Chance's 4G Tide Pool!

I wrote this article a while back about mangroves.

Everything You Need To Know About Mangroves and Their Uses in Marine Aquariums - Marine Engineers | Marine Engineers

I keep meaning to go back and change some things but I havent had the time. Hopefully it is helpful to you when picking out the mangrove species you want. I would go for red mangroves for your set up. But read it and decide for yourself if you would like. Very cool idea though! When mangroves mature they look so cool in a display. You will be happy you chose to add them.

 

Red mangroves definitely look good. And sound compatable. What kind of substrate do you need for them?
edit: just finished the article, thanks Norg!

 

Finer substrate would be better for their roots. Easier for them to spread and grow, but I keep them in crushed coral substrate as well. Simply because that is what I had and I have had considerable growth and healthy roots while using a coarser substrate.

 

I have a medium grade aragonite sand. So I'm assuming this will be okay. Now water temperatures. When I have a grow light, and a heater on this tank, temp's may go up to 85f+. For the livestock, I'm assuming this won't be a problem, because I'm not getting anything that dies when salinity hits 1.024. So would they do okay with the heat?

 

Considering the fact in their natural habitat they get baked in the sun all day and coastal waters are usually very warm I think it would handle temperatures like that no problem. Your other inhabitants will not like water that hot though.

 

I'm going with all inverts. The mantis is low intertidal range so I figured heat would also be high. then i kinda figured snails and hermits were just gonna be lunch, so why care for their comfort?

 

I like the blue Ochtodes
blue ochtodes - Google Search

 

Do you live near any tide pools? If so, just go out and look at some, and see what you find.

Also im curious, are you going to fill the tank up all the way? or like 3/4ths of the way up? FWIW i would stay away from the black mangroves, from what i remember they like less water and more land, where as red mangroves can do fine in only water.

I would stay away from fish, unless you can find one that sleeps in the sand bed, other wise it migh become a meal for the mantis. If you introduce some snails and hermit crabs before the mantis, you have a better chance of those guys not becoming a meal. IMO

I kept a N. Wennerae in my biocube 14 under super bright LEDs and he actually didnt mind the bright light. I would look in to calupera prolifera, cactus calupera, chaeto algae, and Halimeda monile. IMO rubble is a must for these manti's otherwise they will grab coral frags to decorate there den. LOL

 

I'm not putting any corals in here. Unless Palythoas or Zoanthids grow in tide pools. I live in NE Ohio lol, so no tide pools around lol. I'll have lots of rubble. I have a few pounds of sand, how deep should the sand bed be? Yeah I decided no fish. I may get a larger hermit for a more permanent cuc, or would this just cause a fight? I was thinking, one large turbo, or Astraea, and it should manage the tank well.

 

For the overflow to work, It needs to be completely filled.