# Mangrove Forest - 245L Brackish Riparium



## hydrophyte (9 Aug 2012)

*Mangrove Forest - 245L Brackish Riparium*

I was a member here some time ago, but haven't participated in some time. I have a few new projects going on and pictures to share. 

My brackish riparium setup is looking pretty good. This planting is in a 245-litre tank (90cm X 45cm X 60cm) and features a number of mangrove tree or mangrove associate plants growing in lightly brackish water. I have also started a little community of brackish water killifish. I mean to add another species or two of fish as well.

Here's a quick look in through the top of the tank. I have some pretty cool plants in there. I'll have more pictures on the way pretty soon.


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## BigTom (9 Aug 2012)

Nice to see you back hydro 

Looking forward to the new stuff.


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## darren636 (9 Aug 2012)

so which fish are in there?


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## ddam19 (9 Aug 2012)

Very nice. Love when plants are growing in/out the water.


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## hydrophyte (9 Aug 2012)

BigTom said:
			
		

> Nice to see you back hydro
> 
> Looking forward to the new stuff.



Thanks BigTom!



			
				darren636 said:
			
		

> so which fish are in there?



Currently there are just a few individuals each of two species of US native brackish water killis:


Jordanella floridae
Cyprinodon variegatus)

These are both great aquarium fish. I want to add two more brackish killis.



			
				ddam19 said:
			
		

> Very nice. Love when plants are growing in/out the water.



Thanks! I have some plant specimen shots too and I'll post a few of those later.


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## Kristoph91 (9 Aug 2012)

Nice overhead shot. 

Would love to see lots more!


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## hydrophyte (9 Aug 2012)

Well I have a few additional shots here.

This is another view into the top of the tank.





The foliage of red mangrove, _Rhizophora mangle_...





The characteristic stilt roots of _Pandanus tectorius_...


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## hydrophyte (1 Sep 2012)

I'm trying to get this tank into better shape. The plants are looking good, but it needs more fish. 

I have been watching AquBid for more native US killis because there is a seller there who catches them in Florida. They include some really cool little fish. There is currently an auction for _Lucania goodei_. This is an especially pretty fish that resembles white cloud mountain minnows. It's funny it's not a popular aquarium fish--people just don't appreciate native US fish.

I am trying to figure out the habitat preferences of _L. goodei_. I have run into some sources that cite it as using brackish habitats, but most describe instead clear freshwater streams as preferred habitats.

Look at this Creative Commons (http://eol.org/data_objects/17428292) picture of _L. goodei_.


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## flygja (2 Sep 2012)

I bet your place will be smelling pleasant because of the Pandanus.


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## dw1305 (2 Sep 2012)

Hi all,
Welcome back, I like the idea of the _Pandanus_. Is the fern an _Acrostichum_?
cheers Darrel


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## hydrophyte (2 Sep 2012)

flygja said:
			
		

> I bet your place will be smelling pleasant because of the Pandanus.



Thanks! This one is in fact not _P. amaryllifolius_, the aromatic _Pandanus_ which is used in cooking in your area of the world. This one is instead _P. tectorius_, which grows on beaches in Hawaii and elsewhere in the South Pacific.


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## andyh (2 Sep 2012)

welcome back! what about some more pics!


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## Palm Tree (3 Sep 2012)

I totally agree with you about people not appreciating US native fish. My favorite fish are sunfish and darters especially everglades pygmy sunfish and rainbow darters.


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## flygja (3 Sep 2012)

Thanks. Shows how much plant knowledge I really have!


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## hydrophyte (6 Sep 2012)

Palm Tree said:
			
		

> I totally agree with you about people not appreciating US native fish. My favorite fish are sunfish and darters especially everglades pygmy sunfish and rainbow darters.



Are you in the UK? Can you get pygmy sunfish and North America darters over there.

There really are a lot of great native fish here in the US. I helped to set up a larger tank with some cyprinids like Nocomis and Luxilus and they are great display fish. 



			
				andyh said:
			
		

> welcome back! what about some more pics!



I'll try to get some more pictures soon.



			
				flygja said:
			
		

> Thanks. Shows how much plant knowledge I really have!



I really like plants a lot. You have a lot of the best plants there in the Malaysia + Indonesia area.


