Indian Almond Leaves [Ketapang]

[Foo Hong]

How many of you use this stuff. What have you found, and why are you using it.

next pls....:)

[Foo Hong]

looks quiet here....hello ?

Anyway, it is said that this thing imparts anti-bacterial stuff and stimulants into the water although most people I speak to cannot specify what these are.

I personally is of the opinion that the extracts of ketapan[ and maybe some other plants as well ] creates a black water environment which the bettas find 'natural' or feel comfortable. The effect indirectly makes the fish less stressful and hence they are more healthy and resistant to illness. While it has been documented that the ketapan tress has various medicinal properties[ and I do not deny this], I think the major ingredient it leaches into our betta jars is none other than tannins.

Maybe the bettas like the smell of tannins...just like we like the smell of 'air-fresheners'....<img src=icon_smile_wink.gif border=0 align=middle>

[Samuel Phan]

Hi Foo Hong,

You have listed all that is required to be mentioned leow =)

I use Ketapang leave too for all my betta and they seems to like it. =) and that keeps them healthy and strong.

Btw ... yesterday saw someone at the BKE (near Bukit Panjang exit) picking leaves ... the leaves comes from Indian Almond tree look-alike ... but dun think it gives the same effect. The leaves when dried wont give you the brownish colour ... instead it becomes more towards yellowish brown and the dried leaves are thinner.

What is your opinion on that???

With Best Regards,
Samuel Phan

quote:
looks quiet here....hello ?

Anyway, it is said that this thing imparts anti-bacterial stuff and stimulants into the water although most people I speak to cannot specify what these are.

I personally is of the opinion that the extracts of ketapan[ and maybe some other plants as well ] creates a black water environment which the bettas find 'natural' or feel comfortable. The effect indirectly makes the fish less stressful and hence they are more healthy and resistant to illness. While it has been documented that the ketapan tress has various medicinal properties[ and I do not deny this], I think the major ingredient it leaches into our betta jars is none other than tannins.

Maybe the bettas like the smell of tannins...just like we like the smell of 'air-fresheners'....<img src=icon_smile_wink.gif border=0 align=middle>




Samuel Phan **** Chiat
(Creator Of Sam's Betta Colour Rendezvous)

[Foo Hong]

There are some tress along CTE which resemble katapan. Being different, we dont know what will teh effect be.

Think that guy mistaken a donkey for a horse. And risk getting hit by a high speed car too <img src=icon_smile_evil.gif border=0 align=middle>

[Samuel Phan]

=)

quote:
There are some tress along CTE which resemble katapan. Being different, we dont know what will teh effect be.

Think that guy mistaken a donkey for a horse. And risk getting hit by a high speed car too <img src=icon_smile_evil.gif border=0 align=middle>




Samuel Phan **** Chiat
(Creator Of Sam's Betta Colour Rendezvous)

[Dr Hsu]

My 2 cents:

Ketapang is useful and seems to keep water condition steady for the bettas. Probably also inhibits fungal and possibly bacterial growth so keeps the water "clean" for longer.

Only thing I don't like about it is that it makes the color of the water brown so doesn't look so nice :)

I don't use it as a routine and only use it when I am worried about a particular fish.

Another reason is that being colored, I don't want the fish to get used to it as you will not be able to use ketapang in a show!

Regards,

Li Chieh
"Good judgement is based on experience, and much of that is based on prior bad judgement!"

[Jung]

How abt commercial black water extracts? I hesitate to chuck leaves picked from the roadside into my fish water, so I got blackwater extract (Aquamedi, I think...couple of years back) as a clean substitute. Absolutely no discernable effect. The bottle still quite full, unused. Anyone had any success with the stuff?

[Chris Yew]

I've used the Black Water extract before and they have spawn successfully in the past. My recent 4 weeks spawn, I have stopped using it and none of the spawn is successful. I'm not sure if it's due to this as many other ppl do not use either have also spawned successfully. But I'm going to try the Black Water extract on those same pairs that have failed in the previous spawn to see if there is any success.

BTW, I think the Black Water extract is the same as those leaves. Onli difference is it comes in solution form and free from bacteria. What you guys think?

Chris Yew
http://bettasonli.netfirms.com

[Foo Hong]

I used aquamedi before and found that the entire bottle does not colour the water as dark as 2 blades of ketapan. The fishes also does not 'respond' much. maybe its just dye afterall :)

The leave picked up is not 'dirty'. All u need is soften it and then lightly rub it or just rinse it like washing clothes.

[Samuel Phan]

Actually I dun even wash the leaves at all ... just pick from the roadside and dump them into the tanks for overnight water.

My neighbourhood have got the whole row of Ketapang tree ... so one time will pick 2 month supply. =)

So far no problem at all (touch wood).

