# Alternatives to Leaf Litter for Blackwater Crypts



## Trail_Mix (Nov 12, 2011)

So for those Crypts that prefer growing in leaf litter, I was wondering, since I don't have access to beech leaves or anything, would sphagnum peat moss, sphagnum moss, coconut coir, crushed IAL, or even peat granules be a decent substitution? I'm thinking the sphagnum moss, coconut coir, or the IAL would work the best, but idunno. It seems a lot of people use peat granules in their emersed pots, or sphagnum peat moss mixed with topsoil or potting soil, but whatever I use, I'll definitely be mixing it with some other things to bring up the pH a little. Just wondering for future reference what the best way to go is. Also, I'm curious as to the long-term pH buffering capabilities of these different materials if anyone knows anything about that.


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## JeffyFunk (Apr 6, 2006)

No. I believe you can find the original paper that was published on the crypt pages and it says that peat was unsuccessful. Not sure about coir, but I doubt it.

To quote from the original publication by Niels Jacobsen:



> I have seen these Cryptocoryne species grow in the rivers in Southeast Asia and have spent many hours trying to find a method that would duplicate the tropical rain forest conditions and still be suitable for aquarium-like circumstances, but with only limited success. I have tried soft water, acid water, nutrients, iron, a whole number of soil types including peat, different light types, shade, sunlight, and many, many other things. I have tried to put dead leaves from the trees in the greenhouse in the tanks, but also without success.
> 
> .... It seems that using soil made of decayed leaves of Beech can substitute/make up for the soil types found in the tropical rain forests.
> 
> .... One of my ideas in using this humus rich Beech leaf-mould was that it probably contained a number of organic acids and tannins that might be beneficial/essential to the lowland rain forest inhabitants. A number of the tropical rain forests actually have a deep substratum made up of leaf-peat which is very acid because of the various tannin-acids and other substances that make the conditions very acid, thereby hindering the decomposition of the leaves; a situation comparable to e.g. the North European peat-moss bigs, except that here there is not such high contents of tannin acids...


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## asukawashere (Mar 11, 2009)

I don't think there's anything particularly special about beech leaves-the ultimate purpose of the leaf litter is to provide tannins, after all. Any plant matter rich in tannins should suffice as an additive-almond leaves, oak leaves/bark, bark/cones/needles of most conifers, grape leaves, dried Rumex roots, crushed nutshells (especially acorns, walnut, butternut, or hazelnut), etc. Or even buy a cheap box of black tea and open up a few bags to add to your substrate. I can't say a lot on the relative durability of any of the above (except that bark and nutshells do tend to take much longer to break down than leaves, naturally), but there are plenty of materials you can work with.

I'd suggest mixing a few of the above to provide a mix of tannins. I don't think adding alkaline buffers will help, really (the pH for blackwater crypts in the wild is often in the 4.5-5.5 or below range, from what I've read-scroll down to the bottom of that link for a wild crypt pH reference).

To the Jacobson article's point, adding a handful of leaves isn't likely to cut it. The greatest tannin levels are leeched from partially decomposed materials.

Personally speaking, when I've got particularly acid-loving plants, I usually pot them in a mix of leaf litter, crushed walnut shells, and earthworm castings obtained from around the feet of the walnut trees in my backyard. That's for emersed culture, though, and it's probably too messy for submersed applications.

As for the coir, I've read that it's often washed to remove things like tannins... so probably not a good source for your crypts.


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## mythin (Sep 2, 2007)

I bought some of this which adds what leaflitter is supposed to add, Ive noticed my rotala's are getting more red, and my crypt nurii has gotten rosenvig style veining now.


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## MissileBear (Feb 28, 2013)

I have had trouble with many blackwater species; a mix of peat and aquasoil has sufficed to keep some alive. My beech mold has only been sitting since November...with luck it will be ready by Jan.


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