Mangroves

[gumbybc]

Can mangroves be planted in sand, or do they need MUD? Also, can inverts be put in the same tank as the mangroves, such as snails, shrimp, conchs, etc?

[quack]

They grow in sand, rocks, and just the water Some substrate though allows them to anchor themselves

And yes to the inverts!

[gumbybc]

cool, thanks. I love the look of mangroves, I am just trying to figure out where to put them, as i am limited on space.

[Isayso]

I have mangrove in the sump, I make them float with stereofoam they have been in the sump for about 9 months the roots are unbielievable gorgeous, and last week I realized that there are small snails,mini starfish,and copepods,
beside that, they do a good job cleaning the water,
I reduced water change by half,

[gumbybc]

so you do not have them rooted into the substrate. If I wanted to avoid the look of styrofoam, is there something else I could use? is floating them advantageous over planting them within the substrate.

[Isayso]

IF YOU WANT in the tank you can put them the way they are
is up to you, but if you float them the roots will grow longer ,trying to reach the bottom, again I have mine in the sump
I think this way is more advantageous, couse water flows through the roots, the other way the food/waste has to deposit at the bottom, this is my personal thinking ( and I might be wrong ) but I like the idea

[gumbybc]

it makes sense to me. I was going to do a dedicated tank for the mangroves. Am I right in saying that the bottom third can be submerged in water? About how tall are the mangroves on average? I guess a better question, what water depth should be used for them?

[quack]

Answers:

Yup!

12 to 16 inches.

any depth, if i understand the ?

[gumbybc]

so 12 to 16 inches would make the bottom third 4-6 inches of water, if the trees are planted? I am just trying to plan this all out, thanks for your help.

[quack]

ur welcome

Like they say, da trees may not be the best for nutrient export, but the sure look COOL!

[gumbybc]

yeah, I love the way that they look. I am also planning another fuge with macro and a DSB. Then part of my sump will most likely have a bunch of LR and I will be running an Aqua C, all in all a bit overkill, but the fuge and mangroves just look too cool to pass by.

[quack]

:dance:

[gumbybc]

hey quack, if you have any pics of your mangrove setup, I would love to see them. again, thanks for all your help

[quack]

give me a couple of days .. . gotta get my digicam back from a friend

[gumbybc]

sweet, thanks

[Thunnus]

I keep my mangroves in plastic flower pots filled with argonite and they seem to like it. The roots grow quickly compared to the upper part of the plant. Since they dont get their nutrients from the sand, you can put a few per pot. The pots allow you to move them around without disturbing the plant at all.

If you are going to have a dedicated tank for mangroves keep an eye on your magnesium levels(especially if this tank is connected to your reef). Mangroves will suck it up. :)

[gumbybc]

thanks for the flower pot tip and the heads up about the magnesium!

[Isayso]

HI guys!
Jason! my mangroves are directly in the sump,and magnesium its stable, magnesium is used by coralline algae,and hard corals,
you should keep one eye on iron, I put 5ml every week, no more than that,iron is a good plant fertilizer/feeder,

[gumbybc]

another question. Will mangroves do ok in sand, or is mud a neccesity?

[quack]

sand or just float em in water.

[ScubaRaven]

you can suspend the mangrove roots above the substrate. They don't need to be placed in any container or substrate what so ever! This will have the added benifit of allowing the mangroves to develope proper root structure.

Rich Valentine

[Isayso]

I float them with stereofoam, now they have been in the sump for about 10-11 months and they are pushing themselves out the water, the roots are about 6-7 inch long,
about the light I'm using an PC of 10 W for 10 Hrs a day acllimation is not a concern just acclimate them slowly mixing 50/50 RO/ tank water, and then adding just a glass of tank water every 15 min.
right now I have 6 in the sump

[Holyreefer]

what type of lighting do mangroves need?

[ScubaRaven]

I'm using two standard 100w. clear household incandescent bulbs