Mangrove Tree Scrubber! w/ Pics
 

Background,


I have a 180 Gallon Tank with lots of live rock and fish. I plan on filling it to the rim with SPS and softies. Problem is that my refugium or lack of nutrients in the tank is killing off my macro algae! I can't keep macro algae for crap. All they would so is get all loose up and then clog my sponges in the sump or put a bunch of crap into the water like little pieces of algae that my return pump impeller cut up. BUT... Mangroves seem to grow. I plan to purchase a bunch of them and plant them. I think 42 Saplings SHOULD handle my 180 well. Dontcha ThinK?


42 Saplings - I just E-Bay some mangrove saplings about 7" long

$19.99 Shipped.




http://i1.ebayimg.com/01/i/02/e8/10/26_1_b.JPG


Saplings are 7 to 11" big and are already have 2 leaves each.


Basically what I'm gonna do is Put Live Sand at the bottom of the section designed for my Refugium. Prolly about 3 inches. Then Im going to Use Egg-Crate and plan each sapling a Few Squares away from each other then Bury the Egg- Crate. The effect will eb a Scrubber of sorts. I have a 36 watt Power compact Light that I will use to grow them.

Does anyone else use mangroves in their sump?

Mangroves will suck out magnesium like crazy, and typically aren't as good at exporting nutrients as cheato. I would try upping your lighting over the fuge to see if you get increased growth, what kind of macro do you have now?

chaeto and culerpa

i never knew that. may i will just fill my fuge with a dsb and a bunch of live rock.