The ultimate Mangrove thread!!

[Gregg @ ADP]

Thank you very much. That’s what I thought.

I have several red mangroves that were doing really well, and had substantial root structures. Simply uprooting them and moving them was enough root trauma to cause them to shut down growth for several months. And I was super careful with the roots.

They have since recovered really well and the root structures are such that I don’t think I could move them if I tried.

 

[OrionN]

@OrionN do you have any mangroves in display tanks? Do you have anything to stop fish from jumping on tanks with mangroves in them?

I’m trying to figure out how to manage jumping fish since I want to move my mangroves from the bucket they have been in for a couple years to the display, now that they are adjusted to NSW salinity levels. I only run saltwater tanks with lids though.

Curious what other people do - seems I mostly see people run without tops and just hope their fish don’t jump out. I don’t trust my luck that far.

I do not have mangroves in my DT. Only in my lighted sump. Certain fish species jump. I keep fish for 40+ years, only used cover since around the last 12 years. I rarely loose fish to jumping, other than some species of wrasses. I keep Leopard wrasses forever with no top and no problem

 

[Danjoethepirate]

Gotta keep it going!

 

[Spiderguardnano]

Here is my current mangrove setup I just completed 2 days ago. When I picked up this tree it was in a plastic container with some sand and media. I took it out of the container and mixed some sand and media and then cover it back with the sand hopefully I didn’t do anything to compromise it as it’s. Tank I’ve been wanting to do.

 

[CHSUB]

Here is my current mangrove setup I just completed 2 days ago. When I picked up this tree it was in a plastic container with some sand and media. I took it out of the container and mixed some sand and media and then cover it back with the sand hopefully I didn’t do anything to compromise it as it’s. Tank I’ve been wanting to do.

Looks great…are you in full SW? What about lights?

 

[Osprey223]

Here is my current mangrove setup I just completed 2 days ago. When I picked up this tree it was in a plastic container with some sand and media. I took it out of the container and mixed some sand and media and then cover it back with the sand hopefully I didn’t do anything to compromise it as it’s. Tank I’ve been wanting to do.

Those look great! I like your setup!

 

[Spiderguardnano]

Looks great…are you in full SW? What about lights?

Yes the tank I got it from was a in a display type of type of sump full saltwater, the light is a Ai prime freshwater I’m running 100% on all
Channels for like 6hrs and then ramp down

 

[Spiderguardnano]

Those look great! I like your setup!

Thank you now hopefully I can keep it alive lol

 

[OrionN]

As long as the roots were not damage, it will be fine.

 

[Spiderguardnano]

This was tank I got it from

 

[Gregg @ ADP]

I’ve come to terms with the fact that I am going to have to rebuild some parts of the lagoon end of my aquarium. This means I am going to have to uproot and move my mangroves.

I’m kinda worried about this.

My concern is the roots. When I moved them once before, even though I was very careful, that disruption apparently did not sit well with the roots. Once everything was put back together, the growth on the mangroves stalled for about 4 months or so.

The root structures now are far more substantial than they were then. The lagoon is built on a plastic crate platform covered by fiberglass screen. I believe the roots have penetrated that screen. I can’t even wiggle those mangroves even a little bit. They are locked down nice and tight…as one would expect from a water tree that evolved in areas with hurricanes.

My calculus now is determining to what degree I mess with those roots without really damaging trees.

 

[Subsea]

I’ve come to terms with the fact that I am going to have to rebuild some parts of the lagoon end of my aquarium. This means I am going to have to uproot and move my mangroves.

I’m kinda worried about this.

My concern is the roots. When I moved them once before, even though I was very careful, that disruption apparently did not sit well with the roots. Once everything was put back together, the growth on the mangroves stalled for about 4 months or so.

The root structures now are far more substantial than they were then. The lagoon is built on a plastic crate platform covered by fiberglass screen. I believe the roots have penetrated that screen. I can’t even wiggle those mangroves even a little bit. They are locked down nice and tight…as one would expect from a water tree that evolved in areas with hurricanes.

My calculus now is determining to what degree I mess with those roots without really damaging trees.

Greg,
From the point of nutrient management, do you see advantages of mangroves over macro algae refugium? Or “no comparison between apples & oranges”.

In the late 1990’s as a member of Houston reef club, we toured Eric Boreneman’s extended ecosystem. The mangrove estuary was in a separate room than his reef tank, which made you think you were in a tropical jungle except cooler with lower humidity. I can only imagine what his electric bill was.

 

[Gregg @ ADP]

Greg,
From the point of nutrient management, do you see advantages of mangroves over macro algae refugium? Or “no comparison between apples & oranges”.

In the late 1990’s as a member of Houston reef club, we toured Eric Boreneman’s extended ecosystem. The mangrove estuary was in a separate room than his reef tank, which made you think you were in a tropical jungle except cooler with lower humidity. I can only imagine what his electric bill was.