Try not to pick the leaves after a rain become all the black essense would have been washed away ... also ... it can be too damp.

quote:
I used aquamedi before and found that the entire bottle does not colour the water as dark as 2 blades of ketapan. The fishes also does not 'respond' much. maybe its just dye afterall :)

The leave picked up is not 'dirty'. All u need is soften it and then lightly rub it or just rinse it like washing clothes.




Samuel Phan **** Chiat
(Creator Of Sam's Betta Colour Rendezvous)

[Chris Yew]

Didn't wash also can? But the leaves will be too dirty right? So far have not tried yet. No wonder the Aquabid selling such leaves so expensive. Maybe you can try to place some of this in Aquabid too.

Chris Yew
http://bettasonli.netfirms.com

[Samuel Phan]

Yep ... so far really din really bother to clean them before use.
Maybe just tap off the dirt on it ... that is all.

So far no problem ... maybe I am just lucky. =)

quote:
Didn't wash also can? But the leaves will be too dirty right? So far have not tried yet. No wonder the Aquabid selling such leaves so expensive. Maybe you can try to place some of this in Aquabid too.

Chris Yew
http://bettasonli.netfirms.com





Samuel Phan **** Chiat
(Creator Of Sam's Betta Colour Rendezvous)

[imported_n/a]

It is recommended that if you were to use Sea Almond leaves that you at least wash them to clean them from all the dirt. I strongly recommend that for betta, you soak the leaves in a separate container overnight. Remove the leaves and use the concentrated solution to add to your betta containers. However, if the leaves are left for more than 2 to 3 days, it may smell sourish and bad. Discard the solution as it may do more harm than good for your fishes.

Using the above method ensures the water can be kept clean and the concentration of the liquid can be monitored. Try it out.

[Chris Yew]

Must be 4D today. Our president finally started making posts! LOL! Well, that sounds like making "Green Tea" leh, haha!

Chris Yew
http://bettasonli.netfirms.com


quote:
It is recommended that if you were to use Sea Almond leaves that you at least wash them to clean them from all the dirt. I strongly recommend that for betta, you soak the leaves in a separate container overnight. Remove the leaves and use the concentrated solution to add to your betta containers. However, if the leaves are left for more than 2 to 3 days, it may smell sourish and bad. Discard the solution as it may do more harm than good for your fishes.

Using the above method ensures the water can be kept clean and the concentration of the liquid can be monitored. Try it out.

[Samuel Phan]

=) ... or the 5M toto?
Anyway ... Peter ... thanks for your advice ....
... because what I currently do is to have a 3 ft tanks for the conditioning of water ....

After every water change for the betta ... the tank will be topped up and sometimes new leaves added.

The leaves stay in the tank for as long as 3 - 4 weeks with more leave added maybe on a weekly basis.

If the water really turned sour and thus causing damage to the fish ... then i better revise my way of doing the routine.

Thanks for your advice again ...

But seems like the way I keep fish is everything try to keep it simple and natural ... so far it works. Maybe I am just lucky ...
... just keeping them in a very kampung way.

But I do think that keeping the leaves in a separate container to derive the concentrate is a good way. =)

With Best Regards,
Samuel Phan

quote:
Must be 4D today. Our president finally started making posts! LOL! Well, that sounds like making "Green Tea" leh, haha!

Chris Yew
http://bettasonli.netfirms.com


quote:
It is recommended that if you were to use Sea Almond leaves that you at least wash them to clean them from all the dirt. I strongly recommend that for betta, you soak the leaves in a separate container overnight. Remove the leaves and use the concentrated solution to add to your betta containers. However, if the leaves are left for more than 2 to 3 days, it may smell sourish and bad. Discard the solution as it may do more harm than good for your fishes.

Using the above method ensures the water can be kept clean and the concentration of the liquid can be monitored. Try it out.









Samuel Phan **** Chiat
(Creator Of Sam's Betta Colour Rendezvous)

[Foo Hong]

I find that fresh extracts seem to be well liked by bettas. Older concentrates creates some sort of mouldy stuffs in it but doesnt seem to harm the bettas. In some of my grow out tanks, leaves have been left to rot at the bottom and fishes appear OK. of cos I do not recommend same practice in jars with limited water volume. Those grow out tanks are outdoors and plants help to keep pollutants under control.

[Samuel Phan]

Hi Foo Hong,

I do that for my out door tank too ... but when they rot ... ekkk ... they are messy.

WIth Best Regards,
Samuel Phan
quote:
I find that fresh extracts seem to be well liked by bettas. Older concentrates creates some sort of mouldy stuffs in it but doesnt seem to harm the bettas. In some of my grow out tanks, leaves have been left to rot at the bottom and fishes appear OK. of cos I do not recommend same practice in jars with limited water volume. Those grow out tanks are outdoors and plants help to keep pollutants under control.