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## hydrophyte (11 Oct 2012)

I just ordered some surprise new fish for this setup. I hope they will get here OK probably on Monday.


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## hydrophyte (12 Oct 2012)

Somebody on Facebook linked this interesting video of a brackish estuary habitat in Mexico with mollies and cichlids. You can see some _Acrostichum_ leather fern growing along the edge of the water...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7cIRUAHqYKQ


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## Palm Tree (12 Oct 2012)

hydrophyte said:
			
		

> Palm Tree said:
> 
> 
> 
> ...



You can get a few species of pygmy sunfish you can get in the uk but only two places in the country have them, rainbow darters however are a bit rarer and I think one shop may have them in the country and thats only occasionally.


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## hydrophyte (14 Oct 2012)

Palm Tree said:
			
		

> hydrophyte said:
> 
> 
> 
> ...



Yeah those pygmy sunfish from the Southern US are amazing little fish. I hope to set a smaller tank for those someday to also include a little group of _Lucania goodei _and _Heterandria formosa_.

I wonder who exports fish the US to the UK(?).


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## dw1305 (14 Oct 2012)

Hi all,
You would need to look on the FERA web site, but I'm pretty sure that all of the American Sunfish are illegal to keep in the UK, any _Lepomus_ sp. certainly is.

The act is "The order is made under the Import of Live Fish (England and Wales) Act 1980, or ILFA, for short, and they added all _Lepomis_ spp to the list in the 2006 revision "Schedule II of the DOF 8T tropical fish import licence"". <http://www.defra.gov.uk/aahm/files/Form-ILFA1-Leaflet.pdf>

I think the full pdf is here: <http://www.cefas.defra.gov.uk/publications/techrep/tech129.pdf>

cheers Darrel


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## Palm Tree (14 Oct 2012)

dw1305 said:
			
		

> Hi all,
> You would need to look on the FERA web site, but I'm pretty sure that all of the American Sunfish are illegal to keep in the UK, any _Lepomus_ sp. certainly is.
> 
> The act is "The order is made under the Import of Live Fish (England and Wales) Act 1980, or ILFA, for short, and they added all _Lepomis_ spp to the list in the 2006 revision "Schedule II of the DOF 8T tropical fish import licence"". <http://www.defra.gov.uk/aahm/files/Form-ILFA1-Leaflet.pdf>
> ...



These are pygmy sunfish of the genus Elassoma and Enneacanthus I am talking about. Lepomus are illegal to keep as Lepomis gibbosus have established a population in the UK for example down south at Tanyards fisheries and other species could eailsy become invasive aswell.


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## hydrophyte (15 Oct 2012)

Yep pygmy sunfish are not in genus _Lepomis_, and it's hard to imagine them becoming invasive.

My new fish are in the mail and should be here tomorrow in the PM. I hope they have traveled well. I might have pictures tomorrow night!


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## dw1305 (15 Oct 2012)

Hi all,
_Elassoma evergladeii_ and _Enneacanthus chaetodon_ are legal in the UK, just about everything else (Fathead Minnow, all Darters etc.) are now illegal.

Full list is here: <http://www.practicalfishkeeping.co.uk/content.php?sid=934>

cheers Darrel


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## Palm Tree (15 Oct 2012)

dw1305 said:
			
		

> Hi all,
> _Elassoma evergladeii_ and _Enneacanthus chaetodon_ are legal in the UK, just about everything else (Fathead Minnow, all Darters etc.) are now illegal.
> 
> Full list is here: <http://www.practicalfishkeeping.co.uk/content.php?sid=934>
> ...


So does that mean Enneacanthus gloriosus and Enneacanthus obesus banned aswell ?


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## dw1305 (16 Oct 2012)

Hi all,


> So does that mean _Enneacanthus gloriosus_ and_ Enneacanthus obesus_ banned as well ?


I think so, but it might be worth asking CEFAS. 

cheers Darrel


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## Palm Tree (17 Oct 2012)

That would be a shame, they are really attractive fish. Tyne valley still sell Enneacanthus gloriosus but I dont have the space for them yet.


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## hydrophyte (17 Oct 2012)

The new fish got here via the post this evening 100% alive and looking good. I'll try to get pictures tomorrow.


