The Brown Stage - Help an Mangrove out

[Crims]

Anthony,

Your writings are a wonderful addition to the marine aquarium hobby. In reading your article on Mangroves, I need some furthor help in aide in my quest to keep these beautiful plants.

Currently, I have kept mangroves for a year or so, but only have success when I plan them in pots but not within the reef aquarium.

Let me explain, I have 3 now that are doing wonderfully in dirt and pots with only weekly watering. The are getting natural sunlight and are doing great.

Now, in my reef tank, I have one that came from a reef aquarium (about 12-16" tall) and the first few weeks was doing good. After a few weeks, the red mangrove started dying and the leaves starting falling off. I ran across your article and have watered (sprayed) the mangrove daily with no success. The lights are three 250 HQI (14K) that are pendent style. The mangrove has roots and the salinity is pretty stable (1.023).

Is there something that I can start doing to bring this guy back into life??? I really want to excel in keeping mangroves in reef tank...

Any help would be appreciated.

Jesse

 

[Anthony Calfo]

Hmmm... not sure I understand the situation here my friend. When the seedling was moved (from dirt?) was there a salinity change (not, right?) or stripping of the roots (removed from soil/dirt)?

Either of the above is a severe stress for sensitive Rhizophora mangle

The best success with red mangroves is always (!) sprouting them in the water they will ultimately reside in. They usually take changes in substrate, light or SG very poorly.

provide more info if you can my friend

 

[Crims]

Anthony,

Thanks for helping me! It is truely an honor to be assisted by such an expert as yourself.

About the Mangrove:

I have many of them... The ones that are in the dirt are doing great but the only one in the Reef Tank (Salinity 1.023) is doing really bad.

I brought him home from a Reef Store. The store owner had him in a reef tank with Flourescents lights and would turn off the lights in the main store on Sundays and Mondays until he opened on Tuesday. The mangrove started to weaken after a couple of weeks. One thing to note though. The mangrove had 3 leaves (2-3 inches) and the color was really green but the owner was going to throw them away when he said he could not take care of them. So I decided to take him home and put into my reef Tank.

(I love these guys so much!!!)

Please see the pictures from the following web site to give you a better idea how I have him:
http://jcrim.com/reefs/images/

Well, after three weeks he lost all leaves and shivered up hince "the brown stage." From my readings on your articles, I assume that he went from a shock but I don't think from a salinity shock but from a Light intensity shock. Could that be it???

Well, I have 250 watt DE 14K bulbs and only run it 4-6 hours a day.

What is your best suggestions and do you think this little guy will live???

Any help would be appreciated!

Jesse
jesse@jcrim.com

 

[Anthony Calfo]

unless you have a spotlight above the mangrove(s) shining on them... they are not getting enough light my friend. The deprivation over time (the shop and your tank) took its toll it seems.

Do use/consider a cheap plant floodlight from the DIY store to shine directly onto the plant(s). 75 watts or so would be fine... it will be focussed light.

Daily misting of the tip (and leaves on return) is crucial.

kindly, Anthony

 

[Crims]

Thank you Anthony...

This whole time, I thought I was running too much light and burning the mangrove, but you are suggesting adding a spotlight to the tank...

wow... Thanks for you help!

As far as the cheap plant floodlight, I only live near a Home Depot. See the link below... Is this what you are talking about or do you have any better suggestions about a light where I can order online. (Please provide a link!)

Jesse

http://www.homedepot.com/

Put: 161283 into the search bar

 

[Crims]

Or Just click on this:

http://www.homedepot.com/prel80/HDUS/EN_US/diy_main/pg_diy.jsp?prod_id=161283

thanks...

 

[Anthony Calfo]

do search my forum for threads on Chaetomorpha... some neat suggestions for plant/algae lighting in there

Most any daylight colored lamp with a decent CRI (over 90 ideally) will do