Banana Leaves?

[betta_aus]

Hi all, just moved into a new place on the weekend and found that I have a banana plant out in the garden! i have heard it mentioned quite a few times and was wondering on the best way to prepare the dried leaves for my betta? Any help would be great, wasnt sure where to put this topic under but hope this is right place! Thanks, Ben

[Mishy]

BEN!!! My best friend!!! Ok, pull off tree, (pieces of it) clean thoroughly and then dry in the sun (naturally) in a clean spot.

[betta_aus]

Thanks for the reply but is that all i have to do?? I thought i might have to boil the leaves or something first? And after they are dried i just float them on top of the water? Sorry about all the questions!!! Cheers, Ben :blush:

[Mishy]

DO NOT boil!!! Boiling it will remove the sticky substance we want... (or so I believe). I'll wait for the experts (Lilli? Stefan?) and they might shine more light onto it.. but that's how i'd treat the leaves.

[fuzzy_dragonfly]

You can make a tea from the leaves to add to the water, many concider this to be the safest method because it prevents any chance of adding infection to your tank. Either way works well for me. But placing boiled leaves in the water is not as benificial as placing unboiled dried leaves in the water because it has lost some of the chemicals which are benificial to your fish. Your better off cooling the water you boiled the leaves in an pouring that into the tank. If you dry out the leaves then pick them from young leaves because these are the 'juiciest'. The tree naturally has dried leaves you can pic straight from the tree, be sure not to pick ones that have been there for a while, if the leaf is dry but still soft and flexible this is the leaf you want, not the ones that have gone crunchy . Also banana trees have blood that severely stains clothes, be sure you have a crappy t-shirt on before you go near the plant...although you are more likely to get splattered with banana blood when you cut down the bunches it's always wise to take a bit of precaution. Oh and one last thing, try and control the banana tree population, if your on a slope they will grow downhill, we started from 4 young plants my grandfather gave us 10 years ago. Now we own our own private banana tree jungle .

[betta_aus]

CHEERS! Thanks for that reply, really helped out alot, i was actually grabbing some of the dead dry leaves which now makes me look rather stupid! Oh well, thanks again, im off to attack the banana jungle! :huh:

[fuzzy_dragonfly]

No worries , You can find out more about banana leaves from sites that deal with 'fighting' bettas. As much as I don't agree with the practice there is still alot of useful information that can be applied to our bettas. After all people that fight bettas go to alot of effort to make sure their fish is in tip top shape before the fight on top of being able to heal an injured fighter soon after a battle. I wonder if it's more difficult to breed 'fighters' then it is ornamental bettas?

[Mishy]

:blush: Thanks Fuzzy... sorry betta-aus for driving you crazy with my unhelpful advice... Sorry!

[d_golem]

What's the advantages of banana leaves as opposed to ketapang leaves? I know some ppl who got banana trees :flex:

[Mishy]

If i recall correctly, banana leaves excrete the same sticky substance as IAL, but do not release tannin to colour your water.

[fuzzy_dragonfly]

Yes banana leaves do make the water slightly brown but not to the same degree at katepang. Banana leaves don't have an advantage over katepang leaves, their uses are similar. Banana leaves can be used to treat mild infections and pop eye, it is also used to condition fighters by toughening scales but the best use for banana leaves is fin repair. I've had more sucess with banana leaf tea than melafix to help regrowth and prevent infection, very good after spawning. Just age some water, approx 4.5L, boil a few leaves in it, let the water cool and leave the fish in for a week. The water goes smelly and brown but it won't effect the fish. Katepang is better for controlling water quality, providing ideal spawning conditions and also preventing infection (from what I read).

[Chuckie]

If you dry out the leaves then pick them from young leaves because these are the 'juiciest'. The tree naturally has dried leaves you can pic straight from the tree, be sure not to pick ones that have been there for a while, if the leaf is dry but still soft and flexible this is the leaf you want, not the ones that have gone crunchy smile.gif .

Klara, when you say "dried leaves" do you mean the ones that are still green, or brown ones?

Also, what do you think is better - picking juicy ones and drying them, or picking pre-dried ones?

Thanks!

[Erren]

Yes banana leaves do make the water slightly brown but not to the same degree at katepang. 

Banana leaves don't have an advantage over katepang leaves, their uses are similar. 

Banana leaves can be used to treat mild infections and pop eye, it is also used to condition fighters by toughening scales but the best use for banana leaves is fin repair. 

I've had more sucess with banana leaf tea than melafix to help regrowth and prevent infection, very good after spawning.  Just age some water, approx 4.5L, boil a few leaves in it, let the water cool and leave the fish in for a week.  The water goes smelly and brown but it won't effect the fish.

Katepang is better for controlling water quality, providing ideal spawning conditions and also preventing infection (from what I read).

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

So, is it OK to mix Banana leaves and IAL together since they are somewhat similar but do have particular edge over the other?. Perhap my betta will become or worse die :)

[Callatya]

Its fine to mix Just keep an eye on the tannins, you don't want to drop your pH too far or too quickly. Don't toss 30 leaves into the tank at once. It probably won't kill him if you do, but it won't make him feel the best.

[marc]

I have been using dried Bannana leaf lately and have had noticeable success with its use .. I roll a loose wad of them up and use anodized aluminium bonsai wire to create a tie. The wad is more like a bow tie of banana leaf this ends up about 5 cm in dia and about 10 cm long on average with lots of frilly end bits sticking out. I store them this way until I use them. One wad will condition about 40 liters. I have had noticable improvements in the spawning tank. And I use it for conditioning all my fry tanks. I have used strips of banana leaf in the jars and this stuff works a treat. I used it to help condition the water in the pots outside. be carefull the juvie betta love to sleep in them. So don,t forget to give them a good shake out to remove any sleeping beauties prior to chucking . This stuff works suprisingly well , so katepang leaf must be really really good.

[PeterJ]

I've read that some of the Thais that fight bettas (not that I condone that sort of thing) prefer banana leaf to catappang.

[Callatya]

I've read that too. Not sure why though :? more reading needed. :betta:

[Chuckie]

apparently it toughens the scales so the attacking male inflicts less damage.