Mangrove lagoon

pelican · Feb 13, 2020

Very cool! Looks awesome. I like hiding the lights in other fixtures too.

Thespammailaccount · Feb 13, 2020

pgravis said:
Finally picked up my mangrove light. Went with the ecotech xr15 fw. Pretty excited about seeing if growth takes off. Because this light was more for the trees and less for the the tank, mounting was going to be a challenge. I’ve had an idea for a light that started when I found an old farm/industrial light shade with a good rusty patina and this was a good excuse to make it happen. We have a bit of a vintage industrial style in our house, so this was going to be a good fit. I’ll post a shot of some bookcases I made that we’ve had since we moved in 8 yrs ago and how I mounted my xr30 over my bigger display tank for a sense of the style in the house and how this fits into it.
bookcase with Edison bulbs (these are on all the walls in this room)

Radion xr30 gen 3 been running for 5 years (that gen 5 might have to take its place soon!):

and an old army kitchen base as the stand for that tank:

Now for the new stuff! Built a custom bracket to mount the light into the old fixture:

From there it was feeding the power line through pipe and getting it all assembled:

I’ve searched around and sent a ton of emails looking for a decently sized mangrove to help give the tank a more substantial look, like buying a colony vs a frag I guess, but keep striking out. I considered driving to Denver for reefstock to see if I could pick up one of the ones that two little fishies is rumored to sell at shows, but couldn’t make the logistics work, so I think I’ll buy another batch off eBay and play the long game and get them to grow how I want them. I think I’ll add a few cardinals as well at that point. Maybe the black cardinals that ORA is breeding. I’ll finish the post off with the nems that are loving this tank

O wow the bookcase and lighting is amazing I as well have industrial Edison lighting but I bought mine don’t think I could make anything like that great job

pgravis · Feb 29, 2020

pelican said:
Very cool! Looks awesome. I like hiding the lights in other fixtures too.

Thanks! It’s nice to have them blend in a little more.

Thespammailaccount said:
O wow the bookcase and lighting is amazing I as well have industrial Edison lighting but I bought mine don’t think I could make anything like that great job

Thank you! It’s really not too bad and now Lowe’s sells pipe that isn’t threaded and is painted. A little easier to work with and they actually have plans in the store if you want to try it. Initially I used that on my new light, but ultimately it wasnt quite what I wanted and the finish didn’t match my older shelves so I returned it and went threaded.

pgravis · Feb 29, 2020

I had ordered another bunch of mangroves off eBay and they all came in healthy, but super small. With freebies I think I got around 20 total. Reached out to the seller because they didn’t quite match the description, and he asked what size I was hoping for and sent me another 6 that we’re all very nice multi-leaf trees. I was surprised and happy with the whole transaction. So finally pulled the tank apart and rescaped with the new trees. I think it will look much better. Just waiting for the water to clear to know for sure.
original shipment

unfortunately I didn’t take a shot of the second round, but I got a little preview of the tank:

Eric R. · Jan 22, 2021

pgravis said:
I had ordered another bunch of mangroves off eBay and they all came in healthy, but super small. With freebies I think I got around 20 total. Reached out to the seller because they didn’t quite match the description, and he asked what size I was hoping for and sent me another 6 that we’re all very nice multi-leaf trees. I was surprised and happy with the whole transaction. So finally pulled the tank apart and rescaped with the new trees. I think it will look much better. Just waiting for the water to clear to know for sure.
original shipment

unfortunately I didn’t take a shot of the second round, but I got a little preview of the tank:

@pgravis, looks good! Any newer shots of the mangroves? How is that newest batch working out for you?

InkedReefLady · Jan 22, 2021

Looks like they took a little bit of a beating in transport. But otherwise, look good! I spray mine down a few times a week to keep the salt off the leaves so the lights don't bake it on. I feel like nowadays they are growing faster and faster. Even my husband asked what my plan might be when they get a few feet higher. I have to think about that one!

Looking good!!

pgravis · Jan 23, 2021

ereccer said:
@pgravis, looks good! Any newer shots of the mangroves? How is that newest batch working out for you?

Hi, the mangroves continue to do great. Some are starting to branch a little bit. The tank is in prep for a total rebuild. With grad school and the pandemic bringing about mandatory overtime at the hospital, my system had a decent crash. Saved some of the coral that are now hanging out in this tank. I used the crash as a reason to get a custom tank built (not replacing the mangrove lagoon, it will replace another display that was on this same system). So in the meantime I’ve shut the main light source off for the mangroves to keep algae to a minimum and let everything go on cruise control. Now that I’ve finished school, I’ve started gathering what I need for the rebuild and hope to have the tanks wiped clean and rebooted in the next month or so. But in the meantime, here are a couple shots with the lights back on!

Thespammailaccount · Jan 23, 2021

pgravis said:
Hi, the mangroves continue to do great. Some are starting to branch a little bit. The tank is in prep for a total rebuild. With grad school and the pandemic bringing about mandatory overtime at the hospital, my system had a decent crash. Saved some of the coral that are now hanging out in this tank. I used the crash as a reason to get a custom tank built (not replacing the mangrove lagoon, it will replace another display that was on this same system). So in the meantime I’ve shut the main light source off for the mangroves to keep algae to a minimum and let everything go on cruise control. Now that I’ve finished school, I’ve started gathering what I need for the rebuild and hope to have the tanks wiped clean and rebooted in the next month or so. But in the meantime, here are a couple shots with the lights back on!