have a vine to go in and an anubias batari nana petite (petite nanas are the ones smaller then petite bataris)
. i might get a few other additional plants too. plus it will look much better once the moss grows in and maybe starts to spread onto the wood. and once my ferns get large ill get some spores that will make new ferns all over the place.
- fertz?
i used the dyna gro from blackjungle.com. its supposed to be good (you dont need a lot of fertz though, the rainforests have very little nutrients, so you dont want to add too much or the plants will get nitrate posioning and such). just use as prescribed.
also, you should water with distilled/RO water. especially the airplants. they dont like having a lot of minerals in the water.
5 Octobre :
i added a tropical vine a while ago. its budding new stems.
i also added some moss, and the t. ionanatha
is getting pink tips on its leaves. the t. capita peach is growing roots (i guess that means its happy). i added a nana petite. oh, and each of my ferns is growing a new leaf. here are the pics:
T. ionantha
How is the humidity in that tank? I would be worried about it drying out
60% during the day, 80% at night. i mist in the morning and at night.
its been in there since wednesday and its fine. it was growing emmersed since september, and in much less controled and stable conditions (a pot with cellophane over it and a few holes). thats how it got so nice, it was giving me almost a leaf every week for the past 2 monthes while it was growing emmersed.
18 Octobre :
my geckos came today. 
they look great. they are chilling the the bottles they were delivered in, too scared to go into the tank. ill get some pics of them later.
Terrarium:
oh, and did i mention my moss was making spores? you can see the structures sticking out of in the pic:
What are you feeding them(the gecko), and if you don’t mind how much was the pair?
im not feeding them yet. since most geckos never eat before 3 days after being shipped. so today will be their first meal here.
im going to feed repashy 
as a staple. its a prepared food for omnivorous geckos, and i heard great thing about it on geckosunlimited.com. here is a link to the food:http://www.geckoranch.com/repashysuperfood.html
im also going to feed crickets and real fruit occasionally.
the lizards were $50 each, and then $75 for shipping. so $175 shipped. but if you take care of them well, they should breed every year during the spring summer and fall.
20 Octobre :
the female ate the food greedily (she stuffed herself), the male was basking right next to it, and didnt recognize it as food. its ok though, since they are mates and as he sees her eat, he should catch on pretty quick.
23 : these (geckos) are from a hawaiian bloodline.
26:
i took the very first aquarium plant i ever had, an A. barteri, out of my infected 20L cleaned it, and put it in my exo-terra. its rhizome was divided multiple times, but this is what is left, and its still not a bad size. i also took out my large petite anubias. when i went to plant them, i noticed that the anubias i had in there before grew a red leaf.
imagine if it started growing all red. how cool would THAT be?
anyway here are some pics of the plants (new, old, and red):
new and old anubias side by side
i have witnessed the female eat. i almost never see the male, and since i got pics of him, i have not seen him in the open, but i know both are relatively healthy. there is plenty of fecal matter. it would take both to sh*t that much, so they are both eating and active enough to find the food and bask enough to digest it and drink enough to stay alive to eat it and bask.
ive also come up with names for the invisible geckos: Hyperion (male), and Metis (female); after titan gods of greek mythology.
27 :
the anubias barteri wilted (idk why, my petite is doing great, and the soil is very moist), but the rhizome is fine, so it should survive the transition.
ive got definite proof now of the geckos doing good in the cage. EGGS!!!!
2 perfect little white eggs. ill post pics in a little bit, now im off to order an incubator (hopefully they will survive until i get it). i didnt expect them so soon.
1 Novembre:
eggs (one ontop of other, couldnt angle the camera ot show both, but ill take a pic when i get the incubator and i move them into it)
6 Novembre :
my incubator
eggs will hatch hopefully in a month or so. though im not entirely sure how long P. l. laticauda eggs take.
i caught the male out basking, and got 2 really good pics of him. here:
whats amazing is the difference of the picture taken through glass, and the one through the top mesh.
