RicksReefs
New member
it's illegal if they've already sprouted at all. seed pods with no roots or shoots/leaves are fine to collect.
Why no big mangroves in aquariums
- Thread starter nonamethefish
- Start date
devgru
Premium Member
thanks rick that was very helpful,id hate to get arrested for picking a plant that doesnt contain THC and have to explain it in jail
...maybe one day I could check out your coral system and later go flick boogers on tourists...when i was alot younger we threw oranges...seemed coll at the time on I-drive
...maybe one day I could check out your coral system and later go flick boogers on tourists...when i was alot younger we threw oranges...seemed coll at the time on I-drive
RicksReefs
New member
the FWC doesn't mess around when it comes to mangroves or rock. without a stores receipt, they'll always assume it came from the wild and pop you for it. a few years ago I spoke to the main tallahassee FWC office (guy named Scott something) and was informed about the 'any sprouting and it's illegal' rule.
nonamethefish
New member
Thanks for the confirmation on the photo. I suspected it was fake but wonder why no tanks exist with real mangroves and that look.
LJA
Member
I have two black mangrove seedlings that have recently sprouted in my fuge area of my sump. They have actually grown about 3 inches in the past 2 months I've had them.
I plan on my next build to have three tanks...
at least a 90 Gallon display with a 55 gallon under it for a "macro/seahorse" tank and a 55 under that for the sump.
Only the display and the macro tank would be visable and the overflow would be from the display into the macro 55 and from there to the sump and back up to the display.
I think it would be very difficult to incorporate a few mangroves into a display reef tank just due to the facts that have been stated about how slow they grow and their tendency to need special conditions.
I plan on my next build to have three tanks...
at least a 90 Gallon display with a 55 gallon under it for a "macro/seahorse" tank and a 55 under that for the sump.
Only the display and the macro tank would be visable and the overflow would be from the display into the macro 55 and from there to the sump and back up to the display.
I think it would be very difficult to incorporate a few mangroves into a display reef tank just due to the facts that have been stated about how slow they grow and their tendency to need special conditions.
nonamethefish
New member
Again, not a display reef, but rather a tank centered around the mangroves themselves.
Mentat
New member
Re: Why no big mangroves in aquariums
First thing that someone has to do is research and understand the needs of a mangrove tree. Then they can decide if a big mangrove in an aquarium is feasible, or if a trip to a mangrove forest and natural enjoyment is a much better choice. Here is a good Mangrove Ecology article to read and get you started.
nonamethefish
New member
Now that would be neat. Doesn't need to be tiny, but a good sized mangrove in a tank would be awesome.
stevenking69
New member
I live in Tampa Bay area and am currently raising some small mangroves in my 45 display refuguim. I have some planted in the sub and some with only roots in the water suspended by pvd and suction cups at the top of the tank. I purchase these locally for about one dollar a piece. The laws in Florida with regard to fish and local waters are sometimes moronic. Mangroves are allowed to be cut back on ones own property up to 3 feet wide to allow passage to water via dock or ground path. I am not sure but I would think that would allow someone that has them growing on their own property to harvest small growing plants as they emerge from these locations (within the 3 feet path). If someone can expand on this that would be great. I am simply using common sense and do not in fact know the laws about this. I have found in the past that common sense is often trumped by legislators and nut bag lobbyists. 
Mangodude
The Clown Tang Keeper!
I live in Tampa Bay area and am currently raising some small mangroves in my 45 display refuguim. I have some planted in the sub and some with only roots in the water suspended by pvd and suction cups at the top of the tank. I purchase these locally for about one dollar a piece. The laws in Florida with regard to fish and local waters are sometimes moronic. Mangroves are allowed to be cut back on ones own property up to 3 feet wide to allow passage to water via dock or ground path. I am not sure but I would think that would allow someone that has them growing on their own property to harvest small growing plants as they emerge from these locations (within the 3 feet path). If someone can expand on this that would be great. I am simply using common sense and do not in fact know the laws about this. I have found in the past that common sense is often trumped by legislators and nut bag lobbyists.
