Another Mangrove thread

[Steve Canyon]

I don't want to hijack Jason's recent Mangrove thread with my own ideas, so I figured I better start my own. It's been something I've been thinking about for a few months now. It really seems like something I want to do.
I've got about twenty or so 15 inch plants I grew from pods I got last July. I've got a line on a cool former frag tank thats about a foot deep, about 36x48 or so. I'm thinking out of the 150 main display into a shallow swamp of 2"-6" crush coral, sand and rock, with a LOT of macro, hair, slime and maybe a few who knows what kinda fish or crusties. I'd make every attempt to create sufficient turbulance to create some level of flow through the substrate. Maybe even incorporate a reverse flow undergravel up through the substrate.Simple inexpensive screw in bulbs for light. Am I correct in my expectations that low light corals ought to do okay in it as well? I know it'll be full of pods and who knows what. Out of that into the existing 100 gallon sump with all the existing goodies, then back into the main display. My intent would be to add natural filtration, thus allowing for reduced water changes as well as the mangrove "cool" factor. I expect that based on their current growth curve, they'll be to the ceiling in no time. Will it make an appreciable difference? Will it even work? I haven't done much real research into this yet, so I haven't seen what other's have done that may be similar.
Maybe someone can point me in the right direction. Planted saltwater tank. hmmm?

 

[GMaquarium]

Steve this sounds like a great idea. Although i am not sure if your water changes would be reduced much. A coastal mangrove will enhance your system, making it a bit more natural. Be very careful moving your mangroves. I have lost every single mangrove that was moved after being established for 6+ months. The two you gave me last year are doing great but I have been scared to transfer them.

Not to hijack your thread, but figured I would share my mangrove dreams. Been really wanting a brackish mangrove display. With some wild molies, archers and scats.

 

[der_wille_zur_macht]

Go for it!

I'd be extra careful to consider detritus control. Don't want all those nooks and crannies to accumulate fish crap. You seem to already have a handle on this via the comments about flow though.

I have 15 mangroves in my sump, only been there for a few months - they are sprouting roots and one is starting to send up a shoot from the top. Definitely slow growing, the prevailing thought seems to be that they won't do much for nutrient removal unless you have a TON of them, though I don't recall ever seeing this studied in a quantitative manner - so I wouldn't really put any weight in this assumption. At any rate, half the reason I'm keeping them is because they're cool. And eventually I'd like to introduce some to my display tank. Possibly as a way to cover the overflow box and/or closed loop plumbing. I have 2+ feet of height in my "hood" so I should be able to get some up to a decent size.

Where did you get yours from? I bought mine from reefcleaners.org - $7 for 5.

 

[der_wille_zur_macht]

Oh, also, here's a thread I started last week about something I noticed on mine:

http://reefcentral.com/forums/showthread.php?t=2154828

 

[dbartkow]

Sounds like a cool idea! Let me know if you need any help with setup

Dave

 

[Flanders]

Common sense would suggest that anything this slow growing isn't going to export many nutrients... but the cool factor is really high with mangroves.

 

[der_wille_zur_macht]

At the risk if taking the thread off topic,

Common sense would suggest that anything this slow growing

But how are we qualifying "slow growing?"

I mean, if we're comparing it to a loose ball of chaeto in terms of volume, it's gonna fail. But a loose ball of chaeto is mostly empty space, and the algae itself is mostly water. Meanwhile, the mangrove is creating a (smaller) volume of extremely dense plant matter. In terms of nutrient uptake, is it possible that a tiny stub of mangrove root grown over a week is equivalent or better than a handful of chaeto?

I think of it this way. A soft coral with calcerous spicules and a common SPS, say a typical acro, are both consuming calcium and carbonate as they grow. The soft coral appears to be growing much, much faster in terms of volume, but the acro is probably consuming more calcium and alkalinity per unit time. If your goal was to rid the water of calcium and alkalinity, the acro would probably be a better choice even though it appears the soft coral grows faster.

Same thing with mangroves vs. chaeto - it appears the chaeto grows faster, but that doesn't mean it's using up nutrients faster.

Of course, this is all pure conjecture, and we won't know for sure until someone does some research (or finds research we aren't aware of). There are a few studies in reefkeeping literature that compare nutrient and metal uptake rates of different macro algaes in comparison to skimming, fast growing corals, etc but I have yet to see any data for mangroves.

 

[Steve Canyon]

Sounds like a cool idea! Let me know if you need any help with setup

Dave

thanks Dave! I'm better than 1/2 way in convincing the wife! Be ready for me to give you that call!!