Are there any good sites with some info about them? Also, is a paludarium the same concept, but with some water in the bottom??
for the terrarium itself, go on vivariumforums.com
for geckos, geckosunlimited.com
they are both very helpful.
let me mention that terrariums are much easier then aquariums. you can make do with less light (water blocks out a lot of light), and nutrient dosing is very lax, since there are no algae.
paludariums are sometimes sloped terrariums with a muddy puddle. good paludariums have a well defined border, where the water doesnt soak into the substrate of the terrestrial part. if you want a paludarium, go here:
http://www.plantedtank.net/articles/…to-Journal/28/
7 Novembre :
are they as shy in captivity as in the wild?
they are even more shy.
im lucky to see the female more then once a day, and the male usually only 1-2 times a week (in the morning when he basks to get his temp up). they immediately scamper when they see me, and i only saw one eat once (see droppings though).
its cheaper then an aquarium. (coco fiber is cheap, no filter, drainage is cheap, AGA tanks are cheap and frogs dont need vertically oriented cages, lighting is cheaper since no water to block it out).
how many could be kept in a heavily planted 90g? do these geckos pair off?
no. not in nature.
in a 90g, id say 3. lol
they are territorial. in nature each stakes out a territory and dont let others in except the males will allow females to enter and vice-versa just to mate. in capitivity, if introduced correctly, a male and female will tolerate each other permanently. they have also been kept in trios. but most day gecko (genus phelsuma) cant be kept in groups larger then 3.
in a 90g however, you could keep bigger day geckos. they arent all only 5″, there is P. m. grandis, which can grow over a foot (and has really bright colors).
Well, the reason I was inquiring was I plan on having a fish wall that takes up one end of my basement at some point. The wall itself would be 24′. I plan on having many tanks (around 40) in it both freshwater fish, reptiles and amphibians.
So I am now a member of aquariacentral, dendroboard, and the planted tank.
I am just cruising around collecting information on all the different tank inhabitants I like and you have some amazing tanks.
Do these do well if theres water in the tank, not a paludarium but just a water feature such as a pool-less waterfall?
And would 2 be happy in say something like a 29g? In other words what is the smallest possible enclosure for a male and female?
wow, i wish i could have a room full of tanks like that…
try joining vivariumforums.com they gave me a bunch of help.
and if you are really into the geckos, the best place to ask questions is on geckosunlimited.com.
thanks again.
i have a small water dish, but thats different.
i really dont know how they would take it. it wouldnt bother them just being there, but dont make the current so strong that it would nock them down if they tried to cross.
they would be great in there.
ive heard of them being kept in 10 gallons turned so as to be verticle, but only as a temporary measure. the smallest generally reccomended is 12x12x12 exo terra. a 29g is bigger then that, so they would be just fine.
24:
Food
As for keeping the coco fiber against the wall, I know you said you didn’t glue it, but could you? A little bit of aquarium silicone or something on the back to keep it in place? And yeah, I’ve seen the MRP food, highly recommended on the Crested Gecko forum, i use the dry powdered crested gecko diet that you reconstitute with water that’s available at pet stores, it lasts a long time for me since i only have the 1 gecko, but i might look into the MRP when i’m running low. Cresties are awesome, I love my little guy, he’s lots of fun! I’m the same way, every month or 2 I grab a pack of crickets, feed them the crested gecko diet to gutload them and give Squishy (my gecko) a few crickets every other day or so til they are gone, then just the powdered diet for a few weeks. He seems to love chasing the crickets so i like to give him some occasionally, but they DEFINITELY get smelly when you keep a lot of them over a period of time. My roommates senior year of college had 5 bearded dragons so they had a 10g tank full of crickets and boy did it smell!
cresties are cool. the food i feed them was actually initially formulated for cresteds i think (im not sure though). i suggest you look it up, its gecko MRP base and gecko MRP nectar (you need both). so much less smelly then crickets (i still feed live bugs but only once every few monthes).
im not sure it would hold well. the fibers arent firm together, so you would need to use a lot of glue.
what i suggest you do is cut it a bit too big, and then squish it against the back so the sides kinda curve toward the front. i just cut mine a bit short so i had to plug up the top.
backgrounds are annoying if you ask me, but worth it. no background is shaped so that herps can get behind it, except styrofoam or spray-on foam, but those dont retain water.
