Dry Start Iwagumi (first)... UKAPS + ASW project

[Piece-of-fish]

Finally i have overcome my laziness and starting this journal.
The scape was set up together with Jurii from aquascapingworld.com on his 3 week visit to London.
Long time i wanted to try dry start method and finally here it is:
Excuse again the photos. I promise to make couple more in few days
The frontal planted picture will follow tomorrow as is on another computer.

Specs:
Tank Optiwhite 60x36x30 (36 wide, 30 high)
Substrate Akadama with some peat moss, osmocote and JBL florapol..... Unipac Maui sand foreground
Lighting Full power 4x24w T5 arcadia luminaire for 11 hours
Plants HC and Lilaeopsis braziliensis
That is it for now... Now maintenance no ferts no co2 no filtration yet

As you can see plants are very healthy.
I had some problems with hc in the beginning. I think it could be due to spraying an EI solution to often (every day). I was afraid that akadama wont provide enough nutrients.
In some areas hc almost died completely. This could be seen on the photos. Other areas surprisingly started very well from the beginning.
I have then reduced the spraying to once in aproximately 3 days and diluted the solution greatly with more water.
Hc is starting to recover where it died back and growing very fast now.
Brazileinsis is growing great from the start after changing the leaves.
Both plants changed leave shape so it makes me think there could be little or now die back when i fill the water. Plant look like submerged form. Maybe due to high humidity?

Overall i am very happy how it goes.
Plus one more big one to Akadama...

 

[Tom]

That's two potentially awesome scapes coming from you today, I'm jealous!
Is that BGA on the sand?

 

[foxfish]

Cool I love dry start threads, how are you keeping the moisture in & humidity up?
I have started a few this way & also kept vivs but I completely sealed the top with cling film & used a small fan inside the tank.
Looks great.....

 

[mlgt]

Jealous is not even the word I am thinking of. Rude words added onto the first word seems appropriate.
Really liking this one and wished we could have seen it in the flesh.

Over the last few months Ive found out Ed is a bit of a dark horse. He has lots and lots of goodies stashed away as well as access to things. Of course it helps having the spare cash and patience (and space) to set up so many tanks

 

[Piece-of-fish]

That's two potentially awesome scapes coming from you today, I'm jealous!
Is that BGA on the sand?

Thanks Tom. Both tanks were set up with the help from other people
It might be BGA but looks more green. I am not to worried about it as can just replace it when i fill. This might be because high lights and some water in the sand. I think if i kept it dry it would be clean.

Cool I love dry start threads, how are you keeping the moisture in & humidity up?
I have started a few this way & also kept vivs but I completely sealed the top with cling film & used a small fan inside the tank.
Looks great.....

Thanks. Moisture just spraying some water every ohter day now. Humidity by usin cling film as well. What did you use the fan for?
I would like to get experience with vivs some time in the future. Love plants in all their appearances

Jealous is not even the word I am thinking of. Rude words added onto the first word seems appropriate.
Really liking this one and wished we could have seen it in the flesh.

Over the last few months Ive found out Ed is a bit of a dark horse. He has lots and lots of goodies stashed away as well as access to things. Of course it helps having the spare cash and patience (and space) to set up so many tanks

Thanks Rik... The budget is actually very limited. Just the desire to scape is overcoming common sense Plus i have no kids yet and no major responsibilities witch will end one day so enjoying while i can 8)
I am trying to save as much as i can actually by buying used equipment. My soil is akadama in all scapes if you notice
The only time i tried expensive soil was the vivarium tank because it is 15L small
Plants are also usually transferred from one tank to another. It helps having several setups as you can combine plants and have different scapes. Only need to buy few new pots every time.
Space is probably the biggest problem. Fighting with my partner for more space in the office

 

[foxfish]

I use the fans to stop to much condensation forming on the cling film so the light could penetrate better.
Also if you keep them long term, the moving air stops mould & generally keeps the plant healthy looking.
I had a sealed bottle garden passed onto me once & I was told the lid had not been taken off for 10 years.
Unfortunately I couldn't help myself & undid the top to see how it smelt.

 

[Piece-of-fish]

I use the fans to stop to much condensation forming on the cling film so the light could penetrate better.
Also if you keep them long term, the moving air stops mould & generally keeps the plant healthy looking.
I had a sealed bottle garden passed onto me once & I was told the lid had not been taken off for 10 years.
Unfortunately I couldn't help myself & undid the top to see how it smelt.

Makes sense. Thanks for good advice

 

[LondonDragon]

Really liking this one Ed, setting up an Iwagumi myself and its been a really learning curve so far, chatting and setting up the tank at the weekend really got me going yesterday, so hopefully I will have a journal by the weekend if I am not too lazy! lol

I won't be going down the dry start root so will be interesting to see how fast yours grow in comparison, those dimensions are strange but it kind of works for this tank as the depth helps good luck

 

[Piece-of-fish]

Really liking this one Ed, setting up an Iwagumi myself and its been a really learning curve so far, chatting and setting up the tank at the weekend really got me going yesterday, so hopefully I will have a journal by the weekend if I am not too lazy! lol

I won't be going down the dry start root so will be interesting to see how fast yours grow in comparison, those dimensions are strange but it kind of works for this tank as the depth helps good luck

Dimensions sound familiar dont they Manufacturer got it wrong after me mentioning at least 3 times
But gave me 30% discount because of that so i just took it. Was going for nature style but new dimensions changed the plants and to better i think.

I know what you mean by saying it got you going. I had the same effect after visiting Mark. Came back full of energy and desire to improve. You hear that Mr. Mark?

Have to work on photography now more and video. I am so glad we will have lots of photography gurus during vivarium trip. Will try to get as much as i can from this one