Mangrove in my 3 Gallon???

[TropicalRespect]

I was thinking of getting a mangrove plant for my 3 gallon tank to help remove nitrates. Good or Bad idea? What other plants could I use instead?

 

[SeaBee]

Thats a good thing, mangroves eat up nitrates, but they need a light, do you have one?

 

[TropicalRespect]

Ya, its an 18watt 50/50 flourescent

 

[SeaBee]

The mangrove will stick out into the air above the water, you know that right? Will the light be on it, or daylight from a window?

 

[TropicalRespect]

haha, ya i have a top on my tank, that might not work out well. What other plants remove nitrates?

 

[SeaBee]

Maybe a desklamp with a plant bulb in it, or anything for a fuge should work.

 

[Smitty]

Mangroves are cool, but the take a very long time to grow, which in return will slowly eliminate the nitrates...cheato is probably your best bet to add to your tank that can effectively remove nitrates.

 

[little_fish]

+1 Smitty

Mangroves grow very slowly and they take a very long time to establish. They are also going to take up much of the room in your 3 gal tank. I think a ball of cheato will work much better for you. Plus mangroves need extra lights, and that light that you have wont be enough for them.

 

[TropicalRespect]

where should i put the cheato?

 

[little_fish]

Do you have a HOB filter for it? I would put it in there or in a corner.

 

[TropicalRespect]

i just has a normal power filter.

 

[little_fish]

does it hang off the back? if so i would put it in there, turing it into a HOB fuge.

If you dont convert it to a fuge, then i would get rid of the power filter. Unless you are cleaning them every 3 or 4 days, they will cause more problems then they solve. The particles that the filter media traps stay in the water flow, so when the decompose into smaller compounds, those are release from the filter media back into the water to feed cyano or algae.

 

[TropicalRespect]

oh...... i never knew that. And yes it hangs off the back. How do i turn it into a fuge?

 

[little_fish]

just pull out the filter media and insert cheato! Voila! You have a hob fuge!

you can get cheato from bifferwine, just pm about it.

 

[AmberSunrise]

I used cheato in my HOB filter and within a month it was all disintegrated. I dont know what the secret is all my other plants and corals are very healthy.

 

[little_fish]

Might not have had enough tumble. If the whole thing doesnt get rotated it tends to fall apart.

 

[Bifferwine]

It needs light, too.

 

[jamestown478]

would sunlight be enough for the cheato?

 

[little_fish]

No, but the spread from the light you have on top of your tank for the corals should reach it. But if you feel it isnt enough, then clip a small desk lap to it.

 

[TropicalRespect]

Ok i see, ill try it out