Problems with Dry start metod. Hc cuba rot.

[kitelis]

Hi.
I write for the first time.
3 weeks ago launched a new aquarium.
I chose (dry start method)
About one week ago, the problems start with (HC CUBA) I do not know what happened, but the plants roots and the leaves begin to turn yellow. can see the picture. Can you please help with advice.
aquarium is covered with a plastic film 24-7.
20 to 30 minutes it's open in day.
I need fast advice,if i will not do something, all plants will be dead.

Light:6x39w 12 hours in day
Soil:ADA Amazon
Spray it on 1 to 2 times per day (not with RO whater)
Humidity: 95% 80%
Temperature: 22-25 c

it's all starts like this.

Now it's looks like this !!!!

 

[Dominic]

I have the same problem mate, i'm a complete beginner to this, but i have tried around 5 times to grow this emersed. Lots of people have said to me that the substrate is too wet- I have tried to overcome this problem, by adding around an inch of cat litter on top of the wet substrate, but these problems still occured.

 

[Bellaaquatics]

I think that possible due to overlight.. Try to reduce your light a bit, duration and intensity

 

[kitelis]

You think less light or mor?

 

[Bellaaquatics]

You think less light or mor?

Reduce.. Could you post your tank size?

 

[dw1305]

Hi all,

I think that possible due to overlight..

Light:6x39w 12 hours in day

I know it is a lot of light, but I really wouldn't have thought so, mainly the plant has access to 400ppm CO2.

Also if it was a problem with too much light you would expect to see the upper leaves pale green and probably with some evidence of leaf scorch along the margins.

If you look at the last photo:

You can see that the new leaves are actually fairly dark green and healthy looking. My suspicion would be that the initial reaction is due to the high level of nutrients in the substrate, and quite possibly ammonia burn.

aquarium is covered with a plastic film 24-7. 20 to 30 minutes it's open in day.

Lots of people have said to me that the substrate is too wet- I have tried to overcome this problem, by adding around an inch of cat litter on top of the wet substrate, but these problems still occured.

If you keep the substrate dry this will make things worse, as the salts will be concentrated into a smaller volume of water. I'd add a bit more water and then keep the lid on 24/7. If the water comes right up to the substrate surface you shouldn't need to mist, although it won't do any harm.

Spray it on 1 to 2 times per day (not with RO whater)

I'd use RO for spraying, unless you have soft tap water? I definitely wouldn't use any nutrients in the spray.

cheers Darrel

 

[kitelis]

Yes i haw wily soft water. From tap is around 7-9 kh.
Tank size 90x45x45 182 l
I am not use any nutrients. Funy think is thet when one said of tank look worse. But ther is no difference in the soil.

 

[Bellaaquatics]

Yes i haw wily soft water. From tap is around 7-9 kh.
Tank size 90x45x45 182 l
I am not use any nutrients. Funy think is thet when one said of tank look worse. But ther is no difference in the soil.

I thinks its way way to highlight.. But dw1305 says its allright..

I usualy get this problem at my natural solar light setup, when there's too much sunlight, the plants get burned like your attached image..

 

[kitelis]

I yesterday reduced light. Now 2 bulbs is working 12 h and all 6 working 7h in day. So let's see what happens.
Any way thanks for help.

 

[harryH]

I would take a look at AndyC's HC propogator step by step, under heading 'Emersed Growing'.
I appreciate you want to 'dry start' within your aquarium but if you look at what you are trying to do and compare it to Andy's you will maybe get some pointers.
Andy has grown HC for England!, using only light from a window but there are some suggestions that maybe growing emersed plants using terrafirma techniques differentiate from techniques used in submersed growing.

To start with he has bottom heat from the propagator much as you would growing any plant in a greenhouse but this is not compromised by any heat from artificial lighting, which is difficult to control. He uses John Innes No3 which is a highly nutritious and very 'open' compost.

Whist he has the compost very wet, to re create bog type conditions he lays the cuttings on to the surface rather than trying to plant them, and controls temperature very carefully by turning off the substrate heater completely if the condition (sun through the window) look like getting too hot. This way he can avoid rot (botrytis) known to gardeners as' damping off disease'.
It is very important to control the amount of ventilation while at the same time keeping a controlled amount of humidity.
My view is that you will need to control light, temperature and humidity very carefully until the roots of the plantlets get a good hold and my guess is maybe in your case theses have not been quite right.
Harry.

 

[Andy Thurston]

I wasn't that scientific about it really. I only used john ines cos it was cheap and meant i didn't need to add nutrients. I don't think ada stuff is suitable for dsm too much ammonia as darrel says. Ive seen a few dsm mould?problems with ada substrate, in the last 6 months but don't think i've seen any diy soils go mouldy? Burnt? But covered with algae yes. Try filling the tank slowly(that hc looks like snot, new growth looks green though) and drain it to reduce ammonia levels.
I got a little bit of melt in the first week but put it down to damaged bits from handling


Andy

Andys 60l cube | UK Aquatic Plant Society
Andys HC propagator step by step | UK Aquatic Plant Society

 

[kitelis]

Looks the same problem what i have. But in the end all it's ok. I hope for me end will be the same.

Urban Aquaria: Hemianthus Callitrichoides (HC) - Dry Start Method

From where ammonia come? Hmm

 

[Aquadream]

I have experienced that with Amazonia substrate after the New Amazonia types dry start requires very high lights for HC and other plants to get growing. I have a propagator with HC and Amazonia that needed 5 x T5 tubes over 30 Liters box right on top of the cover glass, les than 4 inches from the HC culture, other wise HC would die. So I would get the light even higher, but for no more than 8 hours. Plants do not need 12 hours cycle in any conditions.

Pay attention to temperature. Emmersed HC prefer warmer environment 25-28 degrees C. Under water it prefers cooler temperatures around 22 degrees C.

Remember also when the time come to top up water in the tank, do not care about PH readings, punch the CO2 right from day one. Amazonia have some compound that reacts with CO2 and the recommended CO2 injection according to KH readings will turn to be insufficient.
I always have CO2 deficiency symptoms with Amazonia in my aquariums, no matter how much I inject.

 

[Andy Thurston]

From where ammonia come? Hmm

the substrate