Samuel Phan **** Chiat
(Creator Of Sam's Betta Colour Rendezvous)

[imported_n/a]

What does the look-alike tree look like?

[Samuel Phan]

Follow this link to the web-site of out Mr BCS President (Chris Yew)

http://bettasonli.netfirms.com/article7.html

Will this you should be able to find the tree with little problem ... the leave is really crucial to good betta keeping.

quote:
What does the look-alike tree look like?

[imported_n/a]

Thank you. I've got the leaves, but weren't sure if they were the real thing. Only that tree's leaves turn red, right?

[Foo Hong]

It needs to be sun dried before it can leach the tannins into water. Being lazy these days, i no longer use them for jarred bettas...<img src=icon_smile_big.gif border=0 align=middle>

[Foo Hong]

For those who visited my place before and recalled a 2 ft tank of ketapan-ed water with all sorts of rotting.....what have you and of cos bettas. Water is darker than Tiger Beer, never changed since day one. The start date was soft launch of BCS last Nov. Its anniversary is coming! Fishes still kicking away.....Hmmmm Ketapan is Ok afterall.......long term!

[Foo Hong]

For those who visited my place before and recalled a 2 ft tank of ketapan-ed water with all sorts of rotting.....what have you and of cos bettas. Water is darker than Tiger Beer, never changed since day one. The start date was soft launch of BCS last Nov. Its anniversary is coming! Fishes still kicking away.....Hmmmm Ketapan is Ok afterall.......long term!

[Samuel Phan]

But you probably will have a tank of water that stinks ... right?
When you stir up the water ... you can actually smell the rotting leaves. But seems like after awhile, the water strikes an equilibrium and fishes are happy in it.

quote:
For those who visited my place before and recalled a 2 ft tank of ketapan-ed water with all sorts of rotting.....what have you and of cos bettas. Water is darker than Tiger Beer, never changed since day one. The start date was soft launch of BCS last Nov. Its anniversary is coming! Fishes still kicking away.....Hmmmm Ketapan is Ok afterall.......long term!

[Samuel Phan]

But you probably will have a tank of water that stinks ... right?
When you stir up the water ... you can actually smell the rotting leaves. But seems like after awhile, the water strikes an equilibrium and fishes are happy in it.

quote:
For those who visited my place before and recalled a 2 ft tank of ketapan-ed water with all sorts of rotting.....what have you and of cos bettas. Water is darker than Tiger Beer, never changed since day one. The start date was soft launch of BCS last Nov. Its anniversary is coming! Fishes still kicking away.....Hmmmm Ketapan is Ok afterall.......long term!

[Foo Hong]

I noticed also that fries in water treated in ketapan fair better in teh early stages. Not sure but I think it could be due to infusoria caused by the ketapan as well as the fact that it does seem to have some bacterial/mould inhibiting properties.

[Foo Hong]

I noticed also that fries in water treated in ketapan fair better in teh early stages. Not sure but I think it could be due to infusoria caused by the ketapan as well as the fact that it does seem to have some bacterial/mould inhibiting properties.

[Toh Chen Han]

Does anyone know whether there are publicly accessible ketapang trees in the Sembawang area? The nearest accessible tree I've seen is in Khatib (seen from the train), quite cloes to the MRT station.

Any help here would be much appreciated! =) Thanks

[Toh Chen Han]

Does anyone know whether there are publicly accessible ketapang trees in the Sembawang area? The nearest accessible tree I've seen is in Khatib (seen from the train), quite cloes to the MRT station.

Any help here would be much appreciated! =) Thanks

[Sebas]

whenever i am outside, and i see some dry leaves that look like ketapan, will just pick them up and *sniff*. They have this distinct fragrance. Oh anyway, people looking for these leaves, there are loads of them in Seletar farmways, just walk and explore.

[Sebas]

whenever i am outside, and i see some dry leaves that look like ketapan, will just pick them up and *sniff*. They have this distinct fragrance. Oh anyway, people looking for these leaves, there are loads of them in Seletar farmways, just walk and explore.

[Toh Chen Han]

Yup...seen many trees arounds about straits....some are deep in the bushy areas and don't look accessible (and the 'Government land - trespassers will by chained and lynched' sign doesn't help). Also saw some nice large trees in some of the aquarium compounds. Last time i picked the leaves that fell outside the fence! =)

[Toh Chen Han]

Yup...seen many trees arounds about straits....some are deep in the bushy areas and don't look accessible (and the 'Government land - trespassers will by chained and lynched' sign doesn't help). Also saw some nice large trees in some of the aquarium compounds. Last time i picked the leaves that fell outside the fence! =)

[Foo Hong]

upper seletar reservoir has some large trees. clean except you check if the training alsatians pee there!

[Foo Hong]

upper seletar reservoir has some large trees. clean except you check if the training alsatians pee there!