Red Mangrove

Rhizophora mangle

The Living Tree Filter (2 to 4 feet / 60-120 cm). The Red Mangrove is completely unique: it is not a submerged aquatic plant, it is an actual, literal tree that grows OUT of your aquarium. You buy them as long, cigar-shaped pods (propagules). You submerge the bottom half to grow a massive, sprawling network of 'stilt' roots (perfect for baby fish to hide in), while the top half bursts into a beautiful, leafy tree canopy outside and above the fish tank. They are incredible natural filters, aggressively sucking Nitrates and Phosphates out of the water.

Family: Rhizophoraceae
Origin: Coste Tropicali (Mondiale)
Tank use: Used in 0 tanks

Temperature

22 °C - 30 °C

6.5 - 8.5

Water type

Freshwater / Brackish / Marine

Light

Estremamente Alta (Richiede potenti luci terrestri o solari, non plafoniere da acquario deboli)

CO2

Nessuna (Assorbe CO2 dall'aria aperta atmosferica)

Care and observations

The Salt Suffocation (Marine/Brackish Warning):

The Mandatory Showering. Mangroves are not true marine plants; they are land plants that have evolved a magical trick to survive in the ocean. They physically 'sweat' out and expel solid white salt crystals through the pores of their leaves to stay alive in saltwater. THE FATAL ERROR: If you keep them in a saltwater tank and do NOT manually spray and wash their leaves with pure freshwater every single day, the salt crust will completely choke their pores. The tree will suffocate, turn brown, and die horribly. (If kept in a freshwater tank, this is not an issue).

Lighting and Submersion Danger:

The Drowning Pod. NEVER drop the entire pod underwater. The top third of the pod (and all leaves) MUST remain exposed to open atmospheric air. You cannot use a glass lid on the tank. Because it is a true tree, standard weak aquarium lights are utterly useless; you MUST hang a powerful, intense full-spectrum LED grow-light directly over the canopy, or place the tank near a bright, sunlit window.

Plant profile

Placement: Incastrata in rocce emergenti o galleggiante in Sump
Botanical form: Albero vero e proprio a radici aeree
Light: Estremamente Alta (Richiede potenti luci terrestri o solari, non plafoniere da acquario deboli)
CO2: Nessuna (Assorbe CO2 dall'aria aperta atmosferica)
Growth: Estremamente Lenta
Expected height: 100 cm
Expected width: 50 cm
Substrate: Sabbia profonda o fango (Può anche crescere 'sospesa' ma è più lenta)
Column fertilization: Marginale (Assorbe enormi quantità di nitrati e fosfati come spazzino naturale)
Root fertilization: Alta (Esige magnesio e potassio per tollerare il sale)
Trimming: Potare delicatamente per limitare la crescita a soffitto.
Propagation: Propaguli nativi (Impossibile riprodurla da seme in vasca domestica)
Nutrients: Se coltivata in acqua salata, le foglie si copriranno di cristalli bianchi di sale (che l'albero espelle). VANNO pulite regolarmente con uno spruzzino d'acqua dolce o la pianta soffocherà e morirà.
Sensitivity: Non sommergere MAI le foglie sotto il livello dell'acqua. Solo la metà inferiore del bastoncino deve stare in acqua.
Layout role: Albero emerso purificatore (Refugium / Vasca aperta)

Image gallery

Licensed images linked to the species or, when marked, to the closest representative taxon.

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