I have seen people use foam and then glue fiber to the background to make it retain water….but your way seems much faster and simpler! I like it!
27:
OMG!
i saw the female on the glass today, and she is gravid. and HUGE. she will lay another pair of eggs any day. they are clearly visible through her skin.
the old eggs didnt hatch yet, but im excpecting them within a week, maybe two.
anyway here is a pic of her:
Terrarium:
29:
i initially thought that she was carrying 2 eggs, one turned differently. i was wrong. she was only carrying one egg, which she laid just recently. i marked it right side up, went to take it out, and CRACK!
i was ready to kill myself. but then i put 2 and 2 together: it was not a pair, but a single egg; it wasnt a perfect oval, but kinda poorly shaped; it was the last of the breeding season. it was just a dud egg. an infertile egg.
but im still pissed. what if it wasnt? what if it was and then next breeding season i break a fertile egg?
stupid female picked an awful spot. i have to use pencils like chopsticks to get an egg(s) out, and im not asian, so im not too good with chopsticks.
i have to think of a new method for next year.
30:
the female wedges her eggs in a crack in the wood, and it takes the tiniest bit of pressure to get them out, but too much for a brush. the hairs just bent so that the metal tip was against the egg (in which case it makes no difference from a pencil with the tip cut off.
why not leave the egg alone? or do you take it out and incubate it yourself?
the tank is too cool for the egg. the parents require a daytime temp of high 70s-low 80s, and a night temp of low 70s or even high 60s. the eggs need to be kept at a constant temp, and the best is around 82. so my tank is too cold (and too humid). i take them out and put them in a hovabator incubator, since doing so has the best survival rate. incubating in-sito really isnt done except for gluers (certain phelsuma glue their eggs), and even then only if it is on an object that can be removed easily.
15 Decembre :
ONE EGG HATCHED!!!!!!
the other died. im not sure what happened. but i wasnt expecting any eggs this season, so im perfectly happy with 1 hatchling.
its still in the incubator for now, i wont move it until the first shed. or i might since the humidity in there is dropping, but id rather not.
here is a pic:
16:
hatchlings cannot be shipped, though. at 3 monthes they are no longer considered hatchlings and are juviniles. but they shouldnt be shipped in under 40 degrees, so i wont be selling it until march.
if you (or anyone else for that matter) are interested in it though, please pm me and ill put it on reserve for you.
the eggs are about the size of a small marble, and the shell is beyond thin. cloth would make no difference. id need some of that memory foam stuff (they kind in those exspensive beds), or something similar.
dont really have any kind of tweezers short enough. i have about 4″ of manouvering room.
some padding is a good idea though. if i can put something hard and flat on the ends to increase the surface area, and then soft pads on that to hug the egg(s) and deflect pressure, it would work. ill try and rig something.
18 :
i was having some trouble with the enclosure. the humidity was dropping down to 50% within hours after misting. way too low (adults need at least 65% but hatchlings need at least 75%). but, i covered up some openings, and now the humidity is a nice 90%, and i havent misted in 24 hours. 
ill probably have to open some though, since i have to mist to let it drink, and dont want the humidity above 90%.
these guys are small and totally harmless, and they know it. so they run away (with amazing speed actually). my hand goes in, they are gone.
ive touched em before when they got trapped behind the back lining, they didnt bite.
P. m. grandis (giant madagascar day gecko) though is know to be quite aggressive. but its a full foot, not a puny 4 inches.
24 :
hes growing, and he is also starting to color up. hes more green then grey now (though the pics dont really show it). hes also developing the orange on his head, blue around his eyes, and some gold dusting on his shoulders.
what typ’s of light’s do you have on top of it?
on what, the exo, or the baby’s cage?
exo terra: 40w PC current USA satelite fixture (1/2 6700k, 1/2 10000k), 15w T8 light with 15% UVB output, 150w halogen PUC light (as a basking light).
baby cage: 15w T8 (no UVB output), 150w halogen desk lamp about 6″ above the cage for some ambient heat
6 January 2009
How do you keep the humidity so high?