It’s really hard to say. I have 6 mangroves and they have grown really well over the last year and a half. But I also have several types of macro and micro algae in the system as well, so it’s hard to tell what is doing what and if one is better than the other.

I can say I have no other filtration on the system for nutrient removal. No skimmers, GFO, etc. I also use Chicago tap water for the tank, which has a pretty high PO4 level. I don’t have algae issues in the tank, so I would say the mangroves certainly help.

 

[Subsea]

It’s really hard to say. I have 6 mangroves and they have grown really well over the last year and a half. But I also have several types of macro and micro algae in the system as well, so it’s hard to tell what is doing what and if one is better than the other.

I can say I have no other filtration on the system for nutrient removal. No skimmers, GFO, etc. I also use Chicago tap water for the tank, which has a pretty high PO4 level. I don’t have algae issues in the tank, so I would say the mangroves certainly help.

Nutrient management that includes sequestration into desirable biomass is a good thing. I frag & sell coral as well as ornamental seaweed.

 

[Gregg @ ADP]

Nutrient management that includes sequestration into desirable biomass is a good thing.

It’s the entire basis for my reef aquarium. I rely on it for 100% of my nutrient management and life support.

 

[Subsea]

It’s the entire basis for my reef aquarium. I rely on it for 100% of my nutrient management and life support.

Yes, I gathered that as I also am happy to emulate Nature and use multiple nutrient pathways.

Nutrient Management by “Old School” Reefer

In September of 1971, I entered the Texas Maritime Academy on Pelican Island next to the Galveston ship channel. It was educational/amusing to see the 18 year olds in the Cadet Core marching around campus. I had just discharged from 4 years active duty with four 90 day tours of duty in Cambodia...

www.reef2reef.com

Last night, my grandson graduated from high school. I remember when he was 5 years old as we lay on our bellies peering into this 30G macro algae / miracle mud refugium using a lighted magnifying glass. I was amazed then as I am now with how beautiful the orchestra of nature is. When I first started this journey in September 1971, I had recently discharged from 4 years Air Firce active duty and attended Texas Maritime Academy. First semester technical elective as a Marine Engineer was Oceanography 101 where Dynamic Equilibrium was the major focus and carbon was the minor focus.

 

[Gregg @ ADP]

Yes, I gathered that as I also am happy to emulate Nature and use multiple nutrient pathways.

Nutrient Management by “Old School” Reefer

In September of 1971, I entered the Texas Maritime Academy on Pelican Island next to the Galveston ship channel. It was educational/amusing to see the 18 year olds in the Cadet Core marching around campus. I had just discharged from 4 years active duty with four 90 day tours of duty in Cambodia...

www.reef2reef.com

Last night, my grandson graduated from high school. I remember when he was 5 years old as we lay on our bellies peering into this 30G macro algae / miracle mud refugium using a lighted magnifying glass. I was amazed then as I am now with how beautiful the orchestra of nature is. When I first started this journey in September 1971, I had recently discharged from 4 years Air Firce active duty and attended Texas Maritime Academy. First semester technical elective was Oceanography 101 where Dynamic Equilibrium was the major focus and carbon was the minor focus.

Yep, I’ve read your thread before. What an incredible journey.

I do think we sometimes over-complicate our reef systems. Just provide an energy input and mechanisms that allow for matter exchange or conversion, and then just get out of the way.

I modified my shallow lagoon area so that water would flow through the sand bed and over the roots of the mangroves, ostensibly bringing nutrients to them at a greater rate than if they were in a static sand bed.

Not sure if my hypothesis was supported or not, but the mangroves have grown tremendously in under a year and a half, and the root systems are massive at this point. Some of the cable roots are extending 18” from the tree.

 

[Spiderguardnano]

3 month update on my little mangrove project. The plant is going strong so far there was a point where I thought I was going to lose it started dropping multiple leaves pretty quick but seems like It bounced back.

I do want to get a custom tank made for this tree where is can get settled maybe like 20x20x16 deep sand bed. For lighting maybe one of those higher end larger freshwater plant lights

 

[coralreefer123]

Hi everyone, I keep reading conflicting advice and would like some insight or experience-based answers. Do smaller mangrove trees (not propagules) that were grown in soil need to be acclimated to their roots being fully submerged in water for a reef tank? I once tried this and the small tree got root rot. Any advice is welcome. Secondly, do they need to be acclimated to saltwater from fresh. I hear both 50/50 on this question. Any help is appreciated

 

[BristleWormHater]

Hi everyone, I keep reading conflicting advice and would like some insight or experience-based answers. Do smaller mangrove trees (not propagules) that were grown in soil need to be acclimated to their roots being fully submerged in water for a reef tank? I once tried this and the small tree got root rot. Any advice is welcome. Secondly, do they need to be acclimated to saltwater from fresh. I hear both 50/50 on this question. Any help is appreciated

They definitely need to be acclimated to saltwater, not sure about acclimating to submersion though.