Nipa Palm Pod | Nypa fruticans
Product Description: The Nipa Palm Pod (Nypa fruticans) is a unique botanical that comes from the mangrove palm, a species native to the brackish estuaries and tidal zones of the Indian and Pacific Oceans. Known for its distinctive globular fruit clusters, this botanical will steal the show in a botanical method aquarium or bioactive enclosure. With a robust form, it serves both as a functional component and a striking centerpiece.
The Nipa Palm, sometimes called the “mangrove palm,” is the only palm adapted to mangrove biomes. Its unique growth habit of producing flowers and fruits on stalks above mud while keeping its trunk submerged is fascinating. The pods, harvested ethically, offer a blend of ecological benefits and visual intrigue to home ecosystems.
In botanical method aquariums, Nipa Palm Pods foster the growth of biofilms, offering essential grazing surfaces for shrimp, snails, and rasping fish. As the pods gradually break down, they contribute an abundance of fibers that help to recreate a more dynamic leaf litter bed, as you'd find in nature.
In bioactive enclosures, the durable structure of these pods provides secure hiding spots for small reptiles, amphibians, and invertebrates. Their fibrous interior supports decomposition processes, providing an ongoing food source for isopods, springtails, and other clean-up crew members.
Please Note: In order to provide these to the aquarium and vivarium hobby, they must be cleaned prior to arriving at Betta Botanicals Ecosystem Garage, therefore, we cannot guarantee that they will germinate into a house plant.
Not for Human Consumption. Preparation Required.
Quantities: 1c Nipa Palm Pod. Sizes range. This is a natural product, and variation between leaves and botanicals is expected.
Aquarium Botanical Location: Sri Lanka.
Nipa Palm Pod | Nypa fruticans
Home is getting a bit more natural
While the aesthetic appeal of botanicals and tinted water can be quite attractive to us, the recreation of nature to emulate water conditions, feeding patterns, spawning displays, and territory building are the true benefits botanicals provide to our critters.
Botanical FAQs
Compostable Packaging Promise
Our packaging is designed to return safely to the Earth, just like the botanicals inside. Every bag is BPA- and Phthalate-free, GMO-free, and contains no animal products. Each meets ASTM D6400 composting standards, ensuring it can fully break down in a home compost bin.
What are the Fluffy White Growths on my Botanicals?
That’s biofilm and fungi—what we call the “goo phase.” It’s one of the clearest signs that your aquarium is alive and functioning. These growths wax and wane naturally as botanicals decompose. They’re harmless, even beneficial, and will disappear on their own once microbial populations stabilize.
Will botanicals lower the pH of my water?
That depends entirely on your source water. In very soft or RODI water, botanicals can gradually lower pH as tannins and humic substances accumulate. In medium to hard tap water, buffering capacity often resists these shifts, and you may not notice much change. At Betta Botanicals HQ, our very hard water (350+ ppm) shows almost no pH change unless we use botanicals like Alder Cones or Macaranga Leaves.
When should I replace leaves or pods in my tank?
We recommend allowing botanicals to fully break down into detritus, since this fuels microbial life and enriches the substrate. You can remove them once they stop tinting the water, but you’ll lose some of their ecological benefits. Each time you add new botanicals, follow proper preparation and observe your livestock until you learn your aquarium’s rhythm.
Are your products just for bettas?
Nope. Our botanicals are safe for almost all aquariums, terrariums, vivariums, and paludariums. The only exceptions are goldfish and axolotls, which may ingest small pods like alder cones or casuarina cones. For those species, we recommend large leaves such as Indian Almond, Loquat, or Jackfruit.
What are Tannins?
Tannins are natural compounds released by leaves, seed pods, and bark as they decompose in water. They soften water, gently lower pH, and create the characteristic tea-stained tint found in blackwater habitats. But their role goes far beyond color—tannins fuel beneficial bacteria, fungi, and biofilms, which form the foundation of a healthy ecosystem. They also offer mild antifungal benefits and help reduce stress in fish by replicating the natural conditions they’ve evolved in. At their core, tannins are plant-derived antioxidants that connect your aquarium to the same processes at work in wild flooded forests and streams.