Re: New Tea

[Martha Clark <amazonqueen@comcast.net>]

 Random thoughts... no science.
 Did a google search for sassafras and toxins and got some stuff which
primarily applied to substances found in bark and roots... there is a
carcinogen there, and the FDA has banned bark/root extracts as a flavoring.
 Obviously, your extract is not immediately toxic; long-term, I'm not gonna
guess.
 Boiling bothers me sort of... one doesn't know what might be extracted which
would not by simply steeping; boiling may change the chemistry of something
which is fine not heated (technically, I guess the opposite is equally true...
but creeks seldom boil). I wonder if the best and most natural strategy (if
you're gonna play junior aquario-botonist) is  to not use a single source of
leaves... all plants have compounds designed to protect themselves, and if you
use a few of many species of leaves (each of which you can reasonably expect to
be fairly non-toxic) you might avoid over-concentrating any one toxin. That, or
rotating which leaves are used... Peat and oak leaves have been used for so
long and so successfully to add organic compounds to aquaria that I wonder why
one would need to use anything else. It would take years and generations to
demonstrate that something was probably safe, and a laboratory to prove it...

Martha

Apist-O-Rama wrote:

> Austin is in eastern TX.  Lets assume that I just boiled some sassafras
> leaves. Anyone see any problems using them in my apisto tanks?
>
> Eric
>




-------------------------------------------------------------------------
This is the apistogramma mailing list, apisto@listbox.com.
For instructions on how to subscribe or unsubscribe or get help,
email apisto-request@listbox.com. apisto-digest@listbox.com also available.
Web archives at http://lists.thekrib.com/apisto
Trading at http://blox.dropship.org/mailman/listinfo/apisto_trader