mangroves

[tetraboy]

i cant wait till recieve them i have got a spare 2ft tank i am going to set up as a brackish tank to plant this in. does any have any info on growing these or any websites that may help

heres what i won - http/cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?Vie...4330849887&rd=1

 

[shrimpster97]

whoa those are cool, how fast do they grow? the fish will love to swim through those.

 

[Fish Buddy]

Wow, I like those!

 

[CFC]

They will need to be started in FW until the roots have turned hard and woody, when the roots are soft salt water turns them mushy in tanks for some reason. They grow VERY slowly and need bright lighting above them to achieve any growth at all.

 

[LadyMinion]

I've seen those on ebay recently and was thinking of puchasing a few. Let us know how you get on with yours tetraboy.

 

[tetraboy]

thanks for the info CFC i have got a tank that i can plant it in. metal halide is not an option but how many tubes do you reckon would be enough

LadyMinion - i will post pictures when it is set up

any other info planting material? graval? sand? how deap? how far under water surface?

 

[CFC]

You dont plant mangroves, they float on the surface and send roots down to the substrate, you will need to at least have a portion of your tank uncovered for the mangrove to grow upwards, they are trees really. To steady the mangrove pod so it doesnt fall on its side take a square of polystyrene with a small hole in the middle and push the pod into the hole so that the rooted end is at the bottom and float the whole thing in the tank.

 

[tetraboy]

thanks cfc how about substrate i asume sand would be best?

 

[Dragonscales]

Sand should be fine, although alot of people have reported good results with gravel as well. Gravel allows for more oxygen to reach the roots, which is essential for any plant - but, as I said, sand works well too.

If you have a sump then you can also use them in there as well, providing you give them light. Don't sit a light too near the follage though as they can easily be scorched and overheat, although they are tropical and do need more than sunlight from a nearby window. The top half of the plant should be above water also.

They should be cut back every so often as well due to the fact that mangroves can grow to enormous proportions and are quite a sight in the wild (I had the aweinspiring chance of going out in a boat when I was on holiday in Darwin and seeing these majestic trees all along the coast and growing all along the banks of rivers that flowed into the sea, the abundance of wildlife was breathtaking as well, even saw a turtle putting alongside the boat). Perhaps borrowing a few books on general gardening from a library or running a few searches online can better enhance your green thumbs. Even learning a bit about Bonsai could be useful to you in regards to keeping these as well, as the same sort of pruning will be required over time to ensure your house doesn't become overrun by your plants lol

Don't blame me if you happen to get bitten by the garden gnome bug and contract a few new hobbies in the process though, God knows, I did

Between fish, Bonsai, Carnivorous plants and the missus, I barely have time to scratch my ass these days

 

[tetraboy]

don't worry I already grow plants. i have done some landscape gardening for people. i grow loads of aquatic plants and have lately branched (exuse the pun) off into house plants this seemed the next step.

aswell as all that I have eight 5-15gal tanks and work in my lfs five days a week

i got the bug too

 

[luxum]

I grow my mangroves in a large pot with no drainage outdoors. The need for sufficient light can not be overstated. Mine are growing large leaves and long internodes in their location which gets morning sun, best i can do. Indoors, they are gonna need a lot of artificial light. Regarding how fast they grow, i purchased the pods at Target of all places, the pods were each about 12 inches tall, this was i think around February. The most vigorous of these is about 3 feet past the pod now! I'm growing mine to patio tree height though, so they'll probably get another season of unchecked growth before i prune them the first time. They have not sent out prop roots yet.

 

[tetraboy]

I was thinking four florecent tubesand as its has to be freshwater i may add some tropical lilys to cut out some lght to prevent algae in the water

 

[luxum]

I honestly doubt that will be enough light.

 

[tetraboy]

i will have to save for metal halide then

 

[luxum]

Maybe add 2 more tubes? Or try it with 4 and see if growth is acceptable? As i said, i grow mine outdoors, and they do best in full blazing Florida sun. Mine are in a shadier location since my choices are limited, and it's obvious that they want more light, but they're certainly alive and growing.