Description
The Jackfruit tree (Artocarpus heterophyllus) is widely known in some parts of the tropical world, and has been consumed as a food and used in traditional medicines for centuries.
They have been used by fish keepers in India to impart tannins into their aquarium water, much in the way Catappa, Guava, or other leaves are.
Jackfruit contains phytonutrients, such as lignans, isoflavones, and saponins that have health benefits that are wide ranging for humans. There is some conflicting data regarding jackfruit’s antifungal activity. However, the leaves are thought to exhibit a broad spectrum of antibacterial activity. In traditional medicine, these leaves are used to help heal wounds as well. Do these properties transfer over to our fishes and shrimp? We are not aware of any scientific studies that have been completed to correlate one way or another, so for now, we’re content to utilize these leaves for their aesthetics- and proven ability to impart a tannin tint into aquarium water!
These are nicely-shaped, high quality leaves that bring a very nice “tropical” aesthetic to the aquarium, as well as that tint we love so much around here! They will last a pretty long time- not quite as long as Mangrove, but longer than Catappa and Guava, in our experience. They will recruit biofilms on their surfaces, which ornamental shrimp love to feed on- as well as consuming the leaves themselves as they soften. They look great either on their own, or as a component of a mixed leaf litter bed in your aquarium!
Add these leaves gradually to your aquarium, at a rate of just a couple of leaves for each 10 gallons of aquarium capacity, so that you can gauge for yourself the impact they have on your water. Although these leave may come in a bit “crispy” (i.e.; dry and brittle), they seem to soften up nicely upon immersion, and this doesn’t impact their “performance”, in our experience.