*
actually i dont anymore. now that its winter and the heat is one the ambient humidity is in the teens, and my humidity started to drop to the 60s and even 50s so i used cellophane to cover up 1/2 of the screen top. the drop for 2 weeks until i covered it actually killed my a. nana, and badly damaged my a. barteri. my a. nana petite did just fine though for some reason.
21 Mars :
1er Mai :
the pair is breeding all the time (i have 2 eggs in an incubator, and the female is carrying another pair).
and here are pics, just time for an update too.
i changed some of the plants.
18 Mai:
got 2 hatchlings!
my phelsuma count is now: 2 adults, 2 hatchlings, 4 eggs
here are pics of the cage, Metis (the female), and hatchlings:
14 Juin
the air plants are tillandsia. the only one left alive (but seemingly doing well and growing) is the tillandsia abdita. and i just shoved it (as well as the others) into indentations on the wood. not to hard, so as to not damage them, but firmly enough to support the plant and some additional weight (if a gecko were to decide to climb over it).
well i just got 2 new hatchlings. i can get pics of them, but they are just like any others, except one has a shorter tail for some reason.
16 Juin:
i currently have 2 old enough to ship, at $40 each.
And what model is the other fixture? Does that hold both the T8 UVb light and the 150w basking light, or do you have a third fixture behind the other two for the basking light? Also, do you use Exo Terra light bulbs or another brand?I am also wondering whether these lights are sufficient for heating. I assume you don’t do any additional heating..? Which temperature do you reach with this in your tank? I guess the basking light is adding quite a bit of heat. But my own tank is a bit taller, and since the books on day geckos which I have read so far disadvise using under-tank heaters, I wonder if I would require even stronger lights to keep the temperature up for day geckos? But maybe it doesn’t really matter if it is a bit colder at the bottom of the tank as long as it is warm enough at the top…
really all you need is 1 PUC for the basking spot and dont let the ambient temps in the room drop bellow 70 and the geckos should be relatively ok.
i didnt fix the light. i just bough a puck light from HomeDepot and placed it on the screen where i wanted it.
most phelsuma sp. (including p. l. laticauda) are pretty fragile. they are jumpy and dont like being handled. also, they have thin skin which could tear off if you are too rough. and like all geckos, they drop their tails when threatened.
a quarantine is only to protect other animals you already have. if the day geckos are going to be kept in their own cage, quarantine is pointless. the only reason to quarantine would be if you get the male and female from separate vendors. then you might want to quarantine in case one is infected with something. it would be the safest course of action, but i personally wouldnt bother in that case. phelsuma generally do well if they survive the shipping, the only reason it might die on you if it is wild caught and you didnt have it checked for parasites. ive had 5 geckos shipped (including both to me and from me) and all have survived it to my knowledge.
so a lot happened in the past 10 monthes. i added the following plants: Neoregelia ampullacea ‘midget’, Neoregelia lilliputiana x fireball, Neoregelia ‘red waif’, Ruellia brittoniana, Bacopa madagascariensis, Aclepias ‘silky gold’, and Chlorophytum comosum (most likely temporary). i also added an unidentified tillandsia sp, and ditched the heart fern (kinda miss it though, should i get another one?).
the N. lilliputiana x fireball hybrid is doing the best out of my new plants. in a few monthes its already put out a runner and made a new plant that is just starting to root. the N. ampullacea ‘midget’ has grown 3 new leaves since i got it. the new leaves are larger then the old growth. im not sure if this is because it has more nutrients or less light. maybe both. my t. abdita is doing phenominally. it has grown tremendously. all its leaves are much larger and it has grown at least 10 new leaves since i first got it. and it attached to the wood its on. im considering inducing a bloom. any opinions?
its not a riparium, its a true terrarium, meant to simulate a rainforest, not a river-side.
