The ultimate Mangrove thread!!

[pbltb]

Hi new member here, thought to post this here and avoid making another thread. Sorry for bad English.

Anyways I need help with my red mangrove, it grew so big one of the roots broke the tank. I’m already waiting to my new tank to arrive but I can’t keep moving it to bigger tanks indefinitely. Questions are:

1.- Can I safely cut some of the roots without killing my plant ?

2.- Where should I trim it? The principal “trunk” it’s the biggest one but in afraid it can kill the plant as well.

Right now it’s flowering so I think I should wait until October at least to trim it.

Thanks in advance!

 

[toi_ss]

1.- Can I safely cut some of the roots without killing my plant ?

I dont think this is a great idea, as red mangroves specifically use a pressure system within their roots to keep the salt out, this is why the salt builds up around their roots and not on their leaves like other genuses of mangroves. I have seen people cut red mangrove's roots but it doesn't always go well, what you could maybe do is cut what you want to take off and then immediately cover the area with a cyanoacrylate gel superglue to seal wherever you cut because otherwise the mangrove won't be able to excrete salt and will likely die.

 

[sfin52]

Right. But Stewy asked if a reef light would grow his. I just cane up with the next cheapest option that would be good enough to grow the mangrove.

I use 2 noopsyche for my mangroves. They love it.

 

[sfin52]

 

[Eric R.]

Nice setup!

I feel like the color on the leaves in your image looks consistently lighter/more yellow than what I am used to seeing with my red mangroves. And the veins have a more noticeable contrast, since the leaves are lighter colored.

Have they always looked like this?

 

[Gregg @ ADP]

Mangrove update from my 180g classroom reef:

1/10/24

9/30/24

 

[Creggers]

Is there anyway I'll grow mangroves in my display under Kessil AP9Xs?

I got two red mangroves from Algaebarn down in my sump right now and I'd love to move them up into my display but my tank isn't near a window. My grow light in my sump is the neptune gro light, I wouldn't want to have them settled into my salt and than be missing what they need from the light perspective.

 

[besskurz]

Is there anyway I'll grow mangroves in my display under Kessil AP9Xs?

I got two red mangroves from Algaebarn down in my sump right now and I'd love to move them up into my display but my tank isn't near a window. My grow light in my sump is the neptune gro light, I wouldn't want to have them settled into my salt and than be missing what they need from the light perspective.

If it's close to the window the natural light will help but at least mine grow faster in artificial / grow lights.

 

[Eric R.]

Is there anyway I'll grow mangroves in my display under Kessil AP9Xs?

I got two red mangroves from Algaebarn down in my sump right now and I'd love to move them up into my display but my tank isn't near a window. My grow light in my sump is the neptune gro light, I wouldn't want to have them settled into my salt and than be missing what they need from the light perspective.

The more PAR for mangroves, the better, as long as the leaves don't get too close to the light, because that can cause them to get burnt/browned. And white lighting is better than blues. You could always add an inexpensive simple white grow light specifically for the mangrove - most of the time display lights are mount too close to the top of the display to provide good coverage for a mangrove canopy that is growing a foot or more above the display. They will likely do better in the display, or a separate display sump/refugium, then in the stand below the tank.

 

[OrionN]

I bought 30 red mangrove propagules and put them in my sump. Planted several in a pot and the rest just stuck to the roots of my black mangrove. I have to drastically pruned my black mangrove to get light to reach my Red mangrove propagules.

 

[OrionN]

In terrestrial plants, when the leaves looks like this, the plant is lacking in iron.
Do more research and see what you should supplement your plant with.

 

[OrionN]

Hi new member here, thought to post this here and avoid making another thread. Sorry for bad English.

Anyways I need help with my red mangrove, it grew so big one of the roots broke the tank. I’m already waiting to my new tank to arrive but I can’t keep moving it to bigger tanks indefinitely. Questions are:

1.- Can I safely cut some of the roots without killing my plant ?

2.- Where should I trim it? The principal “trunk” it’s the biggest one but in afraid it can kill the plant as well.

Right now it’s flowering so I think I should wait until October at least to trim it.

Thanks in advance!

