Themuleous
Member
Just thought I would start a journal for my nano. I've used the rocks Dave had at the gathering to create the scape, sorry dont have pics at the mo but will get some up this evening.
The real reason for the journal is that Im growing HC emersed, to get a nice carpet before I flood the tank with water and to see if it really is as easy as Tom Barr says!
Quick list of the spec.
Tank - 24x8x8"
Substrate - Tropica plant substrate under unipac black quarts gravel
Lighting - 2x24 T5 - 1x Arcadia plantpro, 1x Giesemann midday, for 8hrs
Water - there is about 1.5cm of water in the tank kept just below the top of the substrate. This is straight tap (has lots P and N in it) with added P, N, K and a lot of TPN. This is also the solution I spray onto the plants.
Maintenance - The top of the tank is covered in cling film to help stop the plants drying out and I give the whole tank a good spray with a mister once a day with the fert laden water when I get home from work. I also blow into the tank to replenish the CO2. I might at some stage try adding CO2 via my pressurised system to see it it makes a difference to growth. ADA AS seems to be the substrate of choice for growing plants emersed and I have heard of people soaking zeolite in normal plant fertiliser to get lots of NH3 into the substrate. We will see how well my substrate does, I'm hoping spraying it regularly will make up for the initial lack of nutrients in the gravel until the plants reach the tropcia plant substrate.
The tank has been running for 4 days now and the plants seem to be doing OK, no obvious signs of change, but it is early days.
Pics later, any comments/suggestions greatly received
Sam
The real reason for the journal is that Im growing HC emersed, to get a nice carpet before I flood the tank with water and to see if it really is as easy as Tom Barr says!
Quick list of the spec.
Tank - 24x8x8"
Substrate - Tropica plant substrate under unipac black quarts gravel
Lighting - 2x24 T5 - 1x Arcadia plantpro, 1x Giesemann midday, for 8hrs
Water - there is about 1.5cm of water in the tank kept just below the top of the substrate. This is straight tap (has lots P and N in it) with added P, N, K and a lot of TPN. This is also the solution I spray onto the plants.
Maintenance - The top of the tank is covered in cling film to help stop the plants drying out and I give the whole tank a good spray with a mister once a day with the fert laden water when I get home from work. I also blow into the tank to replenish the CO2. I might at some stage try adding CO2 via my pressurised system to see it it makes a difference to growth. ADA AS seems to be the substrate of choice for growing plants emersed and I have heard of people soaking zeolite in normal plant fertiliser to get lots of NH3 into the substrate. We will see how well my substrate does, I'm hoping spraying it regularly will make up for the initial lack of nutrients in the gravel until the plants reach the tropcia plant substrate.
The tank has been running for 4 days now and the plants seem to be doing OK, no obvious signs of change, but it is early days.
Pics later, any comments/suggestions greatly received
Sam