Using TBS liverock to populate mangrove tank?

[Cody Ray]

I was thinking that if someone really wanted to create a biotope aquarium, a mixture of TBS liverock, a deep sandbed, and red mangroves would be interesting. Seeing as how water movement in mangrove swamps is fairly slow, maybe imploying airlift tubs and no skimming would help spread the liverock inhabitants to the mangrove roots and other surfaces. This wouldn't exactly be a mangrove swamp, seeing as how the salinity would have to be at full-strength saltwater (maybe the most outer edge of a swamp?). Any thoughts?

 

[eleodes]

there is a small tank at the Shedd Aquarium that has what you describe in your idea. it looks really cool. the roots spread over the rock in a bonsai-esque fashion. i haven't hung out in mangroves very much, but i've never seen rocks there, just sand and mud. i am not sure how prevalent rock might be in mangroves(?).

your point about fouling organisms colonizing the mangrove roots is a very good one. i think that that would make a much more authentic representation.

i think that you ought to give it a shot, and post pictures.

 

[Cody Ray]

I don't really plan on creating much of a "rock wall" to droop the mangroves over like the one at Shedds (that is such an awsome place!). Really just a few large/flat pieces placed in the lower portions of the aquarium (there may be an area of sand that is completely exposed) to add to the biodiversity and to have places to grow corals (if any, lots of that TBS rock has coral on it already). Right now it is just an idea, if anything I would use a 55-gallon and only fill it half way (so the "actual" size would be 48"x13"x10"). For the first few months the aquarium would be nothing but the sand and mangroves. It would also be completely full. The plants would be floated to allow the roots to grow down to the substrate. Instead of raising the plant up, the water would slowely be lowered to expose the roots until the water table reached the desired level.

 

[Samala]

What corals grow in a mangrove estuary? I didnt think it was very clear in these areas so perhaps the corals that are non-photosynthetic do well? This is an interesting concept. How long do you think it will take the mangroves to sprout and grow considerable roots to recreate the swampy look?

Oh.. why does it have to be at full strength salinity? Just curious.

>Sarah

 

[eleodes]

again, i don't know very much about mangroves, (or any other marine ecosystem) but i think that one could consider doing a representation of a mangrove habitat showing something other than the classic estuary with brackish water. i remember being at a spot in Costa Rica where the mangrove forest seemed to just communicate directly with the seawater in the bay. there is also a photograph in a book that i saw (i think it might be that Sprung book on algae) that was shot at water level and shows a large brain coral in the foreground and mangroves not very far away towards the shore. and i've also seen shots (i just did a web search and couldn't find any there) of mangrove roots that were thoroughly encrusted with tunicates, anemones and other forms that probably wouldn't have made it very well in brackish water. for sure the best one to use would be the red mangrove (<em>Rhizophora mangle</em>) because that is the one that is found the most seaward and in the highest salinity water. that also happens to be the one most commonly available for sale to aquarists.

like you say Cody it would be cool to explore how to get encrusting organisms to spread to roots. a possibilty that could be interesting would be to see if somebody could try to collect fallen branches or dead roots from a mangrove area and introduce to aquarium. although the development of extensive prop roots might take a while, you could just add other substrates (maybe aquarium-safe drift wood) while the mangroves grow. you could then examine the non-colonized material after a period of time to see what might have been able to move onto it.

i have seen several warnings that mangroves can break aquariums. i am also pondering setting up a system with mangroves and was looking at these tanks as a possibility.

http://www.aquaticeco.com/index.cfm/fuseaction/product.detail/iid/4129/cid/1182

of course, they don't offer a nice view underwater. maybe they could be cut and have an acrylic or tempered glass panel added to front.

you have probably seen this alrerady

http://www.reefkeeping.com/issues/2004-12/ac/feature/

i ran into a few things in literature searches and on the web that were about the organisms of mangrove roots. try "root-fouling" and "epibiosis" as search terms.

well, that's just some ramblings anyway.

-D

 

[Cody Ray]

Oh.. why does it have to be at full strength salinity? Just curious.

The rock is from full strength sea water, an I would be willing to bet that the inhabitants of that rock would appriciate having similar conditions.

 

[Cody Ray]

Also, yes I have seen that article, and I have actually seen that first photo in person. Unfotunatlly that aquarium is now closed
I just realize that I already have a 20 long that I could use, would rather have the 55, but beggers cant be choosers. Here is a photo of the aquarium:

 

[xcreonx]

There are some areas here in Florida where mangroves grow on rocky seawalls and other man-made rocky locations on the Intercoastal waterway. They develop big prop roots and are just beautiful. Lemme see if I can get a shot next time i'm out on the boat (this weekend if it doesn't rain!).

It's not a 'natural' environment for the mangrove like a silty muddy mangrove swamp, but it is an interesting habitat to replicate in an aquarium.

 

[eleodes]

it seems as though several of us are interested in seeing more images from Gulf and Caribbean habitats. so anything you can post would be great.