Cacao Pod | Theobroma cacao
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- $16.00
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- $16.00
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Product Description: The ideal hideout for aquariums and vivariums, the cacao pod (Theobroma cacao) is an ideal botanical for all ecosystems. Sourced directly from the lush forests of Sumatra, Indonesia, and Sri Lanka, these Cocoa Pods offer a unique and natural addition to your bioactive vivarium, blackwater and botanical aquariums. Unlike our other botanicals, our cocoa pods do not impact the water's tint or pH, unless you are using RODI water. Their dark black composition and rough, bumpy exterior provide the perfect hiding place and spawning site for fish like Bettas, Apistogramma, and Plecos. In the vivarium, they are ideal food sources for springtails and isopods, and great caves and resting spots for newts, frogs, and many more. Each pod is hand-selected and harvested with care to ensure the highest quality and sustainability, making our Cocoa Pods an exceptional choice for your aquarium's ecosystem. An abundance of biofilms is known to colonize these pods, so do not be alarmed if, after a couple of days, you have a lush layer of biofilms. It is recommended that you leave these biofilms alone, but if you must, you may siphon them out during your water exchange. This bag and its contents are biodegradable! Did you know our product packaging is made from renewable and sustainable sugarcane? So just like the botanicals inside, it will compost when returned to nature.
Not for Human Consumption. Preparation Required.
Quantities: Available in 1c and 4c Cacao Pods. Sizes and shapes range. This is a natural product; variation between leaves and botanicals is expected.
Aquarium Botanical Location: Sumatra, Indonesia.
Aquarium Botanical FAQs
- Please reference our Shipping and Hassle-Free Return Policy at the bottom of the screen. All Products are packaged inside sustainably sourced and renewable sugar cane fibers allowing them to be fully biodegradable and compostable. Yes, you can bury these bags in your backyard to enrich your soils.
- Please refer to our botanical preparation instructions. These Botanicals are grown and harvested in pesticide-free environments and it is recommended to use 2-3 botanical pieces per 5 gallons to start, wait 5-7 days, or for the next water exchange to then add more.
- Our aquarium and vivarium botanicals, leaves, and seed pods are not for human consumption, ever.
Commonly Asked Questions:
1) Will Botanicals Lower The pH Of My Water?
It entirely depends on your water's chemistry. Soft water will allow the botanicals to lower your pH more than if you have medium or hard water. At Betta Botanicals HQ our tap water is Very Hard, ( 350+ppm) and we do not notice a change in water pH unless using Alder Cones or Macaranga Leaves.
2) What Are The Fluffy White Growth On My Botanicals?
White growths are the colonization of biofilms and fungi. We call this the 'goo phase' and it is totally natural. Botanicals are fuel for the ecosystem and the populations of bacteria and fungi will naturally rise and fall.
3) I Don't Keep Bettas. Will These Botanicals Be Okay For My Critters?
100% yes. Our botanicals are for aquariums, terrariums, vivariums, and all natural enclosures wishing to recreate a more natural environment.
4) I Have Goldfish and Axolotls, What Botanicals Should I Avoid?
We DO NOT recommend using botanicals that these fish can ingest. Botanicals like casuarina cones, small alder cones, and live oak are not suited for these animals. Large aquarium leaves like Indian almond, loquat, and jackfruit leaf litter are preferred.
5) When Should I Replace My Aquarium Leaves?
We recommend letting aquarium leaves and seed pods entirely break down into beneficial detritus. You can absolutely remove them after they don’t release tannins anymore, you just won't get all potential benefits of leaving them in the ecosystem.
Betta Botanicals® Shipping and DOA Policies 📦
All products from Betta Botanical show live shipping rates from our preferred carriers.
- We offer FREE USA shipping on select USA orders over $35.
- All Manzanita Wood and Rasamala Borneo Roots have a $8 USA Flat Shipping fee. If you purchase botanical quantities above $35+, you will still see this $8 shipping fee reflected.
- Our Leaf Litter Lifestyle Merch is shipped directly to you from an off-site curator, and we cannot offer free shipping on these items.
- If an item has an assigned shipping $ value assigned to it, this $ value is applied even when the order total qualifies for free shipping to account for our sustainable packing material, oversized charges, and time to carefully package your products.
- For international Orders, please note that customs may impose applicable taxes and duties, which are the responsibility of the customer. If you choose not to cover these fees and decide to return your order, we'll gladly refund the product cost. However, please be aware that the shipping label cost, return shipping, and carrier admin fees will not be refunded in this case.
- Aquatic Plants ship for a flat fee of $15.99 via Express methods to the USA only. Plant orders leave our greenhouses on Tuesday (Thursday Delivery), and Thursday (Saturday Delivery). More info on our aquatic plants can be found below.