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## hydrophyte (18 Oct 2012)

Here's the box opened with fish inside. They got here 100% alive and in great shape. The seller used breather bags packed with yarn and lots of water. Now the fish are going to quarantine. I will try to get pictures. These fish will also need an acclimation period. The seller caught them out in an estuary, but had them acclimated to regular freshwater. I will need to slowly raise the SG for them before introducing to the mangrove tank.


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## Palm Tree (18 Oct 2012)

So what fish did you end up with ...


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## hydrophyte (19 Oct 2012)

I got around a half-dozen each of _Fundulus confluentus_ and _Poecilia latipinnia_. I'll try to get some pictures this weekend.


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## Palm Tree (24 Oct 2012)

Any pictures?


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## Nathaniel Whiteside (24 Oct 2012)

Full tank shots too please?


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## hydrophyte (26 Oct 2012)

Hey sorry you guys I'll try to get some pictures soon. I've been so busy here.

The new fish are still looking real good! They looked a little rough after shipping, but I have been feeding live blackworms and they are coloring up again and more lively.


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## Palm Tree (10 Nov 2012)

FTS ?


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## hydrophyte (12 Nov 2012)

Sorry guys. Yes, I'll try to get picture updates as soon as I can.

The fish and plants all look good.


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## hydrophyte (19 Jan 2013)

I'm back to work on this think. I hope to tear it all down and set it up again tomorrow to start getting it into better shape.

I am putting the tank on a better stand of this design...


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## hydrophyte (21 Jan 2013)

I took this setup apart, cleaned everything and then put it all back together. Here's the tank empty again.


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## hydrophyte (21 Jan 2013)

Here's a quick shot with substrate, water and plants. The airstone was temporary. I was using all-new water and I wanted to pH-balance and mix in the salt faster.


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## Alastair (21 Jan 2013)

Looks really nice mate. I like the plants in the centre alot.


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## hydrophyte (22 Jan 2013)

Alastair said:


> Looks really nice mate. I like the plants in the centre alot.


 
Thanks a bunch Alastair! There are some really nice fish in there too. I hope to get some good fish pictures soon: I just need to get a new camera flash.


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## hydrophyte (22 Jan 2013)

I got a few plant specimen shots while putting this thing back together.

Here's the _Acrostichum_ leather fern.


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## hydrophyte (22 Jan 2013)

A couple more plant specimen shots.

The impressive root system of _Laguncularia_ white mangrove





The stilt roots of _Pandanus tectorius._


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## hydrophyte (22 Jan 2013)

The view looking down inside...


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## hydrophyte (24 Jan 2013)

I got a quick snapshot to show the fish selection in here. You can see the _Poecilia latipinna, Fundulus confluentus_ and _Cyprinodon variegatus_. The _Jordanella floridae_ are shy and they hide whenever I go near the tank. 





I really like these _C. variegatus_.


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## Alastair (24 Jan 2013)

hydrophyte said:


> The view looking down inside...



Very nice love this shot mate 


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


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## Nathaniel Whiteside (25 Jan 2013)

I really love your setups Hydrophyte. Very refreshing.


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## LondonDragon (26 Jan 2013)

Whitey89 said:


> I really love your setups Hydrophyte. Very refreshing.


Agreed, just wish I could get hold of some of those plants!!


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## hydrophyte (19 Apr 2013)

Here's a quick update for this tank. The plants are looking good.


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## Steve Smith (19 Apr 2013)

Looks excellent.  I really like the leather fern


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## hydrophyte (19 Apr 2013)

SteveUK said:


> Looks excellent. I really like the leather fern


Thanks so much!


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## hydrophyte (4 Jun 2013)

Here's another new update. I'm trying to get some better pictures for a magazine article about this tank.


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## faizal (4 Jun 2013)

Wow,...it looks very clean & neat in there. Love the sand and the water is crystal clear. Nice one.


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## dw1305 (4 Jun 2013)

Hi all,
Looks great, the _Pandanus_ has done well.

cheers Darrel


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## hydrophyte (4 Jun 2013)

Thanks you guys!

That _Pandanus tectorius_ is one of my favorite plants. And it's perfect for a brackish mangrove setup.


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## hydrophyte (10 Jun 2013)

Here's one of the quick shots that I got last week. I really like the plants in here a lot, especially the _Pandanus._


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## justissaayman (10 Jun 2013)

Can you please sow me how you affixed the plants in the back? I really want to do this with my dwarf puffer tank. 

