Product Selection & Usage

What is the difference between Catappa, Guava, Jackfruit, and other leaves?

Each leaf species has a different decomposition rate, tannin profile, and biofilm character:

  • Catappa (Terminalia catappa): Fastest breakdown, 2–3 weeks. Highest, most visible tannin output. The amber tint most associated with blackwater aquariums.
  • Guava: Firm and slower, 3–4 weeks. Steady moderate tannins. Excellent structural base layer beneath faster catappa.
  • Mango: Medium rate, warm amber profile. Adds color variation and litter diversity alongside catappa and guava.
  • Jackfruit: Slowest, 2–3 months before significant softening. Ideal as a permanent base layer beneath faster-decomposing leaves.
  • Macaranga triloba: Slow to moderate. Large, multi-lobed form. Strong Borneo biotope identity; persistent, dense biofilm on the leaf underside.
  • Longan, Jambolan, Cacao, Mangrove: Medium rates. Each adds visual and chemical diversity for a more authentic, layered litter profile.
  • Kelakai / Climbing Swamp Fern: Very slow, months. A Borneo peat swamp specialty. Firm fronds that fish actively investigate and use for cover.

When should I use pods versus leaves?

Leaves are the primary chemistry and biofilm layer of the botanical aquarium and require regular replacement as part of the maintenance rhythm. Pods are structural items: longer-lasting, denser, and focused on territory definition, shelter, and persistent biofilm surfaces rather than water chemistry output. Use pods to define the spatial structure of the substrate — as territory anchors for dwarf cichlids, patrol reference points for wild bettas, or visual hardscape that gives the aquarium floor its three-dimensional character. A complete botanical aquarium uses both: leaves for chemistry and biofilm cycling, pods for lasting structural identity.

Which products are best for cave-breeding fish like Apistogramma or cave-spawning bettas?

The Coconut Half is the primary spawning structure for cave-breeding species — half a coconut shell placed opening-down creates the enclosed dome ceiling that female Apistogramma and cave-breeding wild bettas investigate and select instinctively for spawning. Sterculia Pods placed opening-side-down provide smaller secondary cave options for subordinate females or other small fish. Mahogany Pod Sections define the surrounding territory as durable patrol reference points for the male. For water chemistry, combine Catappa and Guava leaves to produce the amber, tannin-rich gallery forest stream conditions that Apistogramma breeding behavior responds to. Adding Organic Sphagnum Peat Moss to the filter provides the deeper water softening that supports spawning readiness.