Betta Botanicals is expanding our exclusive line of botanicals globally. We proudly ship to the following countries and territories:
Canada, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Iceland, Ireland, Italy, Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Sweden, Switzerland, United Kingdom, Denmark, Greenland, Hungary, Isle of Man, Spain, Svalbard & Jan Mayen, Türkiye, Australia, Albania, U.S. Outlying Islands, and the United States of America.When Do You Ship Botanicals & Plants? 🌱🍂
Betta Botanicals Aquatic Plant Shipping Policy (All Aquatic Plants Ship Directly from H2O Plants in Plant City, FL). Some fast-growing plants may be restricted in certain states, and it is your responsibility to check your local laws before purchasing.
Blackwater Aquatic Plants Shipping Schedule- Orders placed Sunday to End of Day Tuesday ship the same week. If your order requires a Saturday delivery, and a Saturday delivery is not an option, we will hold your plants until the following week.
- Orders placed from End of Day Tuesday to Saturday ship the following week.
- You can expect your plants 1–3 days after shipment, although courier delays may occur.
Merch Orders: You can expect your merch 7-10 business days after shipment confirmation.
Shipping Fees on all Blackwater Aquarium Plants
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All aquatic plants are shipped out of our partner facility via FedEx 2-Day, or USPS Priority Mail if you have a PO Box, for a flat shipping fee of $15.99. This covers express shipping. Shipping costs are non-refundable once an order is shipped.
Blackwater Aquarium Plants DOA Policy and Procedures
DOA Guarantee
We understand concerns about ordering live plants online. Rest assured, our DOA (Dead on Arrival) policy guarantees plants will arrive alive and in good condition.
No Returns on Aquatic Plants
We do not accept returns on aquatic plants, as they typically cannot survive being shipped back.
Please feel free to contact us if you need to cancel an order. However, as a small business, the only way we can accommodate cancellations is by charging a 15% cancellation fee on the cost of the plants. If you need us to hold a package for tank issues, we will waive this fee for you.
If Your Aquatic Plants Arrive in Poor Condition
- Take photos of the unopened package within 6 hours of delivery scan of the carrier.
- Email these photos to us for evaluation at info@bettabotanicals.com.
- In some cases, we may ask you to wait a few days to see if the plant recovers—most plants are surprisingly resilient.
- Please do not discard any plants until we’ve responded to your claim.
Blackwater Aquarium Plants DOA Resolution
If a plant is confirmed DOA, we will replace it, offer a substitute, or refund it if the item is unavailable.
Pests & Algae on Naturally Grown Aquatic Plants
- Many of our non-tissue-culture plants are grown with natural tank methods (using snails, shrimp, fish, etc.).
- While we strive to remove pests before shipment, we cannot guarantee plants are 100% pest or algae-free.
- We cannot issue refunds if minor hitchhikers (snails, algae, duckweed) are found.
- For those who wish to avoid this possibility, we recommend tissue-culture plants or thoroughly cleaning plants upon arrival.
Blackwater Aquarium Plants DOA Void
Failure to provide photos of unopened, damaged plants within 6 hours of arrival will void our DOA guarantee.
Lost Package Policy for All Orders
- A package is considered lost if it has been in transit for 14 days or more with no delivery scan.
- After 14 days, we can reship your order or issue store credit. If you prefer a refund instead of reshipment/store credit, we will refund 70% of your total, retaining 30% as a fee.
- Lost package claims must be submitted within 30 days of the ship date.
- We may charge additional fees if reshipment or refunds are granted in such scenarios.
Stolen Package Policy for All Orders
- If tracking shows “delivered” but the package is missing, we’ll reship your order one time at 50% off your original checkout price.
- If you choose a refund instead of reshipment, we will retain 30% of the total as a fee, and you’ll receive 70% back.
- If a reshipped package goes missing again, we will not offer additional refunds or reships.
- Stolen package claims must be made within 48 hrs of the carrier delivery scan.
- We may charge additional fees if reshipment or refunds are granted in such scenarios.
Wrong or Incorrect Address Policy for All Orders
- Customers are responsible for providing a complete and accurate shipping address.
- If the address is incorrect and the package is delivered elsewhere, it is the customer’s responsibility to recover it.
- If undeliverable and returned to us, we reserve the right to not reship, refund, or replace items at our discretion.
- We may charge additional fees if reshipment or refunds are granted in such scenarios.
T
I love the shape and size of the cacao pod I recieved! Very pleased with it. I'm excited to use it! I may have to purchase more in the future.
One of my favorite seed pods as well. Even after it gets saturated, I find that it holds together underwater quite well! -Ben
R
As advertised. Really nice stuff from this seller. Highly recommend!
Thank you for the 5-star review of our Cacao pod! Hopefully your critters like using it as a cave. -Ben
M
I love this little (big) pod so much! It’s very cute and sits great in my tank.
Hey Morgan! A great cave for bettas and I just had my Ivanacara bimaculata spawn inside a cocoa pod last week - pro tip; when the coco pod begins to show signs of its age and lose structural support, it can be broken up into fragments to enrich your substrate :)