Mangroves

[Areeflover]

Let's start a thread about mangroves who uses them or has used them? If so lets talk about it

 

[Hitman]

I have 5 Red Mangrove seeds that started to grow roots a few weeks ago. I have 4 that are about 6” tall and 1 is about 10” tall. Oddly one grow in height before even seeing a root sprout lol. Still in a basket under my Kessil H380 with the top 1” above water until they get tall enough to remove from the basket and plant in the refugium.

 

[Ron Reefman]

I'm in SW Florida and we have mangroves all along the shoreline. I do a lot of beach walks (check out the 'snorkeling & collecting' thread linked in my signature below) and I can pick up mangrove propagules in late spring through early fall. Late spring to early summer they litter the beach. I've grown a lot of them in my 18 years here in Florida, some in aquariums, or refugiums and even outside in purposely made wet holes in the garden.

They're easy to start. They can grow in saltwater or freshwater. In saltwater you'll want to wipe down the leaves every few weeks as they get coated with salt from the leaves transpiration (in nature this is done by rain). The roots don't need to reach a sandy bottom for a long time once they start to grow. If fact, that's how they tend to start 'prop roots' while still young. And yes, they do take up some nitrate and phosphate from the water (like algae), but they don't take up enough to make any real difference.

 

[fish farmer]

Here's a recent thread on mangroves.
https://www.reef2reef.com/threads/m...oon-tank-build-and-stocking-questions.466530/

 

[TheWalkman99]

Been trying find more research on them.
Really tempted to grow one on my porch.
Just learned about the super shrimp bowl reef new network did, now I want to research doing some super shrimp in a bowl with a mangrove outside.

 

[Areeflover]

Been trying find more research on them.
Really tempted to grow one on my porch.
Just learned about the super shrimp bowl reef new network did, now I want to research doing some super shrimp in a bowl with a mangrove outside.

Super shrimp?

 

[TheWalkman99]

https://www.petshrimp.com/supershrimp/
Seem like cool little creatures. Still need to do a lot of research though.
But following the thread to get more mangrove info

 

[Areeflover]

https://www.petshrimp.com/supershrimp/
Seem like cool little creatures. Still need to do a lot of research though.
But following the thread to get more mangrove info

I got 2 mangroves. In the Refugium now. According to a very renowned reef store in my area the mangroves in their huge display actually killed the chaeto cause it used up so many nutrients.. which in theory makes sense because mangroves are way more complex than chaeto, they may grow significantly slower but they may use up more nutrients than people think. Everything I’ve read in forums say they suck because they grow slow and chaeto grows fast that’s ignorant thinking. You can’t even compare the two completely different.

 

[Areeflover]

So I’m going to test my theory

 

[fish farmer]

So I’m going to test my theory

That would be interesting to see. I fall into the camp that chaeto would be better/quicker in the short term, but my experience with chaeto is limited, just started growing it the last month in my sump and have seen decreases in phos and nitrates. This is in a system with what might be called a display refugium as a middle tank with three 5 year old mangroves growing in an undisturbed sand bed. Granted the mangroves have been pruned alot and the lighting isn't as intense on the mangroves vs the chaeto. I've tried growing macros in the refuge with the mangroves and there isn't enough light for macros, at least caulerpas.

I think along the lines that the closer the light is to the thing you are trying to grow, the better it will perform, so take that into account when designing a system for trees and macros together. Keep in mind that eventually those trees will shade things growing below them.

 

[Scrubber_steve]

I got 2 mangroves. In the Refugium now. According to a very renowned reef store in my area the mangroves in their huge display actually killed the chaeto cause it used up so many nutrients.. which in theory makes sense because mangroves are way more complex than chaeto, they may grow significantly slower but they may use up more nutrients than people think. Everything I’ve read in forums say they suck because they grow slow and chaeto grows fast that’s ignorant thinking. You can’t even compare the two completely different.

Its the dry weight mass gain over time thats the measure of nutrient assimilation.
I'll bet my ulva would win

 

[Scrubber_steve]

Lateral Lines: Macroalgae vs. Mangrove Growth and Nutrient Uptake
By Adam Blundell, M.S.
The author's viewpoint following this study is that mangrove plants may be useful to aquariums but in terms of nutrient uptake they are far inferior to macroalgae growth.

https://www.advancedaquarist.com/2005/3/lines

 

[mch1984]

Has anybody ever used bigger mangroves in tanks, like one from a 5 gallon container? I plan on doing a 300 gallon saltwater pond in the near future and was considering buying a couple of bigger ones for it. I understand that they take up less nutrients this would be more because I like them and think it would be cool. I wondering if a large system (800 ish gallons) is big enough to support a larger mangrove.

 

[cracker]

iv'e kept mangrove in the past. they are easy & look cool but not that efficient at removing nutrients. Now Mch has an interesting idea of a pond. He could have a stand of them.
Remember, any leaves need to be above the water line.

 

[mch1984]

It started out with going to have a 350 plus display tank with a 300 gallon sump, turned into 350 display with 300 pond tied into a 150 sump lol. The pond will be some larger aggressive fish that I would never put in my reef. Thought was to mount light WAY high and put a couple bigger mangroves in there. I was thinking about using large pvc and making fake rock for the outside of it. Then I could fill the pvc with sand to plant the mangrove a little higher in the pond. The pvc would blend in with the other rock.