It's Mangrove Season!

[Roggio]

It's time to start adding mangroves!

It's early in the season so most of the propagules collected are pretty small. I suggest starting these in some kind of substrate like Miracle Mud if your phosphates are low enough and you're not prone to algae. My tank is rather new and for my application it is best to lodge them into the rock structure securely so the roots can take hold. My rock work is set up so the tangs do not have access to the roots. With that said, it's also important to have some kind of flow for the roots that are exposed to just water and no substrate.

As the mangroves grow I plan on using bonsai anodized aluminum wire to direct the trees.

https://youtu.be/Qf0PSO7hzYA

It's really hard to place coral and mangroves with the eels. I was bit yesterday. The eels do not like any changes to their rock and will defend it violently.

https://youtu.be/CrBlUf5tj3Q

Before adding them to my tank I soaked the mangroves in tap water and coral dip.

They know what they did.

I added the mangroves to both of my rock structures. I hope to have them meet in the middle using the bonsai wire

If you have any questions about Mangroves I'd be happy to answer them. I have kept them successfully for years.

Feel free to check out my build thread in the signature below

 

[Devaji108]

nice bud! did you collect or sprout those your self?

 

[Devaji108]

can you post pics of your other tanks you did mangroves in plz

 

[JimON]

Mangroves are awesome. So are eels. How do you keep eels in a tank with no top? Or are the sides really tall?:reading:

 

[Roggio]

nice bud! did you collect or sprout those your self?

can you post pics of your other tanks you did mangroves in plz

Yes! it's actually illegal to take plants that have started growing from what I understand.

Here's an older pic and if you go to my build thread there's another crop pic

Mangroves are awesome. So are eels. How do you keep eels in a tank with no top? Or are the sides really tall?:reading:

The sides are just 24" but a few people have brought this up. Hmmm now I'm considering a top. The eels have been in there for years and aside from trying to go into the overflow when they were smaller I haven't had any problems.


Here's another shot of the eels

 

[JimON]

Very cool, Roggio. I have allways read that they escape, but as usual, there is another side to the story.:beer:

 

[Roggio]

Very cool, Roggio. I have allways read that they escape, but as usual, there is another side to the story.:beer:

I've heard this a lot since posting these pics! I'm really considering getting a cover now. I have had them a long time and never had an issue.

Are these Zebras or just eels in general?

 

[JimON]

I do not recall hearing a distinction. Better safe than sorry, though, right?

 

[MGP]

Love red mangroves! Just collected a few myself. Watch out for root growth in those rocks, the roots get big quickly

 

[Ron Reefman]

Yes! it's actually illegal to take plants that have started growing from what I understand.

Mangroves are a protected plant in Florida. However, mangrove propagules virtually litter the beaches at certain times of the year and as far as I know, there is no law against collecting the propagules.

 

[Roggio]

Love red mangroves! Just collected a few myself. Watch out for root growth in those rocks, the roots get big quickly

Nice! yeah check out my build thread. I had to tear down my old setup because the roots destroyed the PVC holding the rock structure. My new setup is built around them and everything is cemented together.


@ron thanks for the heads up!

@Jim for sure