How to Grow the White Mangrove in a Refugium
Refugiums are isolated aquarium compartments that provide places for algae, plants and micro-organisms to live without getting eaten by predators in the larger tank. They usually are connected in-line between the tank and the sump but are not filtered so the plankton in the refugium can escape into the tank, providing food for fish or corals. White mangrove trees growing in the refugium help filter the water and take up excess nutrients. White mangroves can grow to be very large trees, but take many, many years to reach only a few feet high. Even in a refugium of less than 10 gallons, it will take several years before the tree has to be discarded and replaced. Does this Spark an idea?
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Things You'll Need
- Refugium
- Fluorescent light fixture kit with tubes
- White mangrove seed
- Substrate
Instructions
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Hang the light using the hardware supplied by the manufacturer over the refugium. A simple twin tube fluorescent shop light available at any hardware store is adequate. More light is better, however.
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Adjust the light so that it is hanging a few inches above the refugium, but is not close enough to warm the water. Be sure to leave plenty of overhead room to raise the light as the white mangrove tree (Laguncularia racemosa) starts to grow.
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Float the white mangrove seed in the water. It will float around and not do much for several days. Eventually it will split open and send a root down to the substrate. Any substrate will work -- mud, sand or coarse gravel. Choose a substrate suitable for the life you want to grow in the refugium and the mangrove will adapt to it. Always start from seed rather than trying to adapt an already growing plant. Mangroves do not transition well when suddenly moved between water with different salinity levels.
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Guide the roots into the substrate where you want the tree ultimately to grow. It is fine to let the seed float freely until the root is long enough to partially bury. Alternately, you can bury the root in a clay or plastic pot filled with sand or filter mud.
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Raise the light up as the top of the seedling begins to grow. The light should be as close to the top of the plant as possible without burning the leaves. This is usually about 4 to 6 inches. Place your hand between the light and the top of the plant. If it gets hot, the light is too close.
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Cut the tree down, discard it and start over when it has become too large for the growing space or when the roots have filled the refugium to the point where they might break it -- similar to how an old tree can crack a sidewalk. Mangroves do not transplant very well. They usually suffer from shock and die when moved.
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Tips & Warnings
Adding an automatic light timer is helpful in regulating day and night cycles for the mangrove. It should receive at least eight to 10 hours of light per day.
It does not matter what type of substrate is used in the refugium. Naturally white mangroves grow in poor water-logged sand and mud, but they will also grow in gravel and without any substrate at all.
Once a white mangrove is established they do not like to be transplanted. Planting them in pots can help when it comes time to move them.
Periodically mist the leaves with distilled water to remove any salt deposits that builds up on the leaves. This white crust on the leaves is a result of the plant naturally purging salt from its system.
Never prune the mangrove until it has naturally branched. Premature cutting of the growing tip can lead to death.
White mangroves are not as tolerant of salt as red mangroves and may not adapt well to full sea salt conditions. They may be more suitable for freshwater and brackish refugiums.
