Show your Mangrove Systems

[Cgreene]

LED PAR 38 Lamps, module or DIY setup?

I ask, b/c I just switched one 23W 5000K CFL for a $44 LED 18W 5000K unit from Lowe's this weekend. This was only for a trial, but at $44 for 5 years it was hard to beat if it works. This would be a potential savings of $100 per bulb if it truly lasts 5 years. After that (IF the led's can be replaced with CREE units), it would be a $110 savings over CFL... If your running 6 23W CFL's, it can get pricey switching bulbs every 3 months!

I'll post results in a month or so to see if the plants keep growing. I see no problem, as light spectrum is nearly the same with a drop in about 300 lumens.

This experiment (i.e. hobby) continues....

I'm eager to see your results!

Casey

 

[typicalwhiteazn]

Already have for 3 months now...... I used Lights of America (Brand) 9 watts par30 LED at 4100K bulbs (3 of them totaling 27 watts)... best part, 3 year warranty from the manufacturer... Bought them from Walmart in the lighting section... I left the light on for 2 weeks straight at one point in my refugium...

pictures to follow soon...

 

[fote03]

Now that is sweet. Do you have any side shots of the tank?

<a href="http://s1229.photobucket.com/albums/ee463/Symphy68/How%20to%20make%20a%20Mangrove%20Refugium/?action=view&current=DSCN9644.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://i1229.photobucket.com/albums/ee463/Symphy68/How%20to%20make%20a%20Mangrove%20Refugium/DSCN9644.jpg" border="0" alt="Photobucket"></a>

 

[Giga]

update for the led growers?

 

[RBTA99]

anyone know where I can order some mangrove pods?

 

[rick12]

ebay is a good start

 

[Plantbrain]

Red mangroves (Rhizophora mangle) are closest to the water... often in the water. Black mangroves (Avicennia germinans) are the next furthest inland. White mangroves (Laguncularia racemosa) generally are the furthest inland.

Virtually all salt tolerant plants deal with salt the same way, good gatekeeping, they still need water, and suberization is going to restrict water coming in/out, it does reduce the leaf transpiration, so less water is needed, but you cannot get around the fact that the plants must have water/nutrients/CO2.

So they are good at taking in water, but excluding salt.
Some as mentioned above will excrete salt(and limit influx at the root zone), whereas others, only just prevent these ions from entering the xylem at the root.

Plants that are sensitive to salt: bad gate keeping at the root/cell surface/leaf surface.

Osmolytica also can help address endogenous salt concentrational change.
Most all salt water plants do this also.

I've found a dozen or more FW plants in water up to about 9ppt, about 1/3 seawater. But nothing like the Red's or seagrasses.






By reducing the transpiration, less water is required and less energy is expended using the roots to exclude salt. It's a harsh place for plants on many levels, but the pay off is less competition. IME, the red mangrove does grow in FW, but not as well.

 

[DeathWish302]

update for the led growers?

Well.... I cannot claim that I have substantial results with the mangroves from the LED switch, BUT i have had explosive growth of taxifolia. I don't know if this growth explosion has resulted possibly from the marginal increase of mangrove growth or not. My Hanna checker measured ZERO after returning from vacation for a week. I usually crank up the pellet feeders which cause some PO4 spike, but after checking when I returned I found it was a big, fat goose egg.

I have to remember that a majority of my trees are VERY new, so time will tell if this is the right direction. From the taxifolia, I think PO4 may have finally met it's match in combination to regular GFO maintenance.

If I have obtained these results from a 'trial' Utilitech 18W PAR30 from Lowe's, the new bulbs ordered from LEDLiquidators should kick it up another notch. I ordered the 21W Par30 6500K bulbs from them. Hope to see them in about 14 days.

I'll give an update what happens with these new units after a few weeks of critique.

BTW.... 'Goldy' the GSM female is constantly circling the entrance to her cave in the morning before I leave for work with her 'middle fin' waving at me. :blown:

Apparently the blinding LED floodlight was not in her favor.....

 

[ahebert923]

I recently bought 5 red mangroves from reefcleaners.org and they do not have a root system started yet. I have the green tops out of the water in my display tank. Would it be better to start them in my sump so that the roots can be sand? I have a 90 gallon with 8 T5's.

I've seen people in the thread float them using styrofoam. Is this effective?

This is the first time I am be adventurous and trying something new.

 

[RBTA99]

I recently bought 5 red mangroves from reefcleaners.org and they do not have a root system started yet. I have the green tops out of the water in my display tank. Would it be better to start them in my sump so that the roots can be sand? I have a 90 gallon with 8 T5's.

I've seen people in the thread float them using styrofoam. Is this effective?

This is the first time I am be adventurous and trying something new.

I just got my order in today so I would like to know the same thank :bounce1:

 

[coralreefdoc]

Float them in the sump/refugium, under indirect strong or direct weak lighting, with approx half of their length out of the water. Be sure to light acclimate them

 

[DeathWish302]

I prefer to 'plant' them in some LS/CC in clay pots or those black baskets in the pond section of your LFS or Lowe's. When floating, they start to become to heavy and can flip over in a larger sump/fuge. Then you have a dead mangrove when you return from a week long vacation. Unless you have a dedicated, pvc 'holder', avoid styro IMO. I'm working on completely 'aerial' plant holder for some of my plants, but just haven't allocated the time this summer. Maybe some pics of the PVC structure in the near future.

As for light acclimation, I would just let them alond the first night and then blast them. These are native to intense sunlit regions so this should not be the problem. The major problem is a slow transition from the previos salinity they were in to your system's salinity. My experience has been that the magroves coming from Puerto Rico and FL are truly seed pods, so they eliminate the need for the acclimation to the salinity. The plants coming from hawaii are rooted and I have at best a 75% survival rate.

 

[jarrod13]

i have a standard clamp on lamp that holds a regular light bulb (example 60 watt) what would be the best bulb to put on the mangroves?

 

[DeathWish302]

i have a standard clamp on lamp that holds a regular light bulb (example 60 watt) what would be the best bulb to put on the mangroves?

I have to ask if you've read any part of this thread....? The choices have been stated many times in various areas with a VAST amount of pics..... 'Best' is subjective IMO.

:deadhorse1:

 

[jarrod13]

Yes I have read the thread but I did not see where anyone asked about using this kind of fixture, if you can find it please re-post it, or you could just take up less of your time and simply answer my question

 

[DeathWish302]

I will answer and tell you nearly 'everyone' has a clip on light on their sump, lagoon, vegetable filter, 'fuge or whatever you want to call it.

I've read it on Melev's site, about a thousand other posts and know it has been stated in this thread at least once. No offense to you, but it seems I have become a grumpy 'old' (not really at mid 30's) reefer that rereads the same posts after posts after posts with the same questions. I guess I burn(ed) up the servers with the search function more than most as I enjoy the additional tidbits learned over the years.

I'm playing around with some LED bulbs at the moment. One from Lowe's (Utilitech 18W) and LEDLiquidator's 6500K 21W Par30. Per the intial results from the taxifolia, I would bet I'll never buy another CFL for my mangroves.....

Better?

 

[coralreefdoc]

I disagree with blasting them in strong lighting from the beginning. With CFLs you can get away with this, however, if you blast them with LEDs, most likely in the four digit PAR range, you will not be giving them ideal conditions at that point. Anyone else have any thoughts regarding this ?

 

[jarrod13]

Thank you for the response, I appreciate it. I have read through this thread but I honestly don't remember seeing my exact question, but it doesn't matter, let's get past that ;-)

All I really want to know is what bulb is the best for this fixture

 

[DeathWish302]

I disagree with blasting them in strong lighting from the beginning. With CFLs you can get away with this, however, if you blast them with LEDs, most likely in the four digit PAR range, you will not be giving them ideal conditions at that point. Anyone else have any thoughts regarding this ?

If your blasting with four digit PAR numbers your less than 8-12" from the plants with a small angle lens. At that point, your going to possibly burn leaves from heat. My PAR 30/38bulbs run cool, but not that cool. There is still some heat radiated from the bulbs, but not nearly as much as my 400W radium.

I have 5 'saplings' under one 18W Utilitech 5300K bulb from Lowe's and they have done nothing but sprout new root growth and a couple new leaves since the bulb addition. There is a ~18" 'air gap' between the bulb lens and the top of the sprouts, so the PAR is no where near four digits (but I cannot confirm since I loaned out my Apogee). I would be surprised if it were past 800 honestly. If the sun that enters the window near the lagoon can 'blind' out any light generated by the CFL and LED bulb mix, I would say the problem would be direct sunlight before an LED bulb.

Moral of my story is within reason, intense lighting should not be a problem. Everyone's 'within reason' common sense is different, so take do as you please b/c I'm all for experimentation and won't stop you.

Further reading from one of the reefer's in PA that started my interest in mangroves....

Lighting is a simple matter with mangroves. They are quite adaptable to a wide range of light but prefer bright illumination. Expensive reef aquarium fixtures are not necessary however. Common plant bulbs from the local hardware store are quite fine. Many aquarists have grown fine mangroves under incandescent (including mercury vapor and metal halide) plant-growth spectrum floodlights or spotlights. Fluorescents lamps are found in useful spectrums but lack intensity in all but the closest applications with mangroves.

-Anthony Calfo

Happy Treeing

 

[Giga]

thought I'd share-Been growing black,red and white mangroves(all these pics are older as things have gotten bigger and a few died on me)

White mangroves

Temporary grow station(70w MH and a spiral CF) till I can get my 250W MH set up, and tank