Mangrove acclimation question

pgravis · May 6, 2019

Has anyone tried to acclimate a potted mangrove such as this (https://www.amazon.com/Rhizophora-M...angrove+plant&qid=1557163238&s=gateway&sr=8-1) to saltwater life? It would be great to have a plant with some size to it for my next build.

Ron Reefman · May 7, 2019

It doesn't really take a mangrove very long to get big. I can collect the propagules off the beach and add them to my tank. In a couple of years they reach my lights and/or get so big a root system in the tank that I end up pulling it out and then debate if I want to do another one. They don't do much for the tank and in salt water they do develop salt residue on the leaves that needs to be cleaned off (Mother Nature does that by raining every day or two where mangroves grow naturally).

Just get a propagule now and put it in a plastic solo cup and let it get started. Just use water from your tank. They grow just fine in a cup like that for a couple of months at least. They are quite hearty plants.

pgravis · May 7, 2019

Thought about that. But I am using the mangrove as actual reefscape. I’m not in it for the minuscule nutrient reduction (have a 90 gallon fuge and skimmer for that!). It’s the same debate I go through in buying frags vs colonies! Sometimes I don’t want to wait for my actual scape to be done. I have seen a few of the 24” on Amazon/eBay that I thought about putting in a bucket of freshwater outside for the summer and then acclimating them back to salt. Try and get them to develop some prop roots.
Thanks for the info. Any pics of past mangroves you’ve grown?

Ron Reefman · May 8, 2019

Sorry, I don't have any photos. They are so common here in SW Florida that I really don't think about them much. The last one I had in a 4'x2'x14" shallow reef tank and the top of the mangrove was about 18" to 24" above the water. That was 3 or 4 years ago. Back when I started in the hobby I would pick up a handful of propagules off the beach and bring them home. I'd put them all in a solo cup and then one by one as they sprouted roots I'd pull them out and put them in their own cup. Then I'd pick one or two to use in the tank.

The way to get prop roots to develop is to float the propagule so the roots have to grow down to the sand. When they get close raise the propagule up a bit higher. Do that over and over until you get the amount of prop root you want.