These organic, hand-picked leaves are the perfect addition to your aquarium. They may not be on the top of your shopping list now, but they are about to be. Catappa Leaves are actually one of the most hardworking vegetation in your tank, providing a whole slew of benefits for fishes, shrimps, frogs and even snails. Catappa Leaves are rich in tannin and humic acids that are the right pH level for soft water and blackwater fishes. It creates the right environment for sick fishes to heal and for healthy fishes to thrive and breed. When soft, the leaves also provide a diet supplement and snails, shrimp and fishes have been known to occasionally take a nibble on these leaves to keep themselves healthy. The leaves also form makeshift shelters for fishes to sleep under and are great nests for their eggs to latch onto. Always rinse before use, even after boiling or soaking. By the way, a "post-boil soak" in fresh water with a bag of activated carbon is a recommended step too. Although we obtain our products from sources known to be free of pollution, impurities, you can never be too careful, and the extra step is worthwhile, in our opinion.