Mangroves !!!

[Sunny]

So I got a few about 2 months ago and put them in my fuge. I have miracle mud in the fuge. As far as I can tell, they are doing just fine.
Currently they are in a styrofoam block (hole in the center) and they float with it.

Question is, when the roots are big enough and they can stand tall (some part out of the water) should I burry them in the mud?
I mean just like a plant? Will they "root" them selves in the mud?

Sunny

 

[Tazmaniancowboy]

I have some pods myself. I've been looking for some material on them and I didn't find anything

 

[JRWOHLER]

What I did was let nature take its course. Just let one float at the end of my sump. Eventually roots will come out one end and they reach down into the mud. Some leafs have sprouted.

 

[concept3]

Will they "root" them selves in the mud?

yes they will- depending on how deep your mud is, they will eventually hold themselves up and you can remove its styrofoam training wheels

 

[Phyl]

Mine are hanging out in the overflow in my display tank! They sit there rather nicely at the moment (though I suppose they may cause trouble if they start putting down significant root structure. They have a bunch of leaves though. Anyone know how to prune these babies? At some point they'll hit the top of my canopy!

 

[Brando457]

Mine are hanging out in the overflow in my display tank! They sit there rather nicely at the moment (though I suppose they may cause trouble if they start putting down significant root structure. They have a bunch of leaves though. Anyone know how to prune these babies? At some point they'll hit the top of my canopy!

From my reading and understanding you simply snip the leaf like you would when gardening. Also the leaves when you remove them act as a nutrient exporter, thus helping your overall system health.

 

[Phyl]

Could I chop the top of it off and expect them to regrow? Would I then be able to "plant" that top half in water and have it root like you would with other house plants?

 

[JRWOHLER]

Phyl if you can remove some mangroves from your overflow you could add a plastic pot in your sump with some mud/sand with a hanging light above it. I do similar thing with my little outdoor fish tub in the summer.

 

[Nickjr000]

I just snip the leaves off mine to prune it. Mine are tucked in live rock in my sump. No sand or mud. They're growin good with long roots through the rock pile. I dont know about cuttin the top and planting it. Have to read up on that

 

[reeferwanabe]

I pull all the bottom leaves off before they fall. I also mist with ro water almost every day. they don't like salt on their leaves.

 

[Boomer]

Sunny

Make sure you keep your Magnesium up. Normal Mg++ levels for x Salinity will protect them from the chloride ions in seawater.

x Salinity = 38 x Salinity in ppt


Lets say your salinity is 33 ppt (1.0249)

x Salinity = 38 x 33 = ~1250 ppm Mg++

Salinity Conversion Calculator
http://www.hamzasreef.com/Contents/Calculators/SalinityConversion.php

 

[Tazmaniancowboy]

Thanks for the info boomer. I didn't know that

 

[falconut]

I got eight pods a while back and from reading, one end should be in the sand or rocks and the other end needs tobe out of the water. It took a while but they started to get roots and then leaves. Now there are eight plants. I simply cut the section with leaves off and they regrow, but it takes a while. This is why I don't cut all at once. Plus it seams that when I cut them, two new branches grow from that spot. HTH

 

[Tazmaniancowboy]

You cut the actual pod? Like an inch or two under the leaves? Is that what you are saying?

 

[falconut]

No, I never cut the actual pod. Once the pod grew roots on the bottom and a stalk with leaves on top, I would cut off a section of the stalk. I don't cut all the leaves off. Below is a quick diagram to show this. I put half of a strawberry basket filled with LR rubble in a corner of my refuge. I put the pods into the rubble just enough to hold them in place. After time, they took root, then the stalks started to grow. The stalks grew up pretty high, then leaves would grow out the top. Make sure to take off the shell that comes off around the new leaves, they don't recommend letting it decompose in the tank. When it gets too tall, just cut off the stalk above a set of leaves. It doesn take a while to grow back, but each time I've done this, two more stalks grow from the cut. I've had mine for about a year. If you want me to post a photo of the actual mangroves, I can.

 

[Phyl]

Interesting. I'll have to try that with mine. Though mine came with no leaves so I think I'll be so bold as to cut it off before the bottom leaves. I need them to stay small so that they can stay in my overflow box where I don't need to light them separately from the main tank.

 

[falconut]

Phyl - Just be carful not to cut the actual pod. I think that might kill it. Mine were just pods when I got them, so no leaves or roots. The stalk came out of the top of the pod and the leaves followed later. As long as you're cutting the stalk, you should be able to cut anywhere, I believe.

 

[Phyl]

How do you know where the "Pod" ends and the "stalk" begins?

 

[rgarofalo]

Is there anything special you need to do to keep mangroves? Do you just put the pod in?

 

[Phyl]

I just have some pods that James gave me (thanks, James) stuffed into the overflow box in my display (in the shallow first section where the teeth are). They're getting a bit tall and I don't want them sticking out of the top of the canopy (lol), so I'd like to trim mine (and hopefully propagate them). I don't do anything special at all. You need the top to stick out of the water. The bottom will root in whatever media you stick it in. Not sure what mine are doing since I haven't pulled them out of the overflow since I stuffed them into there.