Thelambu pods

Description

Thelambu pods (or Badam pods) are the dried seed pods of the finger-leaved stink tree, Sterculia foetida. It is a soft-wooded tree that can grow up to 35 meters in height. The stinkweed belongs to the mallow family and occurs naturally in India, Taiwan, Hawaii, Ghana, Australia and as far north as Southeast Asia. Other common names for the tree include Bastard Gurnard tree, Java Olive tree, Wild Almond tree, Skunk tree or Stink Mallow, due to the tree’s strong scent.

The seeds, leaves, fruits and bark as well as the oil of this tree are used medicinally.

In addition to being a natural decoration, the seeds can be used as a shelter, resting place and spawning place, but also as a food source.
It is a perfect hiding place for fish, shrimp, frogs, reptiles and even small rodents such as hamsters.

 

How do I use the pods?

Thelambu pods are possible to use in an aquarium, terrarium, etc.
While you can simply rinse your seed pods before using them, we still recommend sterilizing them before using them in an aquarium or terrarium.

Aquarium: It is possible to just put the pods into the aquarium. These pods are quite light-weight and will eventually get waterlogged and sink. However, boiling them for 45 minutes speeds up this process.
Thelambu pods are perfect for black water aquarium as well as many other setups. The pods will give the aquarium a way more natural look. They also serve as an ideal growth medium for biofilm and diatoms, both of which are key food sources to countless aquatic animal species, including shrimp and young fish.

Terrarium: You can simply place the pods loose on top of your leaf litter base. This way you give the terrarium a more realistic rainforest look. In the rainforest, the leaf litter can be several centimeters thick with many different types of seed pods scattered throughout.
Isopods and springtails use the seed pods for shelter and eventually break them down. This is all part of a healthy bioactive terrarium ecosystem. So you should regularly add more leaves and seed pods when you see them decomposing to keep a nice naturalistic terrarium.

 

Natural products such as Catappa leaves, Guava leaves, Mulberry leaves, Alder cones and Lotus pods promote fish health, color brilliance, breeding and stress reduction.
Because they are natural products, they can vary in shape and size. Each piece is unique.

How do I clean and sanitize the pods?

As said above, we recommend to sterilize them before using them in a aquarium or terrarium. To achieve this, you can microwave moist pods for 1-2 minutes, boil pods for about 5 minutes, or bake moist seed pods for about 15 – 20 minutes at 200° degrees.

Available size:

– 8 – 10 cm
– 10 – 12 cm
– 12 – 14 cm

 

Our pods are dried, so if you store them dry you can hold them for a unlimited time.

 

 

Delivered per: 1 piece
Delivery time: 1 – 3 working days*