Mangrove Root?

[kat and james]

We're toying around with different ideas for setting up our new tank, we would love to get some mangrove root but all we can find is the fake stuff which would look a bit nasty next to the real bogwood we already have.

Do any of you wonderfully helpful people know anywhere we can buy some real mangrove root (in the uk) and if is is suitible for fish tanks as we've never seen any for sale.

Cheers
James

 

[Bloo]

I'd be interested to hear if you find "proper" Mangrove root (that comes from actual Mangrove trees). I've looked and looked myself, but alas no luck. I'm going to South Africa in a couple of months, so perhaps I'll get some from the Mangroves there and bring some back with me
There is something similar you can sometimes find over here (but can't remember what it's called) but anyhow, it's not Mangrove.

Edit: but saying that and from what I've read, it only seems to be used in brackish tanks - I suppose because Mangrove trees grow in brackish water

 

[BigC]

http/www.reefkeeper.co.uk/pages/mangroves.htm

 

[WILDER]

http/www.reefkeeper.co.uk/pages/mangroves.htm

Lol beat me to it.

 

[CFC]

I have some branches which are sold as "mangrove vines" and use them in both brackish and freshwater tanks. They are usually sold in shops that specialise in reptiles and terrestial inverts (tarantulas etc) to go in vivariums but once they are cleaned of any loose bark they are perfectly safe for aquarims too. One thing is that they will float for months before they become water logged enough to sink so you will need to weight them down some how, i use zip ties to attch the vines to rocks.

 

[Bloo]

http/www.reefkeeper.co.uk/pages/mangroves.htm

But unless I'm looking at the wrong thing, you need to buy a mangrove sapling or something
Or can you just buy chunks of wood ?

I have some branches which are sold as "mangrove vines" and use them in both brackish and freshwater tanks. They are usually sold in shops that specialise in reptiles and terrestial inverts (tarantulas etc) to go in vivariums but once they are cleaned of any loose bark they are perfectly safe for aquarims too. One thing is that they will float for months before they become water logged enough to sink so you will need to weight them down some how, i use zip ties to attch the vines to rocks.

So you can definitely use this in freshwater without problems (apart from the floating bit ?)

 

[kat and james]

The brackish thought never occured to me, makes sense though.

There is some stuff that looks similar that i've seen for sale, it appears to be chopped up roots from hardwood trees, it's all jet washed to clean it but it has lots of sharp edges on it and lots of flat cut sections from chainsaws so it doesn't look very natural.

Also, with mangrove trees not growing in this country if we could buy the roots i imagine they would be very expensive as they'd have to be imported - bogwood on the other hand is pulled out of peat-bogs just a few miles down the road from us in Cornwall and it still costs a fortune.

James

 

[BigC]

There are some other woods that can be used for aquatic purposes, scroll down and see if they would figure in your plans.
http/www.dartfrog.co.uk/equipment/landscape.html

 

[Bloo]

There are some other woods that can be used for aquatic purposes, scroll down and see if they would figure in your plans.
http/www.dartfrog.co.uk/equipment/landscape.html

Thanks that's a very good website - I've bookmarked it

(Liana was the other wood I thought of -that some people say is similar to Mangrove - but to me it doesn't look like Mangrove)

 

[BigC]

Thanks that's a very good website - I've bookmarked it

Sure is I've used their services in the past. The proprietor Mark is very helpful.

 

[kat and james]

Thanks for the link, that website is really good.

I'd really like a big bit to go at the end of the tank (6ft x 2ft x 2ft) and drape down from the top - would look awesome.

James

 

[B2k2]

Ebay have them here

 

[Bloo]

Ebay have them here

Thanks but that's just little live plants We're talking about large chunks of dead mature wood.

 

[kat and james]

You got it Bloozoo2 - that's exactly wahat we want, but it's not looking too likely were going to get some

I do however have a plan . . . . when are you going to South Africa? . . . . I have a chainsaw you can borrow!!

James

 

[BigC]

Are these too artificial.
http/www.wharfaquatics.co.uk/troproots.htm