Alder cones are the catkins of black alder trees (Alnus glutinosa). These trees naturally occur in Europe but are also an introduced species in many parts of the United Stated and Canada. Alder cones look somewhat like tiny pine cones and turn their typical brown colour during Autumn. They contain the alder tree's seeds and can be picked from the tree or collected from the ground.
Alder cones have natural antibacterial and antifungal properties. This already makes them a great addition to consider for your system), but there is more. The cones are also appreciated as foraging grounds, as they offer a great place for biofilm to grow and can be eaten by the shrimp when they start to break down. They also make great hiding places for fry and help to gently lower pH if needed.
SIZE: They're about (2.5-3cm) in diameter on average, These cones will leach lots of tannins into the water. In our opinion one of the best products to stain your water nice and dark.
PREPARATION: You need to boil Alder cones for at least an hour (sometimes a bit more) to really saturate them, because they do float like mad when first immersed.
ORIGIN: Native to Europe and Northern America (Sourced locally)
All our Australian Botanicals are pest and pollution free and are organically sourced.
NOTE: These are a natural product, and display variation in colour, size, and texture. Each pod is unique! The photo serves as a reasonable representation of what to expect.
All of our aquatic botanicals are intended for ornamental aquarium or terrarium use only. Please use common sense and take the time to boil or soak all botanicals prior to using them, to reduce the possibility of problems. All our botanicals have been tried and tested, in saying that though go slow when introducing any botanicals into your systems, so you can judge the effect they have on your fishes and plants. They are not intended for human consumption. DO NOT INGEST!
NOT INTENDED FOR HUMAN CONSUMPTION