Aquatic Arts Buddha / Nut Pods — Dried Botanicals
- Low stock - 8 items left
- Backordered, shipping soon
Bring the natural beauty of the forest floor to your aquarium or terrarium with Aquatic Arts Buddha / Nut Pods, stunning dried botanicals that add structure, texture, and balance to any aquascape. Each pod’s unique, rounded shape creates natural hiding spots for shrimp and fry while providing an excellent surface for biofilm growth and microfauna activity.
These versatile pods are available in two forms to suit your setup:
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Dried Pods: Classic, long-lasting, and ideal for custom preparation. Simply boil or soak before use to help them sink and release tannins naturally.
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Plop & Drop Pods (Pre-Seasoned): Fully prepared, pre-soaked, and ready to use right out of the bag. Each pod has been expertly conditioned to remove buoyancy and is pre-seasoned for immediate use in your aquarium—no boiling required.
For the safety and freshness of our pre-soaked botanicals, Plop & Drop Pods ship via UPS 2nd Day Air. If ordered alongside live fish or invertebrates, your shipment will automatically upgrade to UPS Next Day Air for safe combined delivery.
Features We Love:
• Two Options, One Purpose: Choose from dried pods or convenient Plop & Drop pre-soaked pods for instant setup.
• Biofilm-Friendly Texture: Supports natural grazing for shrimp, snails, and other microfauna.
• Natural Shelter: Perfect hiding spaces for shrimp, fry, and small fish.
• Earthy Aesthetic: Adds organic tone and texture to botanical and planted aquariums.
Usage:
For dried pods, boil or soak in dechlorinated water for 30–60 minutes to help them sink and reduce tannins before use.
For Plop & Drop pods, simply rinse gently and place directly into your aquarium, paludarium, or terrarium. They’re fully conditioned, sink immediately, and begin releasing natural tannins for a warm, organic appearance.
Each pod lasts several months, slowly softening over time while enriching your aquarium’s ecosystem with beneficial microfauna and subtle natural tannins.
Ideal For:
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Shrimp, Crayfish and snail tanks that benefit from biofilm and natural microhabitats
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Botanical-style and blackwater aquariums seeking authentic detail
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Breeding tanks where fry need shelter and soft water conditions
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Terrariums and paludariums for natural, humidity-holding décor
ARTS in Action:
Aquascaping: Adds form, texture, and a touch of wilderness to every tank.
Responsibility: Naturally sourced and prepared without chemicals or additives.
Thriving Life: Encourages natural grazing and promotes balanced ecosystems.
Storytelling: Each pod tells the story of nature’s design—artfully preserved for your aquarium.
Add natural character and instant balance to your aquascape with Aquatic Arts Buddha / Nut Pods — available dried or in “Plop & Drop” pre-seasoned form for effortless beauty.
What are Buddha / Nut Pods used for in aquariums?
They’re used as both structure and enrichment. These pods create natural hiding places, grazing surfaces, and shelter, especially for shrimp, snails, and small fish. Over time, they also support biofilm growth.
Are Buddha / Nut Pods mainly decorative, or do they serve a purpose?
They absolutely serve a purpose. While they look great in natural aquascapes, their real value is functional—providing cover, breaking up sight lines, and creating micro-habitats animals naturally gravitate toward.
Which animals use these pods the most?
Shrimp and snails use them constantly. Shrimp will graze along the surface and inside openings, while snails often rest on or beneath them. Small bottom-dwelling fish also use them as shelter.
Will Buddha / Nut Pods affect water parameters?
They may release a small amount of tannins over time, which can slightly tint the water. The effect is usually mild and gradual, especially compared to leaves or bark.
Do I need to boil or soak the pods before adding them?
Soaking is recommended. Buddha Pods are dense and may float at first. A soak helps them sink faster and rinses away dust. Boiling is optional if you want immediate sinking or quicker tannin release.
How long do Buddha / Nut Pods last in the tank?
They’re fairly long-lasting. Unlike leaves, these pods break down slowly and can remain in the aquarium for months, gradually softening while still holding their shape.
Can I leave the pods in as they age and soften?
Yes. Aging pods are part of the benefit. As they soften, they become even more attractive grazing areas for shrimp and micro-life. They only need removal if they fully collapse or you want to refresh the layout.
Are Buddha / Nut Pods safe for planted aquariums?
Yes. They won’t harm plants. Many planted tank keepers use them to add contrast and natural structure without interfering with plant growth.
How many pods should I add to my tank?
A little goes a long way. One pod in a nano tank or a few spread out in larger aquariums is usually enough. You can always add more once you see how your animals interact with them.
Who are Buddha / Nut Pods best suited for?
They’re perfect for shrimp keepers, natural-style aquascapes, and anyone who enjoys watching subtle behavior. If you like habitat enrichment that works quietly in the background, these pods are a great choice.
For the safety of our animals, we only ship live fish, crabs, and select other inverts exclusively via UPS 1 Day Air. If your order contains this item, you will only see UPS 1 Day Air as a shipping option during checkout. If other items are in your cart that can ship with 2 day or standard shipping options the only shipping method you can still select is UPS 1 Day Air.
UPS 1 Day is a description of the duration of time a shipment will spend in transit once it has been shipped. This does not guarantee the package will be shipped the same or next day from which the order was placed.
Shipping Schedule for this service
Current Handling Time:
1-9 business days
Here at Aquatic Arts, we consider the welfare of the live animals we are shipping to be of the foremost importance. This process is much more involved than simply creating a shipping label and affixing it to a box. Depending on the order, it takes from 4 to 7 people to complete this process properly. We check the weather conditions here where they fly out of the Indianapolis UPS facility and the destination for each shipment. We start early each morning and go through a multi-step process to have the day's shipments prepared in time for the UPS pickup. The volume of orders in our system also affects the processing time. Therefore our stated handling time is 1-9 business days.
Shipping Rate
Pricing is by size of package needed to fill entire order and distance it must travel. It will be calculated at checkout.
