Need mangrove help!

[BristleWormHater]

So, they got here yesterday and I immediately threw them in the tank. Later I read through some mangrove related threads and apparently they need to be acclimated if they were not grown in full seawater. I contacted the seller to ask if what type of water they were grown in, still waiting on a response. I'm wondering if it's too late to acclimate them, they still look healthy, but it seems like they only show bad signs after a few weeks.

 

[BristleWormHater]

The seller said they grow them in freshwater. I went ahead and placed them in a vase with 1.015 salinity outside.

 

[lil sumpin]

I bought a pod off Algaebarn last September, they sent me a seed lol. I was expecting something with leaves and a root structure. None of that! I kept the seed in a vase in lower salinity water exactly as you're doing. I acclimated to my tank water's salinity over the course of 3 months and it took 6-7 months for a single leaf to sprout. It has 4 or 5 leaves now, I try to wipe the salt creep on them but one will occasionally fall off. It also finally has thick red root structures growing out. When I noticed the roots beginning to grow out of the seed I slowly started placing rubble pieces underneath it to support it upwards. I think this helped the root structures grow downward. Currently my vase has some rubble, a big bunch of chaeto and the mangrove growing atop. Nowadays I'll use water change water from my nano and dump some into the vase. It's nutrient rich so I figure the propagule will like that.

 

[Fenral]

The seller said they grow them in freshwater. I went ahead and placed them in a vase with 1.015 salinity outside.

Who was the seller? I have some showing up soon too

 

[BristleWormHater]

I bought a pod off Algaebarn last September, they sent me a seed lol. I was expecting something with leaves and a root structure. None of that! I kept the seed in a vase in lower salinity water exactly as you're doing. I acclimated to my tank water's salinity over the course of 3 months and it took 6-7 months for a single leaf to sprout. It has 4 or 5 leaves now, I try to wipe the salt creep on them but one will occasionally fall off. It also finally has thick red root structures growing out. When I noticed the roots beginning to grow out of the seed I slowly started placing rubble pieces underneath it to support it upwards. I think this helped the root structures grow downward. Currently my vase has some rubble, a big bunch of chaeto and the mangrove growing atop. Nowadays I'll use water change water from my nano and dump some into the vase. It's nutrient rich so I figure the propagule will like that.

Here's what mine look right now, wish me luck!

Here they are outside

This propagule looks a little shriveled, hopefully it recovers

You acclimated yours for 3 months? I've heard the they inly need to be acclimated for 3 weeks. So was thinking I'd raise the salinity by a 0.003 every week to get to 1.024 then wait a week to make the jump to 1.025 in the tank.

 

[Üter]

So, they got here yesterday and I immediately threw them in the tank. Later I read through some mangrove related threads and apparently they need to be acclimated if they were not grown in full seawater. I contacted the seller to ask if what type of water they were grown in, still waiting on a response. I'm wondering if it's too late to acclimate them, they still look healthy, but it seems like they only show bad signs after a few weeks.

I have tried 5 plants and differently. They always died. Vase on window sill and overflow box. Sunlight and HD32. I gave up there. I can pretty much grow any other plant though. Didn’t try in substrate though.

 

[BristleWormHater]

Who was the seller? I have some showing up soon too

EXPATditions on Mercari of all places, I was looking around for used pumps and found two blooming mangroves for $6 + they threw in a freebie propagule. Highly recommend, surprised I got such a good deal on healthy mangroves.

 

[lil sumpin]

Yep 3 months, thing appeared as though it was dying for a bit so I gave up hope and then it finally sprouted a leaf lol.. It's been chillin w the rest of my plants for the last year

 

[BristleWormHater]

@lil sumpin I'm also a little concerned about nutrients in the vase, since I used an RO and salt mix the only nutrients are the ones from my tank water. I don't think they'll last long between three mangroves. I have chaetogro on the way, I think that will help. I'm wondering if dirt from the creek behind my house could help bring up nutrients too?

