Mangroves, how much to add?

[DrHarryLopez]

Read a few articles on the Red & Black mangroves and how they export nutrients out of the water and how they filter out the saltwater and the such. Now I came across an article that states that in order for the mangrove plant to be used effectively in the home aquaria you need ALOT OF THEM!! The article did not state how much or how many to use. Just the care and locale of the mangroves and how it is being introduced to the home aquaria.
My question is How much or how many mangroves do you add to your setup. Is there a calculation for this? Do you just add 10-20 or more and go on your way. Anyone?

[phuzzykins]

I recall that it's 1 mangrove plant per 1 or 2 gallons of water volume... I think I got that from nineball's thread in the Large Reef Tanks forum.

[zachfishman]

Yeah, mangroves are more for aesthetics than filtering efficiency.

[Scuba Steve]

Thats good to know.

[thebanker]

Yeah, mangroves are more for aesthetics than filtering efficiency.

So they're basically a gimmicky item?

[KafudaFish]

Think about how much biomass of cheato can grow in two weeks time vs. a mangrove.

[t4zalews]

there really is no use for mangroves? thats disappointing, I wanted to start growing some...is there any type of beneficial bacteria or something that is worth growing them

[thebanker]

I don't think they're all that appealing visually - at least how most people have them set up. If you had a really cool custom in-home build with a mangrove trough that was illuminated by natural sunlight, that would be cool. But most of the mangrove set ups I've seen look like a bunch of sticks with a shop light.

[Sharpie_]

there really is no use for mangroves? thats disappointing, I wanted to start growing some...is there any type of beneficial bacteria or something that is worth growing them

If you want to grow them, grow them. Nothing is wrong with them but there is better, so if you want to... then why not?

[ingtar_shinowa]

+1 they are kinda neat i think but chaeto is the 'industry standard' for nutrient export lol

[phuzzykins]

A tidal mangrove display refugium would be really interesting and different, but I don't see much point in sticking a few mangrove plants in your sump. They won't export enough nutrients to really make a difference, and it's hard to appreciate their aesthetic appeal when they're tucked in between your skimmer and return pump.

[j.p. harrington]

its been an extremely long time ago but i did see a system that i believe was on here to where they pump there water outside there home into a huge brute trought that had hundreds of mangroves in it. i think it was in like a lil greenhouse type shelter but had the natural sunlight growing them. i also believe this was there only form of filtration but we are talking about major opereation here with running plumbing throught the walls and out to the otherside.

[clownfreak]

Mangroves can be a beneficial nutrient export, but typically are not as efficient as cheato. Mangroves also need to have their leaves wiped off daily to remove salt.

[KafudaFish]

Question or thought:

We all state that cheato is for nutrient export because we harvest and remove it from the system but with mangroves are the nutrients really being exported or are they being bound in the tree's tissue making them unavailable to the algae?

[greenbean36191]

They're mainly being bound in tissue. In older trees you can export the sacrificial leaves as well, but the amount of nutrients you actually remove that way is minimal.

Functionally, it makes no difference whether the nutrients are bound or completely exported so long as any bound nutrients aren't re-released. Unless you allow the leaves to fall back into the tank and rot or let the entire tree die and rot in the tank, that's not an issue.

[jeffkeith_us]

Dear Dr. Lopez, I would to see detailed photos of your aquarium system. Just plumb a polypropylene planter box into your system and locate the planter in an area of natural light (window, solar tube. atrium, ect). I would use a black or green polypropylene planter, an elevated Wal-Mart type fish pond or just a 5 gallon bucket. Which ever way you want to go.
You'll want a thick stand of trees while they are young, then thin that out as they grow. The sets should get about 3 to 5 feet tall in no time.
So if you use return water from the display or just an axillary pump to bring input water from the sump or refugium will not mater much. I think that I would use a pressure line in from the filtration sump and a return line from the planter to the refugium.
Here in the Philippines they grow in somewhat slow current and don't need a lot of flow. Here they grow about one to three feet apart. Also you'll need wash or wipe the salt off of the leaves from time to time.
I'm guessing that you're going to get red mangroves from Florida which I've never seen. I bet you'll make this set-up beautiful. Please post some photos.

[bahadirkargili]

Mr.Lopez,

i'm experimenting for the last 1 year about red mangroves.What i did after acclimating them slowly over a few weeks to the same salinity as my tank(which is 1,025) was to siphon the extra water from my main display to this mangrove tank with 20 mangroves with many leaves during water changes and keep logs about nitrates,phosphates,kh and salinity.

here are some results:

1) the nitrate level which was initially 40-50 ppm decreased to 5 ppm in 10 days each time i repeated the procedure in the mangrove tank (which is 120 liters)
2) phosphate levels dicreased by 10 times
3) kh levels were doubled
4) salinity raised due to evoporation i beleive

so know i'm about to tranfer the mangroves to a new tank i've ordered and connect through the sump with the main display.

i'll keep you informed and will add photos and share the results,
cheers
baha

[DrHarryLopez]

Nice work!