My Mangrove Mixed Reef

[stumpovrtyme]

mangroves

mangroves

Is it true that mangroves eventually can break glass? I wanted to start some in a ten gallon. Any suggestions? What is the right way to keep this from happening/

 

[Dante_JoseCuerv]

For the most part, yes. Ever seen how a tree can crack a sidewalk? Same concept.

 

[scott_richards]

Kind of the same concept...not exactly the same though...

I mean, roots are growing through porous sand which is able to be compacted to make room for it. However, eventually the dirt is pushed up into the cement because it has nowhere else to go. However in this analogy, the sand under the pavement is the silicon between the glass. The silicon is not porous enough for mangrove roots to start pushing through, so the roots will tend to just grow throughout the sand (which is able to make way for the roots without breaking any glass).

Dante, have you personally ever had a mangrove break your glass? Or witnessed it first hand?

 

[FlyNpLeCosToMuS]

If the roots start over growing, couldn't one just trim them like a bonzi tree? It would stunt the growth, but then again, in a tank, isn't that the point?

 

[FlyNpLeCosToMuS]

Oh also, how effective does everyone feel Mangroves are for removing nitrates and what not? I was thinking about plumming a 125 set up inline with my main reef tank trying to deceid if I should make it visible or build itinot a cab.
Any thoughts?

 

[stumpovrtyme]

mangroves

mangroves

I dont have any but definately visable there very cool looking. If you trim the roots will it kill them? Is sand the only thing I need no mud or anything? What kind of fish could I keep in that tank with them? Are they worth the hassle?

 

[scott_richards]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=15046325#post15046325 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by FlyNpLeCosToMuS
Oh also, how effective does everyone feel Mangroves are for removing nitrates and what not? I was thinking about plumming a 125 set up inline with my main reef tank trying to deceid if I should make it visible or build itinot a cab.
Any thoughts?

If you're considering mangroves just to lower your nutriend levels, I wouldnt bother. They're not fast growers at all. Chaeto would be a better (more efficient and easier to implement) method for you.

I dont have any but definately visable there very cool looking. If you trim the roots will it kill them? Is sand the only thing I need no mud or anything? What kind of fish could I keep in that tank with them? Are they worth the hassle?

I have heard that trimming the roots isn't the best thing for them. I haven't had to trim any of mine yet, so I guess we'll wait and see. You don't even need sand for them really. Mine are growing roots just fine while they are suspended. Although growth has seemed to slow down over the past couple of weeks.

You can keep whatever fish you normally would in regards to your tank size and water quality. No fish as far as I'm aware of would have any problems with the mangroves. Maybe if they start accidentally swimming into them or something..

Worth the hassle? Well, that's up to you isn't it I don't know about other people on this forum, but I get that question asked all the time regarding my tank!

 

[scott_richards]

Alright. bit of an update. my recirculating pump on my skimmer burned out... Luckily I caught it before it fried my whole tank!
Here's a few pictures of the pump post-burnout

Now heres some updated pics.

Mangrove as of 21/5/09

another mangrove

my trochus spawned...I've got tonnes of these little guys running around now

new slightly bleached stylo

new orange fungia

a few FTS attempts

I finally went out and bought a CO2 cylinder. All I need to do now is put in an outlet off the overflow to run the calcium reactor and finally I should start seeing some good results from the SPS! I really wish I could take pictures of how my tank actually looks. I'm really impressed with it right now! Just a bit of a re arranging of the corals on the right hand side and I'll be set!

 

[stumpovrtyme]

mangroves

mangroves

I appreciate all the info. I have a 20 tall now full of cheato,shaving brushes, a very tiny amount of grape caulpera, red gracilaria, and some other plant called sawtooth,and also tons of amphipods for my scooter blennie and my mandarin. Which after all that hard work setting it up both of them started eating frozen food I feed everything else. Aargh! But at least they shouldnt starve. THANX AGAIN FOR THE HELP!

 

[New Jer-Z]

Nice Tank. Think I will order a few mangroves myself.

 

[Western_reefer]

Very nice!

 

[joshnola]

Really nice aquarium!

 

[scott_richards]

Thanks for the compliments guys. Just a small update. I've been skimmerless for about a month now due to the busted pump. But here's a growth shot and an FTS. This is about 1 hours after I took out my sand and replaced it with marble chips (the light sand kept getting blown all over the place once I added a modded tunze 6025). So, forgive the cloudiness I think the mangroves are only a month or two away from being planted without the coat hanger support

Oh, and here's a poor picture of my new red tipped elegance

 

[pasenah]

looking great

 

[Felix1021]

looking good.
why is the water cloudy?
sand storms?
f.

 

[scott_richards]

Nah water was cloudy because I had added a tank full of marble chips (guess I hadn't rinsed them off fully) about an hour before the photos.

 

[johnmaloney]

tip on trimming roots, the growth at the top and the growth of the bottom should be the same relatively, or you have trimmed too much. Less is mroe with root trimming, for it to break your tank, (they grow 80 feet in diameter and easily reach 40 feet in height without proper "bonsai" type care which is just pruning), you would have to neglect it for a good few years or so, but it can happen.

 

[scott_richards]

Does that apply just to rooted mangroves? Mine are not even close to being the same (roots waaaayy longer than the top growth), and I haven't trimmed at all.

 

[billy1724]

looks cool!! alot of groth

 

[scott_richards]

Time for my update. Got a beautiful purple anemone two days ago. Owner was certain it was some type of sticky/carpet anemone, but I'm almost certain its a crispa aka sebae anemone. Either way, it looks awesome! Heres a time line of the anemone in my tank so far:

Straight in the tank

@ 0.5 hour

@ 1.5 hour

@2.5 hours

Now

And that last picture brings me on to my next addition. A pair of pink skunk clowns. Added them yesterday afternoon, and this morning I find them rubbing up against the anemone! I had absolutely no idea the would take to the anemone this quickly. The female has quickly taken up residence, allowing the male to come in only every now and then.

And here are the mangroves. I've taken the stand off one of them, which is now supported just by its roots. 2 others have had their roots hit substrate within the past couple of days, and another two are almost there. Now I'll see if having their roots does infact cause them to keep their leaves. Up until now they have just been growing leaves which just shrivel up and fall off within a couple of days.

And lastly, a couple of weeks ago I noticed my xenia looking very sick. I took a closer look and found what looked to be some kind of worm that had attached itself to the rock right next to the xenia. There was constantly thin translucent strings of something connecting the worm to the xenia, and most of the time it looked like the worm was trawling the lines in. It's hard to describe, but I took a video and a few pictures. I ended up chiseling it off, and the xenia has made a full recover.

Anywho, thats about it. Love to take a full tank shot, but my camera really just doesn't cut it.