 

[lil sumpin]

Dirt from the creek will likely have contaminants.
According to https://reefbuilders.com/2019/10/31/freshwater-substrate-vs-aragonite-mangrove-growth-test/ Using freshwater planted substrate and dosing phosphates showed improved growth. My nano's always got .2 to .3 phosphates so I just use that to replenish the vase

 

[Rach77]

being in florida, I got mine directly from the tree, no root structure. Put them down into sand in my DT, growth is quite slow at first, but once that first leaf erupts you can visualize the growth almost daily. They do better if they are planted into a substrate and not left with roots exposed when starting. I have also found that I keep them in regular saltwater, no freshwater. I have grown 4 so far. Also, if planting in DT watch the lighting because the leaves will burn under too much light. Low light is ok.

 

[Fenral]

Just asked Algae barn what theirs are grown in salinity wise (dang impulse buys) - 2 are destined for bob ross’s tank (painted turtle) and the rest for my new sump… who’d have thought a plant would be so…difficult ;)

 

[BristleWormHater]

Dirt from the creek will likely have contaminants.
According to https://reefbuilders.com/2019/10/31/freshwater-substrate-vs-aragonite-mangrove-growth-test/ Using freshwater planted substrate and dosing phosphates showed improved growth. My nano's always got .2 to .3 phosphates so I just use that to replenish the vase

I was thinking about getting some Fiji mud or miracle mud to add to my dt, I guess I could grow out the mangroves outside longer and put some of that in there too. I think that could work even better than the freshwater planted substrate. What do you use to dose phosphate and should I be worried about nitrate too or just phosphate?

 

[lil sumpin]

I've always had elevated nutrients and have never dosed phos. Once in a blue I broadcast feed my nano reef roids, 3mL AB+ weekly and I feed my fish pinches of flake, pellet, frozen every other day or so.

 

[Fenral]

Just asked Algae barn what theirs are grown in salinity wise (dang impulse buys) - 2 are destined for bob ross’s tank (painted turtle) and the rest for my new sump… who’d have thought a plant would be so…difficult ;)

Algae barn is great: fast response..

 

[BristleWormHater]

Been watching some videos on mangroves, specifically WWC's video visiting Julian Sprung. So red mangroves, which are the kind I have do not actually uptake the salt, they filter it out in the roots before uptaking it, sort of like a RO filter. Black mangroves secrete the salt from their leaves after uptaking it. So the salinity doesn't really matter with the red mangroves, what does matter is the light, without enough light the red mangrove's "filter" fails and it uptakes salt and the leaves go soft and the plant will die if it isn't moved out of saltwater and into higher light. My leaves are kind of soft but I think that is more because they are freshly bloomed, but ill keep monitoring. I think I'll get some miracle mud to put at the bottom of the vase and the bottom of my dt. I'm sure the red mangroves will grow faster outside so I'll keep them there until they get bigger and I might try to get a second AI prime in the mean time.

 

[lil sumpin]

Just get a whole new display at that rate :cool:

 

[Mr. Mojo Rising]

Been watching some videos on mangroves, specifically WWC's video visiting Julian Sprung. So red mangroves, which are the kind I have do not actually uptake the salt, they filter it out in the roots before uptaking it, sort of like a RO filter. Black mangroves secrete the salt from their leaves after uptaking it. So the salinity doesn't really matter with the red mangroves, what does matter is the light, without enough light the red mangrove's "filter" fails and it uptakes salt and the leaves go soft and the plant will die if it isn't moved out of saltwater and into higher light. My leaves are kind of soft but I think that is more because they are freshly bloomed, but ill keep monitoring. I think I'll get some miracle mud to put at the bottom of the vase and the bottom of my dt. I'm sure the red mangroves will grow faster outside so I'll keep them there until they get bigger and I might try to get a second AI prime in the mean time.

I think the mud helps, I used the AF bio mud. I don't know how strong of a light it needs, the first year I used my old hydroponics light and the second year its been under a nicrew 100w at 75%

 

[BristleWormHater]

I think the mud helps, I used the AF bio mud. I don't know how strong of a light it needs, the first year I used my old hydroponics light and the second year its been under a nicrew 100w at 75%

I think the prime should be enough light, but I'm worried what will happen once the mangroves grow up to it, I think I might try supplementing with t5's that are mounted higher and another prime like I mentioned before( I need another prime for sps anyways).
I'm also going to move the mangrove to full freshwater for now, I think I'll give it 3 weeks in freshwater and then start adding saltwater rather than starting at low strength saltwater. This is definitely going to be fun, I look forward to having some big mangroves and then asking guests "Guess how much these trees cost me" and then I tell them it was only $6 lol.