Quick mangrove question

The friendliest place on the web for anyone with an interest in aquariums or fish keeping!
If you have answers, please help by responding to the unanswered posts.
See posts with no answers
Newfiereefer

Newfiereefer

Aquarium Advice Freak
Joined
Apr 3, 2012
Messages
283
Anyone out there using mangrove for phosphate control? If so are try effective and would I need a lot of them? And are they safe to plan directly in the tank as I currently don't have a refuge set up
 
I don't know if they alone do a lot or not, but the combo with other things help some. How much I don't know. I know I had 25 hanging along the back side of my 55g and my phosphates levels still climbed and now fighting a cynao problem. I did how ever just build a refugium in my sump. I have Cheato, Halmidia, and somethnig else I can't remember the name, sand, along with some live rock. But, I am going to order some more mangroves this weekend to put in sump. My thought is every little bit helps.
 
I'm not familiar with mangroves, but in terms of adding them to a fuge it can't hurt IMO. The use of them would probably be the only time I would also suggest using a sand bed in the fuge as I believe they have an actual root system and require sand. I might be wrong on this, and if I am I revert back to my normal advice for fuges, no LR or sand. Just make sure you have the correct amount in your DT and use the room in your fuge for macro algaes.
 
An issue that you need to be aware of with mangroves is that in addition to absorbing nitrates/phosphates, they also consume very large amounts of calcium requiring you to start dosing calcium if you are not currently. If you are, it will require you to up your dosing amounts.
 
I too have mangroves about 20 small ones for a while now i rigged up an hob filter so it sits under my lights works great. money wise its not worth the amount of nitrates it brings down imho. However i will second the calcium .. i think you might be confused with the plant halimeda.
 
You're right, I was remembering wrong somewhat. If you do a little research, you well see that mangroves are actually a brachish water plant. In order to survive in salt or brachish water, they use magnesium in order to get rid of the excess salt absorbed with the water and pump the salt out of their leaves. This means that they not only remove the salt using their leaves, but they also absorb very high levels of magnesium in order to do so. Since Magnesium and calcium are tied together in the reef aquarium, using mangroves for nutrient absorption can cause levels of these to elements to vary considerably, especially as the mangrove plants get larger.
 
Last edited:
So would cheato be a better choice then would you say for phos / nitrate absorption ? Also I have a " phospad " in my canister anybody try using those ?
 
Overall, cheato is used widley in the hobby just because it does not absorb large amount of anything asside from nitrates. When you talk about things like mangroves and hamildas or other calcifying macro algaes, they do absorb calcium just as our corals do. It becomes up to you if you want them in your system and gauging if you can keep them happily supplied with calcium.

I am currently only running cheato in my fuge. I have not finished plumbing my new 55, but it will be running a dual reactor for phosban and activated carbon. Obv the phos-whatever is good at reducing phosphates. These canisters and reactors become more effective the more water they can be in contact with, similar to a UV filter.
 
I use the phos pads at the intake of my fuge, mainly because of necessity at this point as I don't have a reactor setup yet. IMO, they help with keeping phosphates out of the tank, but they really won't cure an existing problem. I change it out monthly, rinsing it weekly with my PWC. Like I said, I think it helps keep it out, but it won't bring down high mlevels of phosphate. A reactor is def the way to go, long-term.
 
Ok so at least their not a gimmic , that makes me a lil happier , so good an controlling but not reducing .... Well at least it wit get worse ...... At a speedy rate, I'm about to get a five running soon to help with the phos and trates
 
Sniperhank said:
Overall, cheato is used widley in the hobby just because it does not absorb large amount of anything asside from nitrates. When you talk about things like mangroves and hamildas or other calcifying macro algaes, they do absorb calcium just as our corals do. It becomes up to you if you want them in your system and gauging if you can keep them happily supplied with calcium.

I am currently only running cheato in my fuge. I have not finished plumbing my new 55, but it will be running a dual reactor for phosban and activated carbon. Obv the phos-whatever is good at reducing phosphates. These canisters and reactors become more effective the more water they can be in contact with, similar to a UV filter.
Click to expand...

So cheato dosent do much for phosphates ? Is this correct ? That is what I got from their , I hold out on the mangroves until everything is a lil more stable
 
So these both help with phosphates then , I mean I'm no expert but phosphate essentially is basic terms " plant food "in a marine Eco system ( from what if read ) and will cause algae to grow and expedient rates , so if micro algae will consume phosphates and nitrates then mist macro algae should help with this as well :-/ ( not including the more delicate macro algae )
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

Similar threads

R
First aquarium setup - but worried!
Replies
5
Views
467
Rev G
R
F
Time to help my platties on their way
Replies
7
Views
359
Andy Sager
Andy Sager
F
Hi! I have a quick question?
Replies
8
Views
438
Andy Sager
Andy Sager
T
A Quick Hello
Replies
3
Views
244
Colin_T
C
F
Leaking Penn Plax Cascade 500 Problem
Replies
3
Views
378
Andy Sager
Andy Sager

Latest posts

Back
Top Bottom