Indian Almond Leaf / Ketapang Leaf /

INTRODUCTION
indian almond leaves have been a long kept secret of breeders of bettas in south asia. it was long ago noticed that fish that lived in the waters next to indian almond trees (the leaves of which would fall naturally into the waters) were found to be healthier and more vibrant than their counterparts. it was surmised that if one were to introduce the leaves into aquariums one could achieve similar conditions as found in the fishes natural enviroment. the leaves were found to help keep their fish healthy with strong anti-bacterial properties and promote breeding. the dried leaves act as a "black water extract" which gradually turns the water brown like tea and effectively reduces the ph levels in water, releasing organic compounds such as humic acids, flavanoids (quercetin and kamferol) and tannins (s. a. punicalin, punicalagin and tercatein) into the water which absorb harmful chemicals. other fish known to benefit from indian almond leaf use include baby discus, dwarf chiclids, killi fish, rasboras, catfish and black water tetras.
tannins, by the way are described by horvath (1981) as "any phenolic compound of sufficiently high molecular weight containing sufficiant hydroxyls and other suitable groups (ie. carboxyls) to form effectively strong complexes with protein and other macromolecules under the particular enviromental conditions being studied."

from an article by chris yew (www.siamsbestbettas.com)
"What is Humic Acid? Is it a mixture of several organic acids? Humic acids are a complex mixture of partially "decomposed" and otherwise transformed organic materials. The freshwater humic acids can come from a variety of sources, most of which are on land (decomposing terrestrial vegetation.) These substances wash into lakes and rivers, undergoing further transformations along the way, and ultimately into the ocean.
Humic acid contains Sulfur, Nitrogen and Phosphorus in varying amounts. It also contains metals such as Ca, Mg, Cu, Zn etc. which can be 'chelated' in some undefined way. Humic acid can be broken down into two groups based on the polarity and size of the individual 'compounds'.
The smaller, more polar fraction is generally termed fulvic acid and the larger, more non-polar fraction is generally termed humic acid. Humic acids are the end product of microbial degradation of plant and animal debris and are one of the most important constituents of fertile soils.
Tannins, lignins and fulvic acids are sub classes of humic acids. They all tint the water yellow.
Tannic and humic acids may be useful for inhibiting many types of bacteria including cyano-bacteria and are fairly benign for your fish.
Another paradoxical effect of humic acids is the detoxification of heavy metals. Humic material and detritus in the aquarium also rapidly absorb and detoxify many chemicals including zinc, aluminum and copper! One might expect them to be made more, not less toxic by humic acids, but the studies seem to indicate a detoxifying effect.
Also important to know: The harder the water the more ineffective the humic acids - - - more exactly: the dissolved lime in the water produces undissolvable calcium humates. So, the higher the water hardness, the higher must be the supply of humates in order to achieve an acidifying effect. The softer the water, the less humates are needed and the better the effect. It creates a natural environment similar to that of the lakes in the tropical rainforest and some area of the Amazon River. It also induces spawning for most soft water and acid loving fishes"

INDIAN ALMOND LEAF, THE TREE
terminalia catappa l. (scientific name)
common names:
badamier, java almond, amandier de cayenne, tropical almond, wild almond, indian almond, myrobalan, malabar almond, singapore almond, ketapang, huu kwang, sea almond, kobateishi, west indian almond, amandel huu kwang.
family: combretaceae (combretum family).
tropical almond trees are large deciduous trees that thrive as ornamentals tree in many tropical cities around the world. originally from india, it grows up to 90 feet tall with horizontal whorls of branches offering clusters of foot long, obovate leaves that turn pink-red to red-yellow before falling. the greenish-white female and male flowers are on the same tree and are inconspicious. it has large (2-3 inch) nutty fruits very similar in taste to commercially grown almonds.
hardiness: usda zones 9 thru 11
propagation: seeds
culture: full sun, moist, well drained soil. has salt and drought tolerance but should be planted in frost free areas.
tropical almond tree can be grown in a container where it's size can be controlled for many years.

TRADITIONAL MEDICINAL USES
leaves, bark and nutty fruits of tree have been used in various ways around the world;
- to cure dysentry (south east asia)
- dressing of rheumatic joints (indonesia)
- asthma, stop bleeding during tooth extraction, travel nausea (mexico)
- leprosy, headaches, rheumatism, scabies, skin diseases (india)
- to get rid of internal parasites (philippines)
- treat eye problems, coughs, rheumatism, wound dressing, diarrhea (samoa)
- treat liver diseases (taiwan)
- colic (south america)
- scabies (pakistan)
- fever and dysentry (brazil)
modern research has identified some properties that could treat high blood pressure.
the leaves contain agents for chemo-prevention of cancer and probably have anticarciogenic properties.
the kernel of indian almond leaf has shown aphrodisiac activity; it can probably be used in treatment of some forms of sexual inadequacies (premature ejaculation).
ethanol extract of the leaves have shown potential in treatment of sickle cell disorders.
the indian almond tree also produces a substance in it's leaves and sap that defends against insect parasites.

