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Dry start question

TeaHausCanada

Member
Joined
14 Jul 2021
Messages
44
Location
Canada
Hello from London Ontario Canada! Hope everyone is well. I have a question about the dry start method. I tried it in a small 5g nano tank with some monte carlo trimmings and after 4 weeks, I have a nice lush 1" thick carpet. Obviously works well. Just wondering if the same method can be used with stem plants, anubias, buces, etc etc. Would those plants benefit from a dry start as much as the carpeting plants? Thanks for any answers/suggestions. Always appreciated!
Carpet.jpeg
 
The short answer is yes they would. Any plant that isn’t an obligate macrophyte and that has been raised emersed will benefit from a dry start.
 
Thanks for the reply Tim. Kind of thought it was doable but thought I would ask to see if others have done this...........
 
Hi @Tim Harrison I did not know that would work for slow growers like Anubias as well. It made me think of it as a way to accelerate the growth of Anubias as I usually buy them pretty small (especially the rare ones). Not so much as a dry start, but more of a way to grow them bigger in a short amount of time before introducing them into an established tank. You think that would work?

@TeaHausCanada , that carpet looks awesome! good luck with your tank!

Cheers,
Michael
 
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Just realized that I attached a pic from 2 weeks in..........will post a more recent shot to show the growth. It really is incredible how well the DSM works!! All that's needed is patience.
 
I have always enjoyed growing aquarium plants out of water and been at it for many years!
There are only a few popular aquarium plants that wont grow out of water and the mass majority will thrive in a damp substrate and 100% humidity for the leaves = lovely warm, humid conditions just like where they grow in the wild.

I have found that the very best conditions for fast healthy growth (UK) is a sealed aquarium set in a shady outdoor place that receives lots of summer light. In my case in a north facing position from around May to October then it starts to get a bit cool for good growth.
 
I had read that leaving a small opening instead of completely sealing the tank is ideal and that is what I have done. I put a hygrometer in the tank to measure humidity and get a constant reading of 95%. I spray once a day with RO water and haven't had any mold issues. Here is a recent picture (today) of my monte carlo carpet. This is from small trimmings from another aquarists monte carlo carpet.
20210730_150325.jpeg
 
@Tim Harrison I will have to study up on DSM, but thanks for the tip!
Maybe take a look at this

 
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The moss on the rocks doesn't seem to be doing anything...........blended moss with a bit of water and ground tropica aquasoil. It may have dried out and died but we'll see........I've heard it can be resilient!
 
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