Mangroves need some help

[Michigan Reefer]

I added three mangroves to my refugium 2 weeks ago and already they’ve started dropping leaves and shriveling up. I have a Kessil H80 refugium LED light on bloom for 8 hrs a day during the night, and added an AI Prime 16 HD last week same light period. The prime was added to hopefully grow frags in the “refugium” area, but is this too much light for mangroves? Does it need more light? Last week I tested my water and got zero nitrates(neonitro is on the way) and 0.17ppm Po4. I’ve been feeding frozen and phyto a ton lately to hopefully boost nitrates naturally, but so far I can’t get a reading with the Salifert test kit. Is my water not nutrient rich enough for the mangroves? They came in super healthy from Algae barn. Any advice is appreciated.
Two weeks ago:

Current state: Leaves are not opening at all towards the light.

I spray the leaves multiple times daily with fresh water to rid the salt.

 

[sixty_reefer]

How does the stalk feels like? Does it feel spongy wend pressed?

 

[Michigan Reefer]

How does the stalk feels like? Does it feel spongy wend pressed?

Yup. Much softer then when arrived.

 

[sixty_reefer]

Wend they go soft is not a good thing, probably worth getting them in a jar on the window with some fresh water and a few drops of plant fertiliser for them to recover.

 

[Michigan Reefer]

Wend they go soft is not a good thing, probably worth getting them in a jar on the window with some fresh water and a few drops of plant fertiliser for them to recover.

Fresh water not saltwater?

 

[sixty_reefer]

Yeah they will recover faster on fresh as they don’t have to filter the salt. Also it will help once they back on the tank to keep the light quite warm msngraves don’t do well under blue light

 

[Michigan Reefer]

Yeah they will recover faster on fresh as they don’t have to filter the salt. Also it will help once they back on the tank to keep the light quite warm msngraves don’t do well under blue light

Got it. Thanks for the help

 

[reefcubed]

When you purchase mangroves, it’s important to ask whether they were grown in fresh or saltwater, because people grow them in both. They do not tolerate huge variations in salinity too abruptly. Especially when young. Yours may have been raised in fresh and you put them straight into salt. That will do them in. When first adding, dropping leaves is normal. However if the stem is mushy, that is it for that mangrove unfortunately.

 

[Scrubber_steve]

When you purchase mangroves, it’s important to ask whether they were grown in fresh or saltwater, because people grow them in both. They do not tolerate huge variations in salinity too abruptly. Especially when young. Yours may have been raised in fresh and you put them straight into salt. That will do them in. When first adding, dropping leaves is normal. However if the stem is mushy, that is it for that mangrove unfortunately.

Algae barn should make their customers aware of this.

 

[reefcubed]

It looks like they do in their care requirements:

https://www.algaebarn.com/shop/macroalgae/red-mangrove/

 

[Scrubber_steve]

I could only see > sg 1.000-1.024

Do they say what sg they keep them in?

 

[reefcubed]

I could only see > sg 1.000-1.024

Do they say what sg they keep them in?

I kid of just glossed over it, but you’re right. I guess coming from Algaebarn it is safe to assume they are saltwater, but maybe not because they grow faster in fresh. That is a common issue that kills them, but obviously there are others, propagules have about a month of time before they need to find a place to settle. Perhaps they were out too long, if you constantly move them around they will not do well, sometimes you just get a bad batch maybe?
I’m m reading back over your thread, those mangroves looked kind of sad from the day you put them in. Might’ve been a bad batch. I don’t think you can ever have too much light on a tree, they grow in absolute scorching sun. Misting then with RO, whether they require it or not can help. I’m afraid that once they go soft though, that’s the end.

 

[reefcubed]

When I started my 93 gallon cube, I started adding on day one:

 

[Scrubber_steve]

I kid of just glossed over it, but you’re right. I guess coming from Algaebarn it is safe to assume they are saltwater, but maybe not because they grow faster in fresh. That is a common issue that kills them, but obviously there are others, propagules have about a month of time before they need to find a place to settle. Perhaps they were out too long, if you constantly move them around they will not do well, sometimes you just get a bad batch maybe?
I’m m reading back over your thread, those mangroves looked kind of sad from the day you put them in. Might’ve been a bad batch. I don’t think you can ever have too much light on a tree, they grow in absolute scorching sun. Misting then with RO, whether they require it or not can help. I’m afraid that once they go soft though, that’s the end.

I'd ask algaebarn regarding sg.

Yeh, they certainly need super strong light. There are mangroves in a saltwater river where I live, full sunlight all day.

 

[reefcubed]

Progressed to this:

 

[AlgaeBarn]

Hello,
We do keep and care for them in saltwater! A few questions for you. Are you Spraying the leaves down with RO water? Salt build up on the leaves can have adverse affects. Additionally mangroves also love trace elements and a quick water change can boost the lively hood. when was the last water change? The light you are running should be adequate.

 

[reefcubed]

Hello,
We do keep and care for them in saltwater! A few questions for you. Are you Spraying the leaves down with RO water? Salt build up on the leaves can have adverse affects. Additionally mangroves also love trace elements and a quick water change can boost the lively hood. when was the last water change? The light you are running should be adequate.

@AlgaeBarn would love to have you participating in the ultimate mangrove thread! Looking for experienced people to share some knowledge, post displays, anything! Thanks!

 

[Michigan Reefer]

Hello,
We do keep and care for them in saltwater! A few questions for you. Are you Spraying the leaves down with RO water? Salt build up on the leaves can have adverse affects. Additionally mangroves also love trace elements and a quick water change can boost the lively hood. when was the last water change? The light you are running should be adequate.

Hello,
Yes, I was spraying them with RO water daily and doing a 10% water change weekly before and after I got them. I was not getting a reading of nitrates with the salifert test kit and was reading between 0.08-0.17 ppm phosphate with a hannah checker. I also dose red seas 4 colors to help with trace elements.
I removed them from the tank on Dec-31 into a vase of freshwater near a brightly lit window as someone suggested above, but it never really recovered and the stalks remained soft and squishy.