Hey, I got no idea about the legal stuff but I would presume if they're on your land you would have some sort of right over them.. i checked at one point and you can collect the mangrove pods/plants if they're floating in the water, just not when they're rooted. I'm thinking maybe you could dig the ground away around them until they float then pick up the "floating" plants if you know what I'm saying
To the OP, i'm skipping reading all the posts for now but here in the Tampa bay area, mangroves can grow suprsisingly quick. However, they have considerably more nutrients then our little aquariums can provide. They are still relativily slowgrowing trees but you could expect a foot a year at a minimum. if you added fertilizer to your water you might see normal growth but all of our aquariums are so clean that the nutrients the plant needs are most often non-existant
As I have posted in the past it might be possible to grow a bonsai mangrove. Check back with me in three years!
Well it has been 3 years so any updates?
That is very cool btw.
sassyfrassy
New member
I have red mangroves -8- growing in my macro display with plants sticking out the back of the hood. I intend to install a grow light on wall above them so they will grow up behind the tank. The roots are an interesting look (imo) in the DT as they are red. At the moment the roots range from 4-8" and there are only 3-6 leaves on each mangrove. They grow slow, but I don't intend to allow them to grow into the sand.
Purple Rocks
New member
Plants, trees in this case, require alot of light and nutrients. The main 3 being
Nitrogen, Phosphorus, Potassium. None of wich are found in great quantities in aquaria. As a plant grows there demand for nutrients grow, While we the reef keeper continue to drop nutrient lvls.
Also plants require chelated metals and other elements, some of wich we are very anal about keeping out of our system. (wich i dont agree with)
In my Opinion you either grow a reef or a mangrove tree, someth'n will suffer if you try to do both, or as most people experience very slow growth, with sparse leafing and stretched stems and trunks. Plants require vitamins, Amino acids and symbiotic bacteria/algae and NUTRIENTS all of wich are missing from our aquaria in great amounts with respect to nature.
Its a tree! the trace amount of nutrients found in a reef system can barely sustain growth, hence why it may grow taller but not wider or why as a new leave grows an old one falls off. It may be growing but it is FAR from healthy.
when one nutrient is out of balance it has an effect on other nutrients, inhibiting or speeding up the assimilation process. Also ph balance has and effect on what nutrients are easily available (in lamen terms).
Is a mangrove forest the same ph as a reef?
No because mangroves are usually thriving in areas where there is a lot of rotting vegetation and organics in the process of being broken down into smaller elements/combinations, the PH of these areas are usually lower with some nutrients being more easily available than in a reef.
I also wanted to say that wiping the leaves with room temp tap water is needed to keep these plants healthy, if not the stomata will clog with salts and dust. This intern can inhibit the plant from regulating temperature and evaporation.
An idea for growing one of these would to grow in a 5 gallon bucket with mesh pot. Fill around the mangrove with expanded clay or seashell(be careful of sharp edges cutting roots). Set up a small pump to circulate water from a sump to the mangrove then drain back, run in 5 min intervals or atleast allow the roots to slightly dry(but remain moist) during the night for a few hours. I dont believe having them in the sand will actually do any better.(lets face it its usually not the proper substrate or very rich anyhow and we spend more time testing the water than the substrate). We can also seperate it from the rest of the tank if needed and it will not harm its container. It could then be placed in front of a window or away from the display/sump while still being connected to the aquarium you do not need a large amount of water flow only 100% humidity around the root system in fact this is best as roots need oxygen to thrive.
These are just some of my thoughts on the subject, among many.
Nitrogen, Phosphorus, Potassium. None of wich are found in great quantities in aquaria. As a plant grows there demand for nutrients grow, While we the reef keeper continue to drop nutrient lvls.
