• You are viewing the forum as a Guest, please login (you can use your Facebook, Twitter, Google or Microsoft account to login) or register using this link: Log in or Sign Up

First ever tank and dry start

Biggles

Seedling
Joined
30 Apr 2016
Messages
10
Location
Sheffield
A work in progress at the moment, currently awaiting plants which I am planning on starting using the dry start method.
The tank is a Aqua Nano 60 (100L) with built in rear filter and 150W Aqua One heater, together with the stock overhead Aqua One LED light.
I have used ADA power sand special under 9 litres of ADA aqua soil Amazonia with a top up of the finer aquasoil arriving with the plants which I figured would be better for the very small rooted foreground plants (Marsilea Crenata).

Looking forward to getting planting now and I will update on here along the way...
 
Last edited:
IMAG1216.jpg
IMAG1209.jpg
 
Very nice setup. I think you should play around a bit more with the rocks. Photograph each iteration and critique it yourself. Take it slow....
 
Think I'm happy with the rocks on the right hand side but might well have a play around on the left. The rocks are TGM blue grey and have some really nice colouring
 
1462542462027.jpg
Plants arrived today so got to work!

Had a move around with the rocks on the left hand side - added a bigger one and removed the small ones at the front. Also put on a top coat of ADA Amazonian soil.
Decided to give the dry start a crack, so substrate soaked and plants planted, cling film to seal up the tank and fingers crossed for good results. I'll be watching closely and misting when it looks needed.
 
best of luck with the dry start, i'd have a look at the two stones on the left hand side, the front one is blocking view of the back; creates some tension. But that's just personal opinion, looking good anyway!
 
1462551300282.jpg

View from above to more clearly show the layout. The rocks on the left are actually one larger one with the two smaller ones up close providing a shaded sheltered area in the middle of the tank. I may well shift them around again at some stage....
 
Couple of update photos after day 6 - things seem to be going well so far as most plantings are showing signs of growth. The Marsilea Crenata is starting to through new small shoots out and the Staurogyne Repens looks more lush and is filling with new leaves. Not been much change with the Heteranthera Zosterifolia and not really sure what to expect from this plant TBH?
IMAG1221.jpg
IMAG1224.jpg
 
IMAG1247.jpg
Finally decided yesterday to flood the tank after 6 weeks of dry start. Things have gone pretty good so far with good growth, though slow with the Marsaliea Crenata, which has put out some nice runners but is far from a carpet. Hopefully everything won't die off now it's submerged..
In the absence of a CO2 system I am going to dose daily with Easycarbo, which I hope will be enough for them to hang on and adapt.

Next job is getting water cycled ready for some fish!
 
Tanks looks good :)


after 6 weeks of dry start. Things have gone pretty good so far with good growth, though slow with the Marsaliea Crenata, which has put out some nice runners but is far from a carpet.

I've not much experience with M crenata but recently planted it in a 30cm cube (Tropica Growth Substrate, Tropica Soil Powder, very soft tap water pH 6.5 - 7) which I filled with about 12 cm water
Light: (horizontal blind) filtered sunlight from an East facing window
Filter: none
Water changes: none
CO2: none
Fertilizer: none

At ~ 2 weeks, water was quite green with a lovely green surface film, I removed this with paper towel, topped up a bit to water re evaporation
Note there was visible pearling ~ mid morning in this ultra low tech system.

I got back to the tank at ~4 weeks after planting, the M crenata has carpeted it's area, invaded the M 'Monte Carlo', is trying to climb the rock towards towards the window, has sent runners between the rocks :wideyed:

Tank was drained & refilled a couple times to remove some soft green algae at substrate level, syphoned a bit off the rock (then decided it was a shrimp's job), wiped down glass, trimmed some plants, then filled & added a
Filter: Sicce Micron
Livestock: several cherry shrimp + a few dwarf cory's
5 days later tank looks much the same as when filled, l'm wondering if plants will begin to melt without CO2 now as the water column is so much deeper (surface area to volume ratio is much different now)
 
IMAG1254.jpg
Added four Amano shrimp tonight and everything seems to be going good. Plants are doing well with Liquid Carbo dosing every other day and I've had minimal algae, just a small amount of green spot on a couple of rocks which I've left for the shrimp to take of and some green spot on the glass whic. I'm going to keep on top of. Water has levelled out and stayed that way. Testing every other day now just to be sure before adding anymore livestock.

Planning on getting my first fish this weekend if all well
 
looking good.

I would dose the tank daily with liquid carbo, how much are you dosing?

RE testing your water. I wouldn't bother, just maintain 50% water changes daily for the 1st week, every other day for 2nd week, every 3rd day for the 3rd week, every 4th day for the 4th week, every 5th day for the 5th week, every 6th day for the 6th week then once a week after then. ammonia shouldn't be a problem your plants and the bacteria on the the leaves and roots should be more than capable of taking care of this.
 
Back
Top