the first neoregelia flower opened, and i can see 2 that will likely open tomorrow. and now i can say with absolute confidence that the plant is indeed N. lilliputiana. unfortunately, this bloom may be the end of this plant, as it did try growing a runner and it dried up and died (idk why) so if it doesnt make pups toward the end of the bloom, ill have to buy a new one.J’attend aussi une cellule brumisatrice pour créer un brouillard quotidienement et espérer mettre des fougères et mousses dans la partie extérne. Au vu du ficus lierre qui se porte mal malgré ma vaporisation deux à 4 fois par jour au spray j’ai eu cette idée que peut-être une brume répétée pourrait améliorer le mu de plante avec les orchidées. Cela créerai aussi bien un courant d’air créé par l’humidité et la chaleur de l’eau? qui serait bienvenu pour les orchidées…
Voici pour finir quelques photos datant d’aujourd’hui:
Le second morceau de racine trouvé dans le parcc Gellert (en hauteur s’est couvert de fungus blanc qui semble avoir atteint un deuxième des cinq brins de la plante mystère.
Une orchidée va fleurir
Pour finir voilà quelques info sur l’utilisation des feuilles de chêne sur forums…
voila, j’ai entendu parler de l utilisation de feuilles de chêne bouillies pour acidifier l’eau et recreer un biotopde sud americain.
Qui pratique cette methode, ??
ce n’est pas conseillé pour un aquarium d’ensemble, même amazonien. La feuille de chêne est très riche en tanin.
Pour ne prendre qu’un exemple, on trouve, dans l’habitat naturel de Cheirodon axelrodi(cardinalis) des eaux quasiment de pluie ( 8 µS à 60 µS dans le Rio Negro). La décomposition des feuilles qui tombent dans un tel cours d’eau va passer par différentes étapes:
– la production de tanates et d’acides fulviques qui vont augmenter la conductivité de l’eau au-delà des valeurs demandées par cardinalis. Ils sont responsables de la coloration de l’eau à ce moment.
– dans un deuxième temps, cette matière en décomposition va produire du gaz carbonique, les bactéries s’attaquant à cette besogne ayant beoin d’oxygène et rejetant du gaz carbonique. L’eau va donc s’acidifier, non pas en raison des acides fulviques, mais en raison de production de CO2 (et d’acide carbonique [H2CO3]). Nous aurons donc alors une eau peu chargée en matières organiques, dans laquelle ne se trouvent pratiquement aucun minéral (dureté = 1°TH), acide, et donc correspondant aux exigences pour la reproduction de certains poissons réputés difficiles.
En aucun cas je ne conseillerai l’utilisation de feuille de chêne en aquarium communautaire et je n’en vois pas l’intérêt, sauf si on veut colorer son eau et faire chuter son pH. Pour les reproductions, en bac séparés, un conductivimètre est indispensable et il convient d’attendre que les feuilles soient décomposées pour tenter une reproduction (l’introduction de
daphnies est intéressante à ce moment-là.)
Je tiens à préciser que ces indications ne sont données que dans le cadre d’un essai de reproduction de “tétras” aux exigences particulières.
les spécialistes vous confirmerons, mais si je ne me trompe pas, il faut :
– les prélever au sol, elles ne doivent plus être vertes
– les faire bouillir afin de les rendre plus ou moins innoffensives et de les faire couler
Dans un bac de reproduction, ne jamais faire bouillir ! Ou alors, il faut réensemencer en bactéries et infusoires.
– les étaler dans le bac et les en ressortir avant pourrissement (?)
Oui, je les laisse couler d’elles-mêmes (j’avais oublié de mentionner qu’elles étaient mortes). Avant de tenter une reproduction, laisser l’aquarium dehors, à moins qu’on ne dispose d’eau osmosée, d’eau de pluie non “suspecte” ou d’eau de source très douce (~1-1,5 GH selon l’espèce).
Une autre solution est possible: placer les feuilles dans un seau, lui aussi laissé dehors (c’est plus pratique, il a une anse) et transvaser le tout dans l’aquarium quelques jours avant la tentative.