Also plants require chelated metals and other elements, some of wich we are very anal about keeping out of our system. (wich i dont agree with)
In my Opinion you either grow a reef or a mangrove tree, someth'n will suffer if you try to do both, or as most people experience very slow growth, with sparse leafing and stretched stems and trunks. Plants require vitamins, Amino acids and symbiotic bacteria/algae and NUTRIENTS all of wich are missing from our aquaria in great amounts with respect to nature.
Its a tree! the trace amount of nutrients found in a reef system can barely sustain growth, hence why it may grow taller but not wider or why as a new leave grows an old one falls off. It may be growing but it is FAR from healthy.
when one nutrient is out of balance it has an effect on other nutrients, inhibiting or speeding up the assimilation process. Also ph balance has and effect on what nutrients are easily available (in lamen terms).
Is a mangrove forest the same ph as a reef?
No because mangroves are usually thriving in areas where there is a lot of rotting vegetation and organics in the process of being broken down into smaller elements/combinations, the PH of these areas are usually lower with some nutrients being more easily available than in a reef.
I also wanted to say that wiping the leaves with room temp tap water is needed to keep these plants healthy, if not the stomata will clog with salts and dust. This intern can inhibit the plant from regulating temperature and evaporation.
An idea for growing one of these would to grow in a 5 gallon bucket with mesh pot. Fill around the mangrove with expanded clay or seashell(be careful of sharp edges cutting roots). Set up a small pump to circulate water from a sump to the mangrove then drain back, run in 5 min intervals or atleast allow the roots to slightly dry(but remain moist) during the night for a few hours. I dont believe having them in the sand will actually do any better.(lets face it its usually not the proper substrate or very rich anyhow and we spend more time testing the water than the substrate). We can also seperate it from the rest of the tank if needed and it will not harm its container. It could then be placed in front of a window or away from the display/sump while still being connected to the aquarium you do not need a large amount of water flow only 100% humidity around the root system in fact this is best as roots need oxygen to thrive.
These are just some of my thoughts on the subject, among many.
Last edited:
Biotopes
New member
You are aware that mangroves natural habitat IS saltwater/brackish water, correct? I'm not being rude, but mangroves live in saltwater, or extremely saline brackish. They do grow well in freshwater, but many aquarists doing experiments to see the results have not fine tuned there experiments.
I saw a video on youtube of an aquarist claiming to have a perfectly set up experiment to see what salinity mangroves grow better in. If you would do that experiment, you need to have the same EVERYTHING. Same depth sand bed, same amount of mangroves, same water quality, same amount of dosing/nutrients etc If you did that and gave them ideal conditions I think you'd see that mangroves grow best in brackish, second best in salt, and third best in fresh.
d2mini
Premium Member
I'm surprised no on has mentioned Julian Sprung's refugium.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WYN705Qu6_U
and…
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3_MfOHz_kxw
I think he mentioned somewhere that he's had this mangrove for like 20 years, trimming it like a bonsai tree.
To give you an idea of how slow, these are my mangroves that are about 1.5 years old, grown from seedlings, and I've been trimming them back to allow new branches to sprout. Maybe in another 10 years I'll have something closer to Mr Sprung's tree.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WYN705Qu6_U
and…
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3_MfOHz_kxw
I think he mentioned somewhere that he's had this mangrove for like 20 years, trimming it like a bonsai tree.
To give you an idea of how slow, these are my mangroves that are about 1.5 years old, grown from seedlings, and I've been trimming them back to allow new branches to sprout. Maybe in another 10 years I'll have something closer to Mr Sprung's tree.
Biotopes
New member
I'm surprised no on has mentioned Julian Sprung's refugium.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WYN705Qu6_U
and"¦
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3_MfOHz_kxw
I think he mentioned somewhere that he's had this mangrove for like 20 years, trimming it like a bonsai tree.
To give you an idea of how slow, these are my mangroves that are about 1.5 years old, grown from seedlings, and I've been trimming them back to allow new branches to sprout. Maybe in another 10 years I'll have something closer to Mr Sprung's tree.
Ahh! I forgot about his tree! I love that cube, the mangrove is awesome. Nice mangrove set up by the way!
