Mangrove Trees

[super7]

I am DIYing a refugium and a sump as I have welded a stand together to incorporate the setup I want underneath my new system.
The mangroves will have 15 inches, minus what ever lighting system I put in there, of growing room for the mangroves. That should be enough if I treat them as a bonzai.
Thanks Super7

[skylord]

After seeing your space allotment I had to go measure mine. From the bottom of the tank to the top of the light, mine is 29 inches. My trees are in need of a trim but the most I could cut is about 6 inches and they wouldn't look good if I did that. My light is only about two inch's thick so I'm not wasting any space there. I could have made the root system (aerial roots)a little shorter but thats what makes the trees look nice and realistic. So in a sump where they aren't for show I could have reduced the roots about 4 inch's. My trees are just over 2 yrs old and they are 2 feet tall and have to be trimmed about every 3 months.

Also if they are going straight into the sump you have to be concerned with salinity shock.

Scott

[super7]

i have more than a few extra quarantine tanks and holding tanks around the house in which I could get them used to y salinity.

[christyf5]

Originally Posted by skylord

After seeing your space allotment I had to go measure mine. From the bottom of the tank to the top of the light, mine is 29 inches. My trees are in need of a trim but the most I could cut is about 6 inches and they wouldn't look good if I did that. My light is only about two inch's thick so I'm not wasting any space there. I could have made the root system (aerial roots)a little shorter but thats what makes the trees look nice and realistic. So in a sump where they aren't for show I could have reduced the roots about 4 inch's. My trees are just over 2 yrs old and they are 2 feet tall and have to be trimmed about every 3 months.

Also if they are going straight into the sump you have to be concerned with salinity shock.

Scott

Photos please??

[skylord]

Ok...just for Christy. I have been moving everything and was getting ready to move this to my fish room. The water is down a little and the tank needs a cleaning. I have had Clown Gobi's in this tank with the trees and I use it to grow macro algae.







Here is the root system....more impressive in person. As I said these trees are about 2 yrs old but my wife says they are only 18 months....I would believe her...lol



And I had to slip a pic of my Southern Blue Devilfish in.



Scott

[christyf5]

Awesome Scott!! I love seeing that. Mangroves are soo cool but I don't have the space. One day though, one day....

Thanks for posting the pics

[super7]

that southern blue devilfish is awseome, it reminds me of the cichlids I used to breed.
Thanks for the pics and all the info, I really apreciate it.
Super7

[Snappy]

I just threw mine out after growing for a years and then went on the decline.

[Delphinus]

I started off with like a dozen pods about 5 years ago. They did OK for a few years, but ridiculously slow (nowhere near the kind of growth that Skylord has seen - think stick with a couple leafs). After moving them into the new house, I lost a swack of them. The rest never flourished and declined slowly. I moved them into a 8gal salt bucket full of aragonite sand thinking that giving them room to grow the roots would be good - but instead they just died. Too bad, they're a neat thing, but I don't really have the patience to try them again.

Skylord did yours start off as pods? (Apologies if you've answered this already and I just missed the info)

[skylord]

Yes....we started with pods. One thing you cant see in the pics is the soil. They are in the cheaper miracle mud with sand covering the soil. It took 2 months before these trees went into the tank. Acclimating them real slow, I believe, is real important to success. Any fast changes will damage, stunt or kill these trees.

Scott