Le nombre de feuilles est sans grande importance: tapisser le fond de l’aquarium sur une seule épaisseur est suffisant. Enlever les feuilles lorsqu’elles n’auront plus que leurs “nervures”. Un bon test pH est également indispensable (pH ~6). En aucun cas, l’eau ne doit être ambrée (eau trop “jeune”).
Ceci est ma méthode et n’engage que moi-même. Il en existe certainement d’autres, mais je ne crois pas que la tourbe, surtout quand elle n’est ni bouillie ni rincée puisse donner à l’eau la faible conductivité nécessaire.
généralités sur les fruits d’aulnes et les feuilles de chêne
Grâce aux tanins qu’ils contiennent, ils permettent d’acidifier l’eau (sous réserve que la dureté carbonatée ne soit pas trop élevée) en lui donnant la couleur thé des eaux noires d’Amazonie (entre autre). Rappelons que Le tanin est un « acide-tampon », autrement dit il permet d’éviter les fluctuations de pH dans le cas d’une utilisation en eau à faible kH. Il semblerait également que cet acide ait un effet bénéfique sur les algues… Pour finir, ils libèrent également un antibactérien utile en prévention de maladies.
les feuilles de chêne
Ces dernières se dégradent plus ou moins rapidement selon des facteurs tels que la période de récolte (durée écoulée après leur chute), ou le fait qu’on les ait faites bouillir avant utilisation… Mais cette dégradation ne semble pas entraîner de pic de pollution dans les bacs, car nombreux sont les aquariophiles qui laissent cette couche de matière organique sans jamais siphonner ! Les feuilles de chênes sont bouillies (car on ne ramasse jamais que des feuilles de chêne !) et déposées telles que dans le bac, ou broyées pour perdre leur aspect originel un peu trop européen. Elles permettent ainsi, broyées ou laissées entières, la colonisation de microorganismes bénéfiques au bac et proposent gîte et couvert providentiels pour les alevins…
autres essences
D’autres essences appartenant à la famille des bétulacées peuvent être utilisées dans des buts similaires, parmi lesquelles :
– la feuille d’amandier
– les feuilles séchées du hêtre
Ces deux dernières sont encore plus efficaces que l’aulne !
Mais aussi :
– le bouleau (feuilles, branchage et écorce)
– les bogues de noisettes
– les écorces et feuilles de saule (particulièrement le saule blanc)
– l’osier
– le charme
– le peuplier
– …
De ces arbres, on peut utiliser les chatons, les feuilles, les graines ou les fruits.
Le saule blanc est connu pour son principe actif, la salicine (à la base de l’aspirine). De même que le saule pleureur et l’osier, il dégage de l’acide salicylique (anciennement appelé aspirine végétale), qui aurait des vertus anti-parasitaires variées.
Le bouleau dégage lui aussi de l’acide salicylique, mais uniquement dans son écorce ou dans son bois, pas dans ses feuilles.
Certaines de ces essences n’acidifient pas ou peu l’eau, leur intérêt est plus de l’ordre de la pharmacie.
Collection of the leaves
The most important issues when it comes to using dead leaves are in their identification, collection and preparation. It is important to only collect leaves that have fallen from the trees and are not fresh living leaves.
During the autumn the deciduous trees start to shut down for the winter and the leaves which have worked as factories all through the spring and summer months producing sugars and oxygen are gradually killed off and fall to the ground. These are the leaves we want to collect as they have no living matter in them that could cause problems in the tank as they die.
If you don’t know your tree species then it might be worth getting a hold of small pocket guide to trees so you can try and get the right species and it makes sense to try and collect the leaves in areas away from roads and any other sources of pollution. You should also try to avoid any that are overly dirty in mud or perhaps covered with bird droppings.
Leaves are best-collected when freshly-fallen in autumn, though care must be taken to identify them correctly © Colin Dunlop
Typically I fill several bin bags with leaves and take them home to dry them out. You might want to dry them out in the garage or a fish shed if you have one because it is quite normal to have stowaway spiders and other minibeasts which you might not appreciate moving into your house.
