Mangrove substrate and growth rate

[Tharp]

Hello everyone, I have been looking on here for mangrove information and found a lot of helpful posts. What I didn't find much of though was the growth cycle of these pods: what substrate is best to put them in, how well they do if they are suspended, how long it takes either to grow leaves and become established. I hope people can chime in on their experiences and any chemicals they added or perimeters they watched to get their mangroves to grow (I hear magnesium is big?).

I have made an attempt in my previous tank with wild mangrove pods I found in the gulf, but had no success. This time around I have better lighting and multiple planting locations. In the end I want my mangroves to attach to my live rock in my display. I have 3 sitting in substrate (as I see most opt to do) and the remaining 5 in and around my overflow. I noticed that 2 of the overflow pods have a white film over where roots would come out after a week of being in my tank. Hopefully I see more progress this go-around and I can record how the substrate vs no substrate grows...

 

[phobos2deimos]

Subscribed!
I am in favor of using substrate in my limited experience with pods. My first pods were floating for months with little growth and no leaves. Roots were long and twisted, no fine root growth. Move them to substrate (sand) and fine root growth took off and got my first leaves soon after. A side by side like you're doing is better though!

 

[Tharp]

Thanks for the input! I'm curious as to what tells the mangrove that it is no longer 'in transit' and can expend energy on roots. my theory is that this white slime on my overflow mangroves protects the root development. If it is in high current the slime gets wiped off and the mangrove delays root production??

Another thing I'm curious about is I know that the mangrove expels salt from underneath the leaves-I wonder if the stem stays free of salt splash it also triggers production. So I am splashing rodi water on the stem every evening-it can't hurt.

...or maybe I'm thinking too deeply into this and they just grow till they use up their energy or get waterlogged and sink in nature.

 

[saltwater sam]

They can sense when they've come to rest through thigmotropism, which triggers auxin in the propagule stimulating root growth.

Red mangroves do not excrete salt through their leaves, that's a common misconception. They deal with salt by restricting it's uptake through the roots.

 

[Tharp]

Thanks Sam! I always thought the reds were with the salt secretion, but never gave it too much thought (obviously).

 

[Tharp]

Here is the progress, I lost one pod, but all others seem to be growing well. It looks like the sand planted mangroves or doing best, but the ones with leaves had 3/4" roots when planted, now the roots are poking through the container



The one on the left was left in my overflow and appears to be #2 in growth



Now my question: my overall goal is for the mangroves eventually to reach the live rock or sand, when do introduce them to the main tank: now, like in the second picture, or wait? I've heard of mangroves losing leaves, etc if transplanted, when and how should I introduce the mangroves into the main tank?

 

[Tharp]

I got impatient, I uprooted 1 of the 3 sand planted mangroves to see how it does in the main tank (if uprooting it sets it back in growth rate). It is clear that the substrate mangroves did better than the 'floaters', their root system is also more complex, with dozens of hair like secondary root branch-offs. The higher current pods did second best.



I may need to redesign my live rock, or get more to make a 2nd story sand bed, the 2 pods with leaves are starting to outgrow the small basket they're in now.

 

[coral102]

I plant mangrove pods in Miracle Mud. They grow a lot of fine roots.:bounce1: