Mangrove refugiuem help

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#1
Hi guys. Setting up a new tank wanted to see if anyone had tips for growing mangroves. The refugiuem is at the end of the sump with dimensions of 12" x 15" x12" long.

It's a 180g with a nyos 220, so I'm not Really looking at nutrient export for refuge but more of a haven for pods and thought it would be nice to have a mangrove growing.

So really asking if anyone has tips for me, how deep for sand bed? How should house the mangrove? Etc etc.

I'm gonna be using an old kessil 360 tuna blue for lighting. Any suggestions would be great. Thanks.
 
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#2
do a 1 1/2-2 inch layer of ecosystem miracle mud covered with sand of your choice. sand layer can be 2-3 inches thick. the tuna blue light isn’t great for this application. needs red/blue warm white spectrum. see plant grow fixtures a
 
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#3
Hi, thanks for the reply.
Do you by chance know how long a mangrove would be from, say algae barn? Asking cus I'm reading that the leaves need to out of water. My refugiuem is 12" tall. Also, what kind of refugiuem fuana is good with the A360?

Thanks again~
 

joseserrano

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#4
Just do cheato and a Amazon weed grow grow light. Everything you’ll have to do to keep one mangrove isn’t worth it.
 
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#5
I agree with Jose can’t go wrong with chaeto. I have a triton44 sump which has a 26g fuge. I’m running this on a 150g and a 70g frag tank. I’m using a maxspect ethereal light over the fuge.

I was running the light at 100% for 10 hours and the chaeto was exporting so well I was stripping the water to clean that the corals weren’t growing. I even had an ICP text done and when Po4 came back at 0.01ppm I knew the problem.
Ive sense turned the light to only run 5 hours a night and the skimmer only runs of pH and doesn’t even skim.
 
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#6
I started with 10 seedlings(propagule) about a year ago. They floated around and some I stuck into rubble in my refugium. They all took off after a month or so with no attention from me. They have rooted into my rubble now with some 18" tall. I spray them with non salt water to remove the salt build up which is what nature does where they grow wild, through rain. I have no idea if they are better than chaeto but they are nice to look at. I have moved one up to my frag tank for looks. I use a plant grow light for both the mangrove and chaeto.
 
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#9
Thanks everyone for the replies. I'm still on the fence with what I want to do. I think I'm stuck with the kessils for the fuge lighting. Don't want to let them go for stupid cheap and I have 4 of them so might as well use them. Was reading an old forum where Randy from Brs had really nice mangroves from using tuna blues with all white at 100%. My stand is 39 tall on the inside so plenty of space to grow out. I just wanted something nice on there lol.

I did cheato last tank and it was great and was thinking more reds in there this time. The mangrove were a "whta about.." at 3am last night

Still building so have time to think about it. I do know that I want it to be pods one and nutrient export two. Either way I need to do more research and maybe try selling these kessils again and maybe use the cash to get a different fuge light.
Once again, thanks guys for the replies.
 
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#10
Actually my stand is 40" tall. Cheap $25 red and blue grow lights from Amazon work great. I posted the one I used in my R2R thread.
 
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#11
Actually my stand is 40" tall. Cheap $25 red and blue grow lights from Amazon work great. I posted the one I used in my R2R thread.
I read through your r2r post. They look awesome. I'm not liking the pink lights tho, I think if I go through this route I'll use the kessils on white 100% and see how I fare.

A few questions if I may, you said a layer of miracle mud followed by a layer of sand. My fuge section is 12" tall. When the mangroves come what do I do? Plant them in the mud then add sand on top? Or elevate them above the sand via clips and have the roots grow down?

In a fuge that 12x15 and 12" tall. 2" of mud, 3" of sand leaves around 7" of water. What do you think is a good amount of groves to have? 3?

Once again, thanks for the reply.
 

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