New tank, 35g Mangrove setup
- Thread starter xcreonx
- Start date
^^ :lol: :lol: :rollface:
btw Very nice setup and I like how you have created a setup that replicates the natural habitat of the animals you are including very well done. I look forward to seeing updates on how the mangroves grow and affect light direct into the aquarium and overall how it matures.
btw Very nice setup and I like how you have created a setup that replicates the natural habitat of the animals you are including very well done. I look forward to seeing updates on how the mangroves grow and affect light direct into the aquarium and overall how it matures.
xcreonx
Premium Member
Wow thanks for the nice words everyone.
xtm, my photoperiod starts at 10am with 2 bulbs (aquablue and blue+). 2 more bulbs come on at 12:30pm (sun and aquablue). The sun bulbs go off around 6pm and the two morning bulbs go off around 11pm.
I do not dose any nitrates or phosphates other than food for the fish and corals. I feed every day with either flakes or frozen mysis. I also add DTs every once in a while.
Aquaknight, the T5 fixture has adjustable legs so i can go up about 6 inches as the mangroves grow. I may trim them when they get to that point. Other than that, in a year and 1/2 ill be done with grad school and probably moving to another house or town, so i can deal with them accordingly (ie: a bigger tank, trim, planting in a pot, etc., etc.)
The 35g is the tank FULL of water with no sand/rock. With the level dropped I think it's probably around 15 gallons (with the sand and rock of course)
lucky-rc, the substrate is around 4 inches of live sand. its all from my old old 180g I had years ago. There's no mud in there, just years of growth.
I moved here from Florida (southwest coast) and I still have family there. I go back every fall and grab some mangrove seeds that washed up on the beach. They are everywhere! I dont know where to order them, as I have always found them in the intercoastal. They do require some special care for sure. They need good light and nutrients to grow. they also need to have their leaves misted and washed daily to get rid of the salt. Also, they ARE trees and they will grow 20, 30, 40 feet tall eventually. So they do need some forethought. As I said I will be dealing with these trees accordingly as they grow. I have some in a planter on my deck that are a few years old that are close to three feet tall.
tcmfish, yes I've been thinking of how to deal with the light losswhen the mangroves are full of leaves. I noticed my corals dont seem to like the full-on lighting so I cut back the photoperiod of the sun bulbs a bit. Perhaps Ill leave tghem on longer once the leaves get full. otherwise I have a 250w DE MH ready to go
Thanks everyone for your comments. Please feel free to ask more questions!
xtm, my photoperiod starts at 10am with 2 bulbs (aquablue and blue+). 2 more bulbs come on at 12:30pm (sun and aquablue). The sun bulbs go off around 6pm and the two morning bulbs go off around 11pm.
I do not dose any nitrates or phosphates other than food for the fish and corals. I feed every day with either flakes or frozen mysis. I also add DTs every once in a while.
Aquaknight, the T5 fixture has adjustable legs so i can go up about 6 inches as the mangroves grow. I may trim them when they get to that point. Other than that, in a year and 1/2 ill be done with grad school and probably moving to another house or town, so i can deal with them accordingly (ie: a bigger tank, trim, planting in a pot, etc., etc.)
The 35g is the tank FULL of water with no sand/rock. With the level dropped I think it's probably around 15 gallons (with the sand and rock of course)
lucky-rc, the substrate is around 4 inches of live sand. its all from my old old 180g I had years ago. There's no mud in there, just years of growth.
