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about mangroves
To grow mangroves here is what you do:
Find out if they are red, black or white mangroves. This makes all the difference. There are other species of mangrove, but since nybyrne is from Florida, the others are not likely to be the ones he has because they are exotic to this area, and shouldn't be imported.
How to grow red mangrove propagules, most likely candidate for the aquarium:
1. Must be floated at least half way out of the water. They are about 8 inches long, some are longer, so a very shallow fuge, or nano, they can be placed in, if not do the following:
2. Push propagule half way through piece of styrofoam, until green half is fully through the top portion of the styrofoam, and the red portion is hanging underneath the styrofoam.
3. Add light strong enough to grow macroalgae, or a grow light. You can get these at home depot, or for twice the price at your LFS.
4. Heat. Mangroves propagules die almost immediately (1 day) if kept under 60 degrees. Florida is warm, and when a cold front comes in many propagules die, (the ones in the water survive though because the water temperature here never really gets below 70). Basically, if the room is cold to you, the mangrove is freezing. The larger the plant gets, the more tolerant it will be for short periods of cold, but a season of cold weather would kill it. You should ask for heat packs if it is especially cold where you live.
5. Wait. Propagules can take months to sprout, or sometimes just days. No way to tell by looking at a mangrove seed. After thay have sprouted, give the mangrove a light trim every month or so, including the roots, when it becomes problematic.
6. Getting results in the home aquarium:
Fill your refugium, or sump with lots of propagules. If you have 20 a gallon long, you can fit 200. At least get 50. As the plants grow, keep trimming them, (way easier to keep up with compared to chaeto- tops 2 minutes a month). As they begin to fill out, remove plants, give them away, trade them, whatever..) until you have reduced the fuge to 1 or 2 mini bonzai trees. Those two trees can get a 125 gallon tank to read zeros across the board and remove phosphates and silicates) However filtration would have already been going on for some time, because you had many propagules. Good liverock alternative for the budget reef.
If done right, mangroves can look amazing, and they are the source for your higher quality driftwood. Your refugium/sump can be made into a display tank. Additionally, most of the fish you own, (from the pacific or atlantic), grew up within the root systems of mangroves. They make an excellent addition to the breeding tank, and the method of filtration will not capture fry.
Other types of mangroves get similar results, but are grown differently.
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