Product Description: Establishing a thriving ecosystem in your blackwater, biotope, or botanical method aquarium starts with the foundation of detritus. This nutrient-rich organic matter fuels the entire food web, benefiting bacteria, plants, microfauna, and ultimately, the health of your fish. Our Detritus Enhancement Botanical Variety Pack is an economical solution to cultivating a lush layer of detritus from decomposed leaves, seed pods, twigs, and bark. Carefully curated with North American plants, many of which we collected ourselves, this pack includes two brimming 32 oz bags filled with our hand-picked favorites. Build your ecosystem economically and let nature flourish in your aquarium with our Detritus Enhancement Botanical Variety Pack. 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.

How to Use: We recommend beginning your journey by creating a rich detritus layer with a few items from each bag, as always adhering to 2-3 botanical pieces per 5 gallons of water. As the Oaks and Magnolia leaves break down you can replenish new ones during your water exchanges, and add in a few more twigs or alder cones.

Not for Human Consumption. Preparation Required.

Quantities: 25c Northern Red Oak, 20c White Oak, 8 Magnolia Leaves, 25 Alder Cones, 8 Alder Twigs, 50g Oak Bark, Handful of Carex Grass, and 2 generous handfuls of Texas Live Oak.  Sizes and shapes range. This is a natural product; variation between leaves and botanicals is expected.

Aquarium Botanical Location: North America

Aquarium Botanical FAQs 

1. 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. 
2. 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.
3. Our aquarium and vivarium botanicals, leaves, and seed pods are not for human consumption, ever.
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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.