What are alder cones good for?
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The most important property of alder cones is their antibacterial effect. Alder suppositories are also said to be effective against fungi and parasites.
In addition, they color the water yellowish-brown.
Some fish species prefer this water coloring and show particularly beautiful colors in it.
Furthermore, alder cones acidify the water slightly. The degree of acidification depends on the total and carbonate hardness of the water.
Noticeable acidification occurs only in soft water. In a test with a bucket of osmosis water with a carbonate hardness of 1, the pH value fell from 7.2 to 5.5 within 2 days.
How to get Alder Cones
In addition to the possibility of collecting alder cones in the natural environment, there is also the possibility of buying them directly online. It must also be noted that alder cones are seasonally available in nature and in many areas only to a small extent. In addition to online purchases, many large aquaristic shops also stock alder cones.
What alder cones look like
Andrea Wahl / Pixabay
Although alders develop cones, they are deciduous trees. They grow in damp locations, e.g. B. at streams and ponds. They have a continuous trunk and quite thin branches.
Black alders have ovate leaves. The wide side of the leaves points towards the stem. With gray alders, the thin side points towards the stem.
The male fruits of the alder look like small sausages. The female fruits look like cones.
So alder cones are the female fruits. Its diameter measures about 1.5 cm.
Which alder cones are used
The are used mature suppository. These are the dark, dry and already cracked suppositories. These cones can be plucked from the tree or picked up from the ground. Shake the suppositories well before use so that the seeds fall out. Suppositories collected in winter are thoroughly dried. Small remnants of branches can remain on the cones if there are rasping catfish species in the aquarium that need wood in their food. The fresh green suppositories are not used.
The suppositories are not boiled before use, otherwise a large part of the effect is lost.
How many alder cones are needed
To the dosage no general information can be given about alder cones. The strength of their effect depends on the degree of ripeness and how badly the cones have been washed out by rain. The effect therefore varies greatly from year to year. The tannic acid content can vary between 1 and 5%. Therefore, four times the amount of another year may be necessary in one year. The following information can therefore only be used as a rough guide and must be supplemented with your own tests and experiences.
For an aquarium with 120 liters of water content, 1 to 3 alder cones are placed in a bucket of water the day before the water change. The water turns dark over time and looks similar to black tea. The pH drops z. from 7.9 to 6.7. This infusion is filled into the aquarium when the water is changed. This amount of alder cones makes 120 liters of water only slightly cloudy. This corresponds to a quantity of 7 to 8 suppositories in a 240 liter tank.
Common indications are 1 alder suppository in 1 liter of water or 1 alder suppository in 2 liters of water. However, this amount causes a very strong discoloration of the water. The discoloration does not harm the fish, but light-hungry plants can be harmed by reducing the light level.
However, such a high dose can be useful for the treatment of diseases. To prevent fish spawn from fungus, 3 suppositories per liter of water can be used. As soon as the fish swim freely, the cones are removed. Other aquarists put a few alder cones in the breeding tank for just one day. The water is then colored brown and the effect lasts until the fish have hatched.
1 or 2 alder suppositories per 10 or 20 liters of water result in a less severe discoloration of the water and make more sense as a starting dose. Even just 5 suppositories can turn an aquarium with a capacity of 60 liters coffee-brown.
Due to the strong coloring, it is better to start with a few suppositories. The amount is then gradually increased.
The effect of the suppository usually wears off after two to four weeks. The exact period depends on the active ingredient content of the suppositories and the hardness of the water. The effect can be over after a week. The coloring slowly fades away and the pH slowly increases. The old suppositories are removed from the aquarium as they decompose slowly. So that there are not too many suppositories in the aquarium and have to be collected, the suppositories can be hung in a small bag in the aquarium. One is enough nylon stocking or a filter bag, as offered by some manufacturers of filter material.
The water flea test
5 large glasses are filled with a mixture of tap and alder cone water. The filling quantities are:
Water fleas are placed in these glasses. If after a few hours in a glass many water fleas have died in relation to the glass with pure tap water, the mixture is too strong.
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