USE IN BREEDING
south asian breeders will use dried indian almond leaves in their breeding tank as it's ph lowering properties mean less water changes are needed in the crucial first few weeks of the frys life. i was also told that by heavily treating breeding tank water with IAL you could increase the ratio of male to female substantially. i tested this theory during my last two spawns and can say that any increase in male to female ratios was almost non existent. still, i have heard from people i respect that it is indeed true. see for yourself. as well, the leaf promotes an increase in breeding frequency in your adults and improves health and vitality in newborn fry. it is suggested you replace leaves every two or three weeks until the fry are 3 to 4 months old. males love to build bubble nests under floating almond leaves and females will find refuge under a submerged leaf as well. the water becomes brownish and simulates their natural habitat.

TREATING SICK FISH
indian almond leaf has been used to cure sick fish of bacterial infections and to help speed up healing of damaged fins or body injuries. it should be noted that indian almond leaf is an alternative to commercially produced medicines but it's not a magic "cure-all", especially when dealing with diseases like dropsy, velvet etc. think of it as more of a preventative medicine. we have set up an indian almond leaf "betta spa" tank that all our fish spend some time in once a month.
if you choose to use indian almond leaf as a medicine you should be prepared to keep your fish in the tank for 10 - 14 days, avoid direct sunlight, keep the water temperature around 70 -82 degrees f. and feed live food preferably, to achieve desired results.

CONDITIONING FIGHTERS
traditionally, breeders of "fighting" plakats have used almond leaf to condition their fish. fry that have grown up in a community tank often have "softer" skin and scales are not smooth or slippery enough to tolerate hard biting from a sharp toothed opponent. indian almond leaf is used to harden and coat the skin and scales. the plakat is placed in a clay pot filled with clean and aged water along with a leaf for at least 7 days. the betta is fed live food once a day and is kept in a dark and quiet place. afterwards, you will find you betta to be lively, with bright colouration, strength and full fins. this technique can be used sucessfully to cure sick fish and help grow back fins of any betta.

PRECAUTIONS
betta breeders who choose to use indian almond leaf exclusively should be aware that bettas that have been raised with indian almond leaf treated water might not be able to adapt to aged tap water once sold to someone unaware. it's always important to know how any betta you plan to buy has been raised and as a breeder you should inform prospective buyers as well. excessive use of indian almond leaf also contributes to very acidic water conditions and lowers ph levels too much in some instances.

WHERE TO GET?
indian almond leaf can be found for sale on various betta websites as well as aquabid. of course if you live in south east asia you can pick it off the street as it's found everywhere. it is recommended that you wash dried leaves in water before placing in tanks and replace after 1 to 2 weeks. you can now get it in a teabag form as well.






Almond Leaf
The poor man’s water conditioner

by S. N. Nagendra
of India
Aquarticles

Quite often we tend to neglect the quality of water provided for fish in containment. Disasters with aquariums happen mainly because of poor water standards. For the better aquarists there are products commercially available to improve water conditions. But the majority of us end up buying either low grade stuff OR pay very high to get better products. But, here lies a simple way of enhancing your water parameters by using a leaf of the Great Indian Almond Tree…

Like our good friend Aditya said: Take care of the water; the fish will take care of themselves.

Benefits of almond tree leaf:
The (wild) Sea Almond tree (Terminalia catappa) produces a poison in its leaves and sap to defend against insect parasites. Even the dried leaves contain this chemical substance. These leaves when put into water release anti-bacterial substances into the water. The colour of the water also turns to brown gradually thereby creating an environment of black water.

Almond leaves actually release organic acids like humic and tannins. This lowers the pH. They help to absorb harmful chemicals and thus create a soothing and calm environment for the fish.

Availability:
These are available in almost all cities in India. The plants are seen in most residential areas and dry leaves are a plentiful to pick. In Bangalore, you can see them around Lalbagh and Cubbon Park areas.

In Singapore, they are sold at $1 per leaf!! (Where they can be bought via the Internet - ed.)

Usage/Dosage:
Almond leaves are particularly suitable for sensitive soft water fishes baby discus, dwarf cichlids, rare bettas and all black water tetras, rasboras and catfishes. They are not suitable for hard water fishes such as African cichlids.

The dried leaves are ideal for reducing fish loss due to bacterial disease, and for keeping sensitive species.

Add one leaf per 50 litres of water for all fishes under medication, or one leaf for a 3 feet standard aquarium for general maintenance.

The fishes will be rejuvenated with improved vitality.

Various parts of almond trees are also used in traditional medicine practices throughout S.E. Asia and India.

Duration:
Depending on the condition of the leaf; it can be in there as long as two weeks. If leaves deteriorate by breaking or tearing, or start withering, remove the leaf immediately and replace with another.

Another important thing is that using almond leaves regularly also helps in spawning activities in fishes!!