AquamaniacUK
Member
Hi
I'd like to share a new project i have been working on for a few months now.
I've always wanted to give a try to the dry start method so this is a dry start method project.
The scape is nothing special, i just wanted to try it dry, i did a couple of tries with the hardscape but none of them was that great.
To give a bit of background at that time i had been busy with setting up a TMC tank i had bought, it was my first aquascaping dedicated system, kind of like of a crowning achievement so this dry start was just a side project and i really wasn't putting thinking much of it.
Finally i settled for this.
Bad scape design
In the last minute i kind of realized of how horrible that scape looked, and in an effort to do some damage control because the plants were already on the way did some changes using the same rocks and substrate.
Now this was done in about 10 minutes so i don't expect to win any prizes.
Final Hardscape
Tank details
Tank: 43 (L) x 22 (H) x 26 (D) cm aprox. 25 litres.
Light during dry start: Boyu 3x 8 watts T5 for 12 hours
Light after flooding: Wavepoint 16 watts LED clamp unit 6 hours a day.
Filter : All pond solutions Hang on back filter
Heater: 25 watts cheap heater
Co2: Pressurized co2 with solenoid controlled by a timer and bubble counter
Substrate: ADA aquasoil amazonia plus cosmetic sand from pets at home
Hardscape: Mini landscape rocks
Plants: Eleocharis sp. mini
Hemianthus callithricoides "Cuba"
Echinodorus tennellus
Alternanthera reneckii mini
I planned to plant this tank on the same day of the TMC tank with any left over plants.
After all it was only a test.
Planting was done in mid-july, i misted the substrate.The idea was to get it moist but not drenched. But has the pictures show i think i overdid it a bit.
Tank was then covered the tank in cling film.
Light was on for 12 hours a day and for the first few days i misted the tank everyday.
Dry start day 1
Dry start Day 8
Dry start 16 days
Dry start day 52
I had no problems with fungus, melting or mould during this dry start and has plants seemed to adapt themselves to being emersed i stopped misting the tank everyday.
The Hemianthus cuba was the plant that faired better with this dry start and spread quite easily taking and forming a light densed carpet, on the other hand echinodorus tenellus although it survided the dry fase did not grow at all and some leaves just turned brown.
The eleocharis sp. mini did not grow at all during the first month but then slowly started spreading and finally the surprise, the reneckii grew amazingly considering it was a stem plant it formed a nice red bush.
The dry start was mostly ready to flood after two months but because i was going on holidays for 3 weeks i decided to keep it dry during that time.
I really thought that it would melt and die without any misting for 3 weeks, but it survived when i came back.
The plants were not looking very good but by then i just flooded the tank.
Tank flooded 25th of september
I flooded the tank and during the first weeks dosed great amounts of co2 24/7.
The plants had an easy transition from emersed to submersed, they grew well and were pearling most of the time.
I feel that i benefited of most of good things that come with a dry start.
The tank grew algae free, no plants were uprooted as by the time i flooded there was a strong root system already in place and by the time i managed to cut down the co2 i was able to add fish straight away and they've been doing fine.
The tank has been fertilized using EI.
The only thing i had to do so far was prunning plants and regular maintenance.
Tank day 3
Tank 2 months
Tank flooded today
Some videos of the tank
I'd like to share a new project i have been working on for a few months now.
I've always wanted to give a try to the dry start method so this is a dry start method project.
The scape is nothing special, i just wanted to try it dry, i did a couple of tries with the hardscape but none of them was that great.
To give a bit of background at that time i had been busy with setting up a TMC tank i had bought, it was my first aquascaping dedicated system, kind of like of a crowning achievement so this dry start was just a side project and i really wasn't putting thinking much of it.
Finally i settled for this.
Bad scape design
In the last minute i kind of realized of how horrible that scape looked, and in an effort to do some damage control because the plants were already on the way did some changes using the same rocks and substrate.
Now this was done in about 10 minutes so i don't expect to win any prizes.
Final Hardscape
Tank details
Tank: 43 (L) x 22 (H) x 26 (D) cm aprox. 25 litres.
Light during dry start: Boyu 3x 8 watts T5 for 12 hours
Light after flooding: Wavepoint 16 watts LED clamp unit 6 hours a day.
Filter : All pond solutions Hang on back filter
Heater: 25 watts cheap heater
Co2: Pressurized co2 with solenoid controlled by a timer and bubble counter
Substrate: ADA aquasoil amazonia plus cosmetic sand from pets at home
Hardscape: Mini landscape rocks
Plants: Eleocharis sp. mini
Hemianthus callithricoides "Cuba"
Echinodorus tennellus
Alternanthera reneckii mini
I planned to plant this tank on the same day of the TMC tank with any left over plants.
After all it was only a test.
Planting was done in mid-july, i misted the substrate.The idea was to get it moist but not drenched. But has the pictures show i think i overdid it a bit.
Tank was then covered the tank in cling film.
Light was on for 12 hours a day and for the first few days i misted the tank everyday.
Dry start day 1
Dry start Day 8
Dry start 16 days
Dry start day 52
I had no problems with fungus, melting or mould during this dry start and has plants seemed to adapt themselves to being emersed i stopped misting the tank everyday.
The Hemianthus cuba was the plant that faired better with this dry start and spread quite easily taking and forming a light densed carpet, on the other hand echinodorus tenellus although it survided the dry fase did not grow at all and some leaves just turned brown.
The eleocharis sp. mini did not grow at all during the first month but then slowly started spreading and finally the surprise, the reneckii grew amazingly considering it was a stem plant it formed a nice red bush.
The dry start was mostly ready to flood after two months but because i was going on holidays for 3 weeks i decided to keep it dry during that time.
I really thought that it would melt and die without any misting for 3 weeks, but it survived when i came back.
The plants were not looking very good but by then i just flooded the tank.
Tank flooded 25th of september
I flooded the tank and during the first weeks dosed great amounts of co2 24/7.
The plants had an easy transition from emersed to submersed, they grew well and were pearling most of the time.
I feel that i benefited of most of good things that come with a dry start.
The tank grew algae free, no plants were uprooted as by the time i flooded there was a strong root system already in place and by the time i managed to cut down the co2 i was able to add fish straight away and they've been doing fine.
The tank has been fertilized using EI.
The only thing i had to do so far was prunning plants and regular maintenance.
Tank day 3
Tank 2 months
Tank flooded today
Some videos of the tank
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