Mangrove root

[Themonsterisme]

Anybody ever try using mangrove roots in thier tank to lower nitrates? They seem to work amazing and require no upkeep other than replacing every 4-6 months... My nitrates were in the 8-10 range and now they barely register... Any info?

 

[mr_X]

They are not very effective. Basically just a conversation piece. You would need many of them to remove noticeable amounts of nutrients.
Why would you need to replace them if they are removing nutrients?

 

[TheTodd]

Hey X - what would you say are the best macros? Cheato, Caulerpa (which is apparently illegal to ship into, or within CA) and any others?

 

[Themonsterisme]

Only need to replace them when they turn black...I did notice nitrate levels drop within a few days after adding them

 

[bribo12]

Are we talking about living mangroves? They shouldn't need to be replaced.

 

[Themonsterisme]

Yea live mangrove...some die and turn black after a while

 

[bribo12]

I agree with mr.x, nutrient uptake via mangroves is very slow. Also, if the plant is turning black it is dying. Are the mangroves leaves out of the water? Are you washing the leaves with fw daily to prevent salt build up which would cause the leaves to die. Mangroves take in sw and the salt precipitates out via their leaves which then builds up. In the wild rain washes the salt off, but in captivity we need to do this by bathing the leaves in fw.

 

[Themonsterisme]

It's the mangrove bulbs (seeds) that come off of the tree... They grow roots and start to grow in the tank...I do about a dozen or so in the 55 gal and 6 for the 29 gal... I am assuming they go through more nitrates cause they are rooting and trying to grow? All I can say is that my nitrate levels definitely showed a difference after adding to the tanks

 

[Themonsterisme]

I'll take a pick of what I'm talking about when I get home

 

[bribo12]

Ok cool maybe that will help clear up the topic haha.

 

[Gregcoyote]

I saw a beautiful reef in Phoenix that had a mangrove swamp tied into it. The Mangrove swamp had its own lighting and evaporation top off was done by a fresh water rainstorm on the trees a few times a day. Pretty cool.

 

[bribo12]

I saw a beautiful reef in Phoenix that had a mangrove swamp tied into it. The Mangrove swamp had its own lighting and evaporation top off was done by a fresh water rainstorm on the trees a few times a day. Pretty cool.

Wow that sounds awesome!

 

[Themonsterisme]

Here is the mangrove (seeds) I have in the tank...they within a few weeks start growing roots

 

[mr_X]

Yes, they will grow like any other sw plant, but macro algae will grow much faster and consume much more IME.
A friend gave me about twenty 2' mangroves And they sit in my sumps as we speak. He had them in a bucket out in the back yard all summer and they grew like crazy out there.

 

[Gregcoyote]

It's still cool. Nothing wrong with trying to model the environment as much as you can. Algae grows faster, but you don't have a cool tree to show for it! 90% of the community does this for enjoyment and decoration, so sometimes that trumps practicality.