Why Oak Leaves?
by Bill Vannerson

There have been frequent threads over the years as to why oak leaves are preferable to other species’ leaves, especially maple leaves, for tank litter in Killie tanks. The book I'm currently reading sheds some light on the subject. The Vegetation of Wisconsin: An Ordination of Plant Communities by John T. Curtis, 1959, University Wisconsin Press, details the differences between the composition of Oak and Maple leaves and may help explain why oak leaves are more favorable to hobbyists in creating soft, acidic water and leaf litter habitats for our fish.

In describing the life cycle of the Sugar Maple, the dominant tree in the Southern Mesic Forest, Curtis notes: "Another effect of the leaves is bought about by their high content of basic nutrient elements at the time of leaf shedding. . . . the nutrients which have been pulled into the leaf by the transpiration stream during the summer remain there and are not withdrawn into the trunks as in the oaks and many other species. When the leaves are shed, they contain high levels of calcium, magnesium and potassium. The high base cont