mangroves light requirements?

[bottom feeder]

Hello all fish buddies, I,m about to add 10 or so mangrove plants to my tank. I'm going to add anothewr chamber to my sump to house my new groves.Any advise on lighting requirments,water circulation,and also what type of materals to plant them in. Have a great newyear

[Malachi]

i have 3 ordered for my HBO Refugium. will be using a 26W PC. this is my first attempt of growing them.

[Tangster]

Mangroves need really strong light and very fast water flows when I was using these plants yrs ago I set mine up in a ling narrow trough type tank I made special it was 4 ft long and 12 inch s wide and 14 inches tall And then Used a dual shop light strip I had put a VHO ballast in and they went crazy light was hung about a foot above the plants.. I was pruning them back almost weekly I also used a couple of the incandesent clip on Alumium reflectors with the grow lux plant bulbs and they did veryw ell also.
I would suggest just 2 plants per 30 gallons they will grow and are very effecient at removing DOC from the water if they are set up properly And Grow like weeds and will starve for food and as they do grow keep them cut and pinched back to about 3 ft tall The root balls need trimming also.. Mangrove sound cool and all But you will find a good Caulerpa type algae refugium will do and add more to the main system , better method and less trouble . I have seen a Mangrove root ball to blow open a HOB refugium when left untrimmed..

[Scoffer]

ummm...with only a wet/dry system...which would be better then? Caulerpa (which I dont have deep water in the wet/dry) or 10 or so mangrove stalks, either stuck out of the wet dry, or even behind my rocks in the main tank??

about to order, so any advice would be greatly aprreciated!!!!

btw, EBAY has 25 8-11" red mangrove stalks for 20$ delivered....haven't seen caulerpa on ebay yet..

tia

Scoffer

[Tangster]

A 75 gal tank is what you have listed ? If it where me and its not I'd get a 5.5 maybe a 10 gallon tank or tub and use about 3 to 4 inches of fine sand or Cheap kitty litter and some Caulerpa sertularioides and a slow trickle through the refugium.
But if you have no space I'd get maybe 6 to 8 mangroves and find a fast flow area in the sump put them in and light them up well. You don't need deep water with Mangroves you need a few inches and fast moving water. Their root mass once started will stay in the water. Having worked with both Red and white mangroves and Caulerpa refugiums I like and prefer algae refugium better myself But thats just me..