I moved here from Florida (southwest coast) and I still have family there. I go back every fall and grab some mangrove seeds that washed up on the beach. They are everywhere! I dont know where to order them, as I have always found them in the intercoastal. They do require some special care for sure. They need good light and nutrients to grow. they also need to have their leaves misted and washed daily to get rid of the salt. Also, they ARE trees and they will grow 20, 30, 40 feet tall eventually. So they do need some forethought. As I said I will be dealing with these trees accordingly as they grow. I have some in a planter on my deck that are a few years old that are close to three feet tall.
tcmfish, yes I've been thinking of how to deal with the light losswhen the mangroves are full of leaves. I noticed my corals dont seem to like the full-on lighting so I cut back the photoperiod of the sun bulbs a bit. Perhaps Ill leave tghem on longer once the leaves get full. otherwise I have a 250w DE MH ready to go
Thanks everyone for your comments. Please feel free to ask more questions!
AquaKnight
Active member
Awesome, I have 25gal which looks like it has similar dimensions, that I've been wanted to do something with. This seems really cool.
Do you run auto-top top off at all? I thought the salinity swing in my other tank is what killed them, but mangroves are found in a lot of stagnant ponds were the salinity swing upward daily thru the roof!
Do you run auto-top top off at all? I thought the salinity swing in my other tank is what killed them, but mangroves are found in a lot of stagnant ponds were the salinity swing upward daily thru the roof!
HOLY SMOKES!!! you were serious about the beach.... I am sorry.
I'll have to close my eyes and feel around if I ever get down there huh. I never knew this. What do they look like? (the seeds)
Or better yet I'll buy some off of you who live in FL. And you can just mail them to me.
Lucky
xcreonx
Premium Member
Knight, yes I use an osmolator for topoff. I don't want any kind of swing in salinity for sure.
lucky-rc, mangrove seeds drop off the trees in august or so. They are only around for a short time so you'll have to find someone to get you some at that point. you wouldn't find them in the water now.
lucky-rc, mangrove seeds drop off the trees in august or so. They are only around for a short time so you'll have to find someone to get you some at that point. you wouldn't find them in the water now.
Capt_Cully
Active member
I'm not from Boston, but that is WICKED COOL!
InvaderJim
Coral Junkie
That's really sweet. I've always wanted a mangrove tank, I may put some in my fuge now. 
cardiffgiant
Active member
Nice creative approach! Thanks for sharing your ideas!
AquaKnight
Active member
Hmmm, could that be the difference? I tried baby mangroves, from 4" to about 12". All died. Could the seedings adjust better to aquarium life the older ones?
xcreonx
Premium Member
Yes, seeds (or propagules) can be placed in your environment of choice. Once they sprout, however ,they cannot be moved without alot of slow acclimation. Seeds can be placed in various substrates and salinities and will take hold very quickly. These seeds were collected in September. Some of them have roots close to 8 inches long now. If you buy mangroves, be sure to find out 1) if they've sprouted roots / leaves yet and 2) if so, what were the exact conditions. Even then it might be tough to get them to acclimate. For what it's worth, just get propagules instead
xcreonx:
I have done quite a bit of reading on mangroves today. I found a link where you can buy the seeds (25 for $40) not bad IMO.
I have come up with a few questions though. If you don't mind?
1.) I've read that you can trim the roots and clip the leafs (as long as you leave one) to maintain them from getting too big. If you have them planted in 3-4 inches of mud, and you up-root them to trim the roots a little will you release the bad bac. that can be deadly in a normal D.S.B.? Im not to keen about only one leaf though. I'd like to have a small tree 3-4 feet ??? if its not too much to maintian when this big.
2.) The seed needs to be suspended half way out of the water, but how far from the bottom of the tank? If I use the recomended styrofoam and float them but the seed is in 20" deep water is this too deep to start them growing?
I may have more questions? I'm very interested in trying this. Like I stated earlier in the thread, I too have carried Robert Fenner's fuge image for several years and having seen your set up I feel safe in trusting your info. to be succesful at it. so if you don't mind, I'm going to attempt to stop carring it and build it with your input.
Thinking I will build a fuge instead of the over flow box's though.
Out of acrylic maybe a 2x2 cube I can put in the corner beside my tank this way. I could run from the overflow box through it, and into the sump. In theory this would allow the D.T. water to circulate through it by gravity (saveing elec. and waste heat) and just put a small power head w/ an air stone in front of it.if I put it in the opposite corner as the intake I'd creat good cross current.
