Looking for Mangroves or other nitrate export

[zenn]

I am looking for a good nitrate export. I've been using Chateo for about a year now but recently lost it after hair algae overgrew it in the fuge. Now the hair algae has gone away and i'm seeing a bit of an algae problem. So i need a new nitrate exporter. I could easily just go get a new handful of chaeto, but before i do that, I want to make sure that's my best option.

I thought maybe i shoudl try mangroves. I don't think they'll be as suseptible to being overgrown my hair algae outbreaks in the fuge. Problem is, I'm in Lincoln...and don't know of anyone that sells them. So if anyone could help me find some or suggest somethign else...that would be great.

 

[MICHEAL1]

Mangroves are mostly a novelty item. Their nitrate exporting capibilities are no where close to cheato or any other macro. They will also lower your Mag. levels in the tank. I think your best bet would be to go back to Cheato, and maybe have a Mangrove as a cool thing in the tank.

Mike

 

[huskerreef]

not sure of your set up but i saw Paradise Cove had a rock with a group of mangrove growing out of it

 

[LANMan]

I have read discussions about mangroves and I don't know if you are giving them the proper credit Micheal1. It seems that they can be quite beneficial to the point of being able to remove the skimmer from a system that has them. Maybe that is all message board chatter though. What is your experience with them?

I had one for a while but I don't think I had a strong enough light and they eventually fiddled away. It could be that to get to the point of replacing a skimmer you would have to have quite a few also... don't know. Any mangrove experts around??

 

[MICHEAL1]

From what I remember of mangroves, you needed to have many of them upwards of 15-20 for them to make any difference. but then you have the problem of them sucking all the magnesium out of your tank very rapidly. I had 3 in a previous tank and noticed a significant reduction in magnesium, to the point that I had to start suplimenting it. I read further on them after that and found out about the magnesium problem related to them.

mike