Sent from my Nexus 7 using Tapatalk HD


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## hydrophyte (10 Jun 2013)

justissaayman said:


> Can you please sow me how you affixed the plants in the back? I really want to do this with my dwarf puffer tank.
> 
> Sent from my Nexus 7 using Tapatalk HD


 
The plants are all plnted in riparium hanging planters.


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## justissaayman (10 Jun 2013)

Thank you. Is there a particular brand or type you would recommend?


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## dw1305 (10 Jun 2013)

Hi all,


justissaayman said:


> Is there a particular brand or type you would recommend?


Hydrophyte is the seller of "Riparium Supplies" planters in the USA. <Tank Planters | Riparium Supply>.
Unfortunately I think he still doesn't have a UK re-seller? Making postage fairly expensive. <Have you seen the latest design from Riparium Supply? | UK Aquatic Plant Society>

I've tried with some cheap clear plastic "shower basket" from Ebay , they worked OK, but the suckers are hopeless. Neodymium magnets, or a hook over the tank side, would be better.

cheers Darrel


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## justissaayman (10 Jun 2013)

Thanks loads for that. I was looking at the Duzzit kitchen tidy thingies and might upgrade the suckers or just try the supplied ones at first. It would be my first foray into this.


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## BigTom (10 Jun 2013)

'Blisshome' shower caddies are what I use (available from Amazon). They have suckers too but seem able to take a moderate weight, although with heavier plants I did need to give them some support underneath with a bit of rock or wood, otherwise they'd slowly slide down the tank.


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## justissaayman (10 Jun 2013)

You mean this: Interdesign Suction Bath Caddy Clear - Bliss Home

Thats the same as the Duzzit ones on ebay


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## aliclarke86 (10 Jun 2013)

I recently picked up one of the duzit sink tidy things and hopeless is the word I would use they are constantly falling down but maybe that's my poor luck


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## justissaayman (10 Jun 2013)

Ah, cool. Thanks for letting me know.


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## hydrophyte (10 Jun 2013)

The suction cups supplied with the regular riparium planters hold much better and last a lot longer than those thinner suction cups. The riparium planters are also supplied with the plastic snap fastener for attaching the riparium trellis raft.


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## hydrophyte (15 Aug 2013)

I'm attempting to get some specimen shots of the fish in this tank. I netted a couple of individuals and put them into a 5-gallon tank that I had painted white on the bottom and rear panel. I need to experiment some more. Here is a quick knock out of the male _Cyprinodon variegatus_ pupfish.






Sometimes this guy colors up with beautiful turquoise blue, but most of the time he is just washed out like this. I need to try harder to get him while he is looking pretty.


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## Fern (17 Aug 2013)

Very nice set up.   I've had a go at planting like this, I have tried the shower caddy things, but like other have said, the suction cups aren't that good, so got thinking, would a floating worm feeder be worth a try? I know they are not quite as big, but they might be ok for smaller plants? Will get some ordered and give it a shot.
Fern


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## hydrophyte (23 Aug 2013)

Fern said:


> Very nice set up.  I've had a go at planting like this, I have tried the shower caddy things, but like other have said, the suction cups aren't that good, so got thinking, would a floating worm feeder be worth a try? I know they are not quite as big, but they might be ok for smaller plants? Will get some ordered and give it a shot.
> Fern


 
The regular commercial riparium planters have much better suction cups than the shower caddies do. Mine never fail so long as I keep the suction cups and the glass clean.

Here is a quick specimen shot for the marsh killifish. I'm having a lot of trouble getting the camera flash to work correctly(?????).


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## hydrophyte (18 Oct 2013)

This tank is featured in a new article from the latest issue of AMAZONAS Magazine. Please check it out if you can. Can you get AMAZONAS in the UK? I tried to include some good information on growing the mangrove trees in a riparium setup. The pictures turned out pretty good.


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## BigTom (18 Oct 2013)

Yeah I saw that Hydro, nice article. I really like the leather fern. You can get Amazonas in the UK by subscription (electronic version and hard copy).


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## hydrophyte (20 Oct 2013)

Thanks BigTom!

The leather fern is a real nice riparium plant.

I hope to have another article in there next spring.


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