I collect enough leaves in the autumn to see me through to the next year and store them in a dry environment tied in large fish bags or similar once they are properly dry.
How to use them
Do not boil them in water before use. Yes, you will sterilise them but it will also boil off a lot of the beneficial reasons that we want them for in the first place. I just add them to the aquarium in their dried out state after their correct storage. The leaves will naturally float but most will have sunk within twenty-four hours or so.
There are no rules as to how much to add so it will need some trial and error. Much of this will be influenced by the species of leaf as some contain more tannins than others. For example with beech leaves I could add a few inches of leaves with only a slight staining of the water but more than four or five individual leaves from Indian Almond trees and the water will look like tea!
You do not need to remove the leaves after a period of time as they gradually break down altogether and can be simply replenished by adding more to the tank. Some leaves will last much longer than others and again using my two earlier examples; Indian almond leaves may only last a couple of months whereas beech leaves may take more than six months to break down.
Leaves can be left in the aquarium to break down and will not harm livestock © Colin Dunlop
In closing, at a time when we should all be more environmentally aware and realise that the traditional method of staining water, peat, is a valuable habitat not to be destroyed, that I have found the use of dead leaves to be environmentally friendly, cheap, interesting and overall valuable in the keeping of any fish I have had which would naturally require blackwater, soft, acidic conditions and recommend that you give them a try, perhaps starting with the easy to obtain Indian almond leaves and then move on to some locally found species.
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September 23rd, 2012 at 8:28 amDear Colin,
Thanks for a very interesting article.
I know and understand well the benificial properties of the leaves,
but have you come across leaves that can be used without them colouring
the water? I mean, just for decoration…
BRgds Johnny -
September 24th, 2012 at 1:20 pmHi Johnny, the best leaves to add in that case are from the beech tree or beech hedges; Fagus sylvatica.
- They are a lovely colour and break down slowly. They also release the least amount of tannins which stain the water.
Cheers
Colin
- I would like to ask a question Mr. Colin…
Do you happen to know if also the leaves of the genus Magnolia (particularly from Magnolia grandiflora) are suitable for aquariums? 
-
Do they colour the water a lot?
I find them beautiful and quite interesting.Regards
Enzo -
October 2nd, 2012 at 8:27 amHello Enzo,
I also have an interest in Dendrobatid frogs and Magnolia leaves are very commonly used in vivaria/terraria housing these delicate little amphibians. They are useful because the leaves are large enough to hold small amounts of water where the frogs may place eggs/tadpoles for a while.
Many of the best dart frog terraria have a system where the water is constantly moving through a waterfall, over some of the substrate and back into a reservoir, so the water will pass over the leaves on a regular basis.
I have never used the leaves personally but “dart frog friends” do and if they were toxic then sensitive dendrobates and their tadpoles would not survive in water stained by them.
They are a tough leaf and I’d imagine that they would take a long time to break down in the water.
In another month or so I will be visiting a local arboretum to collect different oak and beech leaves (as usual) and I’ll be sure to look for a Magnolia or two to try their leaves this year.
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October 13th, 2012 at 6:04 pmI have copper beeches in my garden, I was wondering other than ensuring the leaves are dry is it fine to use them straight off the ground. I thought they might need to be baked?
My water is fairly soft already could it cause a ph crash? -
October 21st, 2012 at 9:58 pmHi
Yeah copper beech is totally safe –
- it’s the same species as the regular green one. Just pick the leaves up, dry them off naturally and then use them.
Avoid leaves that are on a busy road or likely to be contaminated with any other pollution.
Beech leaves are not going to cause a pH crash by themselves, they will add humic substances which are naturally acidic but regular monitoring of the pH should help to avoid any crashes.
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Catre
October 22nd, 2012 at 11:41 pmThanks Colin. My fish are loving them already and they look a beautiful red brown in the tank light.
Riparium, GREEN SUN / Soleil Vert 