Brackish Riparium

[hydrophyte]

Here's another view of that same white mangrove. I wish I had more of them. I started out with quite a few of the little propagules about a year-and-a-half ago, but I gave them away/sold them all.

This is a really cool plant. When I grow it in the brackish tank it will be important to remember to rinse the salt from the leaves every couple of days. Even growing in the freshwater setup it has salt accumulation on the leaves from the little bit of salt in our tapwater and the ferts that I add. You can see the salt as the little bit of glistening on the leaves.

 

[HX67]

Yep when they are in the planters you can move them wherever you want, as long as it's wet.

The more tricky part will be adapting them to the brackish water. The more I read the more it seems that a long of the mangrove plants can tolerate brackish water for periods of time and not long-term. It will be interesting to see how these react.

Hey Timo look at this plant. This is on my list too...

http://www.rarepalmseeds.com/pix/PanTec.shtml

Wouldn't it be cool to try that plant?

I've started to think that larger mangroves have roots deep in the bed of the estuary they grow on, and actually draw fresh water from it.
A lot of people seem to try mangroves in saltwater tanks, but I haven't seen a report of long-term success with it. Have you?

I had 10 red mangroves that I planted in a tank with about 1.006-1.008 SG. All but one died within two years, the last one died when I moved it to the mudskipperarium.

That palm thingy sure looks like something worth a shot. Does "on your list" mean you have them for sale or that you are trying to get them?

 

[wantokeeptrout]

a butis butis would be nice in that tank, or maybe a few knight gobies or alot of bumblebee gobies

 

[hydrophyte]

I've started to think that larger mangroves have roots deep in the bed of the estuary they grow on, and actually draw fresh water from it.
A lot of people seem to try mangroves in saltwater tanks, but I haven't seen a report of long-term success with it. Have you?

I had 10 red mangroves that I planted in a tank with about 1.006-1.008 SG. All but one died within two years, the last one died when I moved it to the mudskipperarium.

That palm thingy sure looks like something worth a shot. Does "on your list" mean you have them for sale or that you are trying to get them?

I don't know how likely it would be for estuaries to have widespread areas of fresh groundwater(??). I suppose this would depend upon the local hydrology. I have seen some pretty big red mangrove (R. mangle) trees in reef tank systems and I have also seen pictures where they were growing well in what must have been full-strength seawater. I wonder if they might end up dieing for people where they get too tall and then get pruned. That plant really does not like to be pruned and it can die if just one branch is cut off.

That plant that I linked is in the screw pine (Pandanaceae) family, which is a really interesting group of plants. I have never grown them before but I really want to get one or more. It would be so cool to try that Pandanus tectorius in this tank.

 

[MaddMaxx]

Any progress??

 

[hydrophyte]

Yep, I have made a little progress. I hope that I can find some time for picture-taking. I got some more leather ferns potted up and they look real nice. I have another real cool plant on the way that I scored in an ebay auction and that should be here next week.

I'm still working on the fish stocking.

 

[hydrophyte]

Finally last night I made some more time to set this tank up for some picture-taking. It took while for those manzanita stumps to sink and to stop staining the water so much.

I have some really great plants in here. The mangrove trees are all nice and big, but the Bacopa monnieri and the leather ferns need to grow in some more. I look forward to tracking down some fish. It is getting closer to ready.

 

[MaddMaxx]

That's looking great Hydro!

Did your mangroves get curly on their own? They really look nice sweeping forward like that... Man I can't wait for mine to get bigger!

 

[hydrophyte]

Hey thanks!

They grew like that on their own reaching out for the light. they have already been in several different tanks. I have had those trees going for a couple of years.

Hey I was going to send you a note. Do you have room for any more plants? I might have a chance to double-up on an order from Hawaii to get some really cool riparium-suitable palms and other stuff. This would be more botnaically interesting plants.

 

[MaddMaxx]

Aww man, you're killing me... I wish I had some room, those palms look awesome! but I actually just realized this weekend that I'm probably going to have to downsize soon. We're moving this summer and it looks like its going to be a little smaller place, therefore smaller tank space...