Banana Stems Aquarium Litter

Suckers, shoots originating from lateral buds on the rhizome of banana tree where fruit develops.

Those stems are by far our favourite shrimp tank addition. The way they decay is fascinating to observe, and while shrimps graze on them, the banana stems will persist for a month or two before needing to be replaced if any remain. It's an excellent source of biofilm and a food supply for all kind of shrims and tiny bacteria like infusoria.

Boil all botanicals for 60 minutes to remove germs, dirt, and debris. Allow your botanicals to soak in dechlorinated, ro or aquarium water overnight before placing them in the aquarium.

You can use the soaking water as dark extract since it contains a descent amount of beneficial tanins.