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Mangrove trees getting Stilt Roots

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73 views 3 replies 2 participants last post by  dstuer  
#1 ·
Way back in 2021, I started collecting mangrove pods (Propogules) from the Pacific shore, and planted them on hollow bamboo stems filled with sand into my sump.
It has taken almost 5 years for them to produce the stilt like aerial roots characteristic of Mangrove trees.
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Some of the foliage growing above the waters surface, is about 5 ft tall.
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#2 ·
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There are 2 species of mangroves that wash up on the beach here, the long cylindrical propogules above, are the black mangrove, and the the Red mangrove below, are more spherical when the y wash up.
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They root well in the bamboo tubes filled with sand, and a stone or 2 to way the tube down.
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It took about 2 years (2023) for the roots to grow large enough to split the bamboo stems the were plated in.
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The biggest headache with mangrove are the roots tend to collect detritus, so I need to vacuum them regularly or particulate build up.
But I find this to be common with all plants, be they mangrove or terrestrials like pothos.
 
#4 ·
If I don´t vacuum the sump regularly, the roots get coated in fluffy detritus, then the entire tank gets too cloudy with particulate, especially because the tank is outside, and collects leaf litter the tannins get thick beside the particulate..
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Sometimes its hard to make out fish on the back wall.
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And because the tank holds rheophillic species that like lots of current, unless the mulm isn´t vacuumed often, it´s like snowfall.