I have a Yellow tang in my planted sump for algae control so I don't feed him a great deal. He still is very fat because I don't like mal nourish fish under my care. However, he killed on of my growing Red mangrove propagules because he went after the roots. I imaging root damage can has drastic affects to Red mangroves. Black mangrove on the other hand, can have their roots chew on and the plant did just fine. Also my black mangrove is quite a bit bigger with the main trunk over 1.5 inch in diameter.

 

[OrionN]

Is there anyway I'll grow mangroves in my display under Kessil AP9Xs?

I got two red mangroves from Algaebarn down in my sump right now and I'd love to move them up into my display but my tank isn't near a window. My grow light in my sump is the neptune gro light, I wouldn't want to have them settled into my salt and than be missing what they need from the light perspective.

It is difficult, if not impossible to light plants that grow tall out of the water with our reef light. The leaves will be burn by the light as it get closer to the light source. I would recommend daylight LED mounted high up to light your plants, and reef light to light your tank. 6-18 inches of space between the water surface and the reef light is not enough room for mangrove. It is better to have the mangrove grow through the reef light canopy and get another light source.
I use cheap day light flood light bulbs from Home Depo.

 

[Eric R.]

I have a Yellow tang in my planted sump for algae control so I don't feed him a great deal. He still is very fat because I don't like mal nourish fish under my care. However, he killed on of my growing Red mangrove propagules because he went after the roots. I imaging root damage can has drastic affects to Red mangroves. Black mangrove on the other hand, can have their roots chew on and the plant did just fine. Also my black mangrove is quite a bit bigger with the main trunk over 1.5 inch in diameter.

I still need to try my hand with a black mangrove, your pictures make them look very impressive.

I wonder if the difference between red and black in handling root damage is due to the fact that red need to be able to exclude salt at the root membrane, whereas black excrete salt from their leaves. Makes sense then that damaging the root impairs their ability to maintain internal salt levels, whereas the black can still excrete excess salt through their leaves. Interesting observation.

 

[Eric R.]

@OrionN do you have any mangroves in display tanks? Do you have anything to stop fish from jumping on tanks with mangroves in them?

I’m trying to figure out how to manage jumping fish since I want to move my mangroves from the bucket they have been in for a couple years to the display, now that they are adjusted to NSW salinity levels. I only run saltwater tanks with lids though.

Curious what other people do - seems I mostly see people run without tops and just hope their fish don’t jump out. I don’t trust my luck that far.

 

[CHSUB]

@OrionN do you have any mangroves in display tanks? Do you have anything to stop fish from jumping on tanks with mangroves in them?

I’m trying to figure out how to manage jumping fish since I want to move my mangroves from the bucket they have been in for a couple years to the display, now that they are adjusted to NSW salinity levels. I only run saltwater tanks with lids though.

Curious what other people do - seems I mostly see people run without tops and just hope their fish don’t jump out. I don’t trust my luck that far.

I’m hoping my fish don’t jump. It limits fish selection greatly. I had a Mides Blenny jump last week, thought they didn’t jump often but was wrong. It’s the only fish that I have lost due to an uncovered aquarium.

 

[OrionN]

I don't have problem with fish jumping out until I keep Fairly and Flasher. Only start to keep cover aquarium when I got infected with the incurable Wrasse Disease.
I have a topless 40 AIO cube that I am about to put one of my Red Mangrove propagules in the back compartment. This tank is sitting right next to a full glass wall facing Southeast so it should get plenty of natural light. The room, my office, has daylight LED light also so I think I don't have to add additional light for it. This tank just has a pair of black snowflakes and a Gigantea in it in term of major animals. A lots of Zoanthids and rock flower anemones in it also. Will post a picture of it once I have my Red Mangrove in it.

 

[Seancj]

Does anyone know if black or red mangroves are better at filtration? Does one grow faster than the other? I have 10 good size reds right now, and am considering adding another dozen red, or maybe mixing things up with some black.

 

[toi_ss]

Does anyone know if black or red mangroves are better at filtration? Does one grow faster than the other? I have 10 good size reds right now, and am considering adding another dozen red, or maybe mixing things up with some black.

I would say black mangroves grow faster, neither really do anything for filtration unless you have like a large 1 metre tall tree sticking out of a 15 gallon.