Almond Leaves and Alder Cones

Hello I was reading online and the site said Almond Leaves and Alder Cones should be put in the tank when breeding bristlenose. I have a few questions and I hope you all can help

What do they do?
Do I just drop a few in the tank?
Do the fish eat them? As I think the leaves will float
How long should they be left in the tank?

Thanks for any help

hi macks, the tannic acid in alder cones can help stop fungal attack on any eggs that may have been kicked out of the cave, so they are like water conditioners.

almond leaves have anti bacterial properties, this, obviously, can stop bacterial infections, they also stimulate breeding, stimulate the natural environment of the fish and can harden the fishes scales which can help stop skin disease.

I have not used alder cones or almond leaves yet as i am currently not breeding BNs, although i think that people mainly just drop a couple of alder cones/ almond leaves in.

if you buy dried almond leaves they should sink

as for how long they are left in the tank, i think a few days should have released enough toxins into the water, i think people do leave them in for longer but i am not sure on this.

Hope this helps

James




PS: I would like any experienced breeders to confirm this,

Common BN's will breed quite happily without them.

i agree with Jim, alder cones and almond leaves are just helpful, they are not absolutely essential