leaves for shrimps

Hi everyone. I can be impatient sometimes and was wondering of a way to collect leaves before the fall season. its it possible to collect green(live) leaves and dry them out in a dehydrator and them use them? or is it just best to wait for the fall season.

Also, does anyone know of what kind of mulberry leaves to Tantora uses? Because I realized I have a mulberry tree and would like to make use of the leaves as well. Probably will still try the leaves out either way.

Thanks.

Oak leaves are best to collect in the spring and the fall. I collect a bunch and have some on hand to last me all year. Go to anywhere that has a ton of oaks and there should still be some on the ground. Not as good as freshly dropped leaves. For oaks, I wouldnt pick them off the branches. Just recently fallen ones.

Any mulberry tree is good. I just soak them in hot water from the sink and them keep them in a bag and throw them in the tank as is.

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checkie_check wrote:

Also, does anyone know of what kind of mulberry leaves to Tantora uses? Because I realized I have a mulberry tree and would like to make use of the leaves as well. Probably will still try the leaves out either way.

Tantora says:

"These mulberry leaves are grown as food for silkworms"

Wikipedia says:

"The white mulberry is widely cultivated to feed the silkworms employed in the commercial production of silk."

So I deduce that Tantora is selling leaves from white mulberry. What we have in Minnesota is mostly also white mulberry (an exotic species) or a hybrid between white and the native red. So... sounds like you're in business!

Yeah I boiled the leaves for 10 min and then threw one in the tank. They didn't go after it much, but after two days they are actually eating it.
Same goes for the snail.
I have been drying some in the sun. So I will compare how the dry is to the boiled fresh one.

should I also boil the dry ones before putting them in? or can i just throw in the dry one?

What are the leaves for? Food?

kretty wrote:

What are the leaves for? Food?

Yep. a good source of trace minerals and vitamins.

My neighbor has a large Mulberry tree. I do not wish to dry leaves either so I was thinking of going over and hacking down a large limb and hanging it in the garage for a few weeks. That should dry them out just fine. Try to get leaves off trees and not off the ground where you could get into possible contaminants/mold.