Maintenance & Breakdown

How long do different botanicals last in the aquarium?

Breakdown timelines vary significantly by product type. General guidelines (actual rates depend on water temperature, flow, and biological activity):

  • Catappa leaves and Casuarina Needles: 2–3 weeks.
  • Guava and mango leaves: 3–4 weeks.
  • Jackfruit and Macaranga triloba leaves: 2–3 months.
  • Casuarina Cones in the filter: Several months before significant depletion.
  • Most seed pods (Mahogany, Sterculia, Cacao, Sappan Pods): Several months to over a year.
  • Ulin pods (Kalimantan ironwood): Exceptionally dense — can persist for years.
  • Coconut Husk and Coconut Half: Many months with gradual surface breakdown.
  • Roots and wood: Months to indefinitely as biofilm develops continuously over time.
  • Organic Sphagnum Peat Moss (filter bag): Replace every 6–8 weeks.

Should I remove botanicals when they start to break down?

Not necessarily — and often the opposite is true. A partially decomposed leaf or pod carries a denser biofilm community than a fresh one, making it more biologically valuable for shrimp, fry, and bottom-feeding fish. Replace botanicals when they have fully dissolved, fallen apart beyond meaningful structure, or when you observe a genuine water quality decline attributable to botanical overload. In a properly filtered, maintained aquarium, this should not occur under normal use. The look of a partially decomposed litter layer — some leaves fresh, some softening, some nearly gone — is one of the most authentic signatures of a botanical method aquarium.

What is biofilm, and is it normal to see it forming on my botanicals?

Biofilm is a thin layer of beneficial bacteria, fungi, and microorganisms that colonize the surface of botanicals in the aquarium, typically appearing within the first week or two as a light, fuzzy, or slightly opaque coating on leaves, pods, and wood. It is completely normal and desirable. Biofilm is the primary food source for shrimp — particularly newly hatched shrimp fry — and a key supplemental food for the fry of many fish species. It also signals that the aquarium’s microbial community is healthy and active. Do not remove botanicals because of biofilm. It is not algae, it is not a problem, and it will be consumed continuously by everything in the tank that can graze it.