Mangroves from Two Little Fishes

[Ermin]

Anyone tried them, any good? Will they make it in your tank after (god know how long its been) in the plastic tube?

[saltjunkie]

hey ermin welcome to reefland! i wish i could help you with the answer to that but im just not sure, if they dont look bad i would guess that they woud be okay, but....you know dont take that to the bank!

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Whoever invented salt water aquariums should be shot for taking all my money...everyday, oh well gotta have something to do!

[Joaco]

I just posted the same link (good one!) to your post at AquaLink [img]/ubb/wink.gif[/img]
http://www.wyx.com/iheo/tank/mangroves.htm

Joaco



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Joaco's saltwater webpage Updated 12th June 2000

[Ermin]

Thanks for the tip!

[icemark]

I have been playing with Red Mangroves for about a year now in one of my test systems in the garage... Mangroves seem incredibly hardy, even when all the leaves (leafs?) and most of the roots have fallen off and the top growth is shriveled, as long as the main [seed?] body is intact they seem to grow back.

But a few things... they need lots of light. 6w /gal/10-14 hour day seems to be about right. And they can't get cold... even 65F room temp, seems to stop growth.

[Ermin]

Now I think about it...I think my first mangrove that died was due to excessive heat from the light. It used to sit in the sump next to my 30g tank. The mangrove was only lit by the "spilled over" light from the main tank. After the move to my 100g tank's sump, I had a 150w plant light 6" from it. And the leaves turned brown soon after. I have the supposedly dead twig still. Maybe soon or later, it will regrow.

By the way, how should they be acclimated? How fast before equalizing salinity to main tank's if it was grown in fresh water?

[This message has been edited by Ermin (edited 06-25-2000).]

[icemark]

If they have already sent out roots and/or leaves, then just set them into your tank or sump. You want about half the main seed body out of the water. Stick them into floating styro until the roots grow enough if you need to support them.

If they are still seeds, you'll need to trick it into life by sitting it (mostly covered) in fresh or brackish water for a week, then, strictly salt (again mostly covered for about a week) then back in fresh or brackish (vertically half submerged) until it starts to shoot root stocks out. You can move it into salt at that point.

If they are really looking dead, try setting it back into brackish for a while.

Again that works for Red Mangrove... I am not sure if the White Mangrove grows the same way.

I have just been using a conventional $5.00 100w halogen incandescent replacement bulb for lighting on 3 mangroves in a 16 gal sump... No plant bulb needed.

[Ermin]

I am using a plant bulb now for my macroalgae in the refugium. I toss about a pound of macro every two weeks. Maybe I should change to a NO bulb instead and light it 24/7. Do you have it 12 hour lit or 24/7?

NO bulb should lessen the heat.

[FishTechie]

I'm using a plant strip light 9am-9pm from HD tolight my 4 mangroves in my 30 gallon sump, they have been in for over a month and have jsut started to sprout leaves, I burned the first leaves off by using a 60 plant light from HD about 6" from them, now i have the light strip about 12" from them and they are doing fine,

I actually noticed nothing happening while my skimmer was running, but I then set my skimmer to run from 9pm-9am and now the mangroves are really taking off....

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[Joaco]

Erwin,
for macroalgae I would still run the lights 24/7.
Try a mini Power Compact, 13 watts will give you the output of a 100 w regular bulb, but with way less heat.
That's what I have over my algae tank right now, but will get a longer PC because I'm upgrading the refugium to a 20 gal one and the mini PC will be to small of course.

Joaco

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Joaco's saltwater webpage Updated 12th June 2000