I want it to be part of the D.T. to help with phos. and other high nutrient levels.
Think it'll work?
Lucky
I have done quite a bit of reading on mangroves today. I found a link where you can buy the seeds (25 for $40) not bad IMO.
I have come up with a few questions though. If you don't mind?
1.) I've read that you can trim the roots and clip the leafs (as long as you leave one) to maintain them from getting too big. If you have them planted in 3-4 inches of mud, and you up-root them to trim the roots a little will you release the bad bac. that can be deadly in a normal D.S.B.? Im not to keen about only one leaf though. I'd like to have a small tree 3-4 feet ??? if its not too much to maintian when this big.
2.) The seed needs to be suspended half way out of the water, but how far from the bottom of the tank? If I use the recomended styrofoam and float them but the seed is in 20" deep water is this too deep to start them growing?
I may have more questions? I'm very interested in trying this. Like I stated earlier in the thread, I too have carried Robert Fenner's fuge image for several years and having seen your set up I feel safe in trusting your info. to be succesful at it. so if you don't mind, I'm going to attempt to stop carring it and build it with your input.
Thinking I will build a fuge instead of the over flow box's though.
Out of acrylic maybe a 2x2 cube I can put in the corner beside my tank this way. I could run from the overflow box through it, and into the sump. In theory this would allow the D.T. water to circulate through it by gravity (saveing elec. and waste heat) and just put a small power head w/ an air stone in front of it.if I put it in the opposite corner as the intake I'd creat good cross current.
I want it to be part of the D.T. to help with phos. and other high nutrient levels.
Think it'll work?
Lucky
vito is hooked
New member
Just plucked some from a nearby canal about a month ago and just threw them in my sump, no sand just pulled out some LRR put them in and put the LRR on the roots. small flouresent light on for 15 hours a day, new leaves starting to pop out already nitrates gone go figure! By the way AWSOME TANK GOOD LUCK!
I have one planted in my ten gallon. It gets only a few hours of morning sun a day since the tank is by a window. It has started shooting up leaves and the roots are growing crazy. It was maybe a footlong when I got it from the beach and I just let the bottom rest on the sand maybe 8in. underwater and the top stuck out maybe 4 in. and it does great. I have a PC light on the tank for the corals and I have been surprised that the heat from the light has had no ill effects on it since it kind of rests on the light for support but its doing good.
yes I have read that actual sun is great for them to get them started. I also read that they do just fine w/ a 40 watt bulb. It should be at least a few inches above the leafs, If they are getting too much they will turn brown. Just raise the light a little.
From what I am gathering they are very easy and hardy... BUT starting them from a seed is the best route, and getting them started can take a little time... but then watch out. I've also read that your when they get fairly mature you may even no longer need your skimmer. and if you employe 1 per 10 gal of water you can cut back your water changes. In systems useing them for a year or better the no3, no2, nh, and po are "ZERO" with only 1/2 the water changes the same exact set up had with the skimmer running and without the mangroves.
very interesting stuff...
Lucky
From what I am gathering they are very easy and hardy... BUT starting them from a seed is the best route, and getting them started can take a little time... but then watch out. I've also read that your when they get fairly mature you may even no longer need your skimmer. and if you employe 1 per 10 gal of water you can cut back your water changes. In systems useing them for a year or better the no3, no2, nh, and po are "ZERO" with only 1/2 the water changes the same exact set up had with the skimmer running and without the mangroves.
very interesting stuff...
Lucky
xcreonx
Premium Member
Lucky, you might be better off making a new thread in the Plants and Macroalgae forum with your specific mangrove tank questions. You'll definitely get more answers to your questions with more specialized attention! I do think your plan is doable for sure.
Thanks again everyone!
Thanks again everyone!
