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Re: Why we use oak leaves instead of maple leaves



>>>A Discus breeder once told me that he preferred Maple over Oak leaves because of the higher acid contents of the Maple
leaves.I'm sure he didn't know what you came across here.<<<
 
 I made an assumption that slowly deteriorating oak leaves would provide a more acidic environment than maple leaves.  I based that purely on the elements mentioned by Curtis in his text.  But his point of view was describing the impact on leaf litter in the southern mesic forests of Wisconsin, not Bill's 30 gallon aquarium in Illinois <s>.  There may be other mechanisms at work that can alter the pH of water with maple leaves.  Perhaps we should do some testing.
 
But I'm fairly sure that the base elements he cites that contribute to quick destruction on the forest floor, also contribute to quick destruction in the aquarium.
 
Bill Vannerson
McHenry, IL
http://vannerson.home.att.net/