External Mangrove Planter

[lakee911]

I'm thinking of creating some sort of external mangrove container plumbed to my tank. Anyone do this? So far I'm thinking I could use a small pump to send water to say a 10Gal plastic flower pot full of sand w/ my mangroves and then gravity drain it back to the sump...or gravity and pump back. Anyone have any pictures?

I want to enjoy the plants and not hide them under my stand.

I live in Ohio, but I'm thinking I could place the planter near a window for natural lighting. What do you think?

Thanks,
Jason

 

[lakehorse61]

I have had multiple flooding issues with clogged gravity drains that can back up.

my heart of pine floors in my foyer are ruined & i have pulled up all the carpet in my basement also because of floods having to do with overflow boxes and drains.

in theory the idea sounds great though. my refusium has a few mangroves but i need to replant them closer to the top. they are drowning now being at the bottom in the sand. good luck

 

[lakee911]

For something like this, I would employ an emergency overflow drain. You may be able to incorporate something like that into your system. Next on my list would be to install some simple float switches above my tank waterline and use a relay for pumping overflow protection.

Jason

 

[BlueCorn]

I used a float switch. My refuigium is in my closet and is fed via a powerhead. It has a gravity drain back to the tank. If the water lever get's too high the float switch kills the feed pump.

Here's a shot before the mangroves "grew up."

 

[lakehorse61]

i need to add beer to my interests also!

that is a cool set up......Float valves(coralife) have also been my enemy. i have auto top off and the float valves in my RO room would get stuck down when we would make salt water for changes. arghhhh......bad mess.

 

[graveyardworm]

Here's mine

I recently had to move it to another cause it got too tal and was getting burned by my light.

 

[lakee911]

Hey David,
That's pretty much exactly what I'd like to do, except I'd like to use 'natural sunlight'


What kind of 'container' is that? Where did you find that?

Are you gravity feeding and pumping back? How is it Fail-safe?

Thanks
Jason

 

[Dave Legacy]

I don't know if natural sunlight through a window is going to be enough. I'm probably saying this because at my house the light through the windows is never very intense. I could be wrong, but I feel like they'd need more direct sunlight.

Fishbowl Innovations make a really good float switch. Everything they make is high quality... you might want to try one out.

 

[lakee911]

Hmm ... it may not be intense enough. Replaced windows last year so, I'll have to see how energy effecient (transmittence, etc) they other. I'm sure that's a factor in how might light they'll let in. I could always supplement the light, I suppose.

I have some of those same float switches (rod & float, w/ magnetic reed switch) already. I'd rather make some sort of hang on bracket. Even though it's not taking much force at all, I'm not sure I would trust it. My suction cup thermometers sometimes lets go and takes a trip around the tank. I'd hate for the float switch to do that and potentially shut things down.

Thanks

 

[Triterium]

50 gallon rubbermaid used for mangroves

 

[graveyardworm]

Hi Jason, I found the container at Ben Franklin/Ace Hardware store, and then drilled and customized.

Failsafe some of the overflow from the tank to the right drains into the bio-ball compartment mounted to the back of the tank then up through the L shaped pipe, then it it drains down into a lower tank through the pipe on the right. Its all gravity. There's nothing in the tank which could clog the drain.

 

[lakee911]

Very nice, Trit.

Thanks

 

[robster]

Triterium, do you have your mangroves planted in sand or mud or both?

 

[Triterium]

It's a mixture of silica sand and garden soil. It's about a 50/50 mix if i remember correctly. The garden soil is a loamy soil rich in organics.

 

[lakee911]

Those soils down cause problems with your tank?

 

[Triterium]

No, but it's a fish-only system. I wouldn't use soil if i had corals i cared about. I also use fertilizer tabs.

 

[robster]

I have some fresh water mangroves on the way to me that I am going to attempt go grow in a planter in the house. Do you feed the mangroves anything or just let them pull nutrients from the substrate?

 

[lakee911]

Take 'em out for a burger every now and again :lol:

I don't feed mine because they're in a tank, but you can fertilize them like any other plant if they're standalone.

 

[Triterium]

Ive grown red mangroves in regular potting soil using fresh water and they do very well. Just use any type of general purpose fertilizer (ie 10-10-10 or 20-20-20)

 

[eddybabyhd]

heres mine, its just one of those coral tanks from glass cages. 48x18x10 with an overflow.