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Thread: Crypt setup, 1st trial failed....

  1. #1
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    Crypt setup, 1st trial failed....

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    From this setup in Roland thread, anyone have any idea what's the water underneath the pot of plants are actually meant for?

    I suppose they are to keep the soil moist as well as to maintain the humidity in the setup. Am I right?



    I have set up a similar setup recently and gotten some expensive plants as a 1st trial. I consider it as a failure and I would like to share my experience and some humble learnings as well as to seek your comments on any improvement.


    Ok, here we go,my setup:

    Pot Size:
    7cm in diameter, height 9cm
    [IMG][/IMG]

    The potting mix is soil (50%) and sphagnum moss (50%) with some fertiliser I got from NTUC. 2 types. 1 is in tablet form and the other is in small little round beads. These potting mix and fertiliser are filled at the top part of the pot, maybe say halfway up (if you can see the different tone in colour from the little green pot). The whitish part at the bottom of the pot are just bigger sized gravel to block the holes.

    Within each pot, I mixed the potting mix with some beads form fertiliser. In the middle of each pot, I placed 1 piece of the tablet form fertiliser.

    The whole setup:
    The setup is a 1ft cube tank. Raised up, underneath with water circulated with an air strip.
    [IMG][/IMG]

    The whole 1ft cube tank could hold 15 pots.

    I have started off with Cryptocoryn Uenoi, Nurri, x Timahensis, and Bullosa. Cryptocoryn Uenoi have melted totally while I am floating the remains of the Nurri in my water planted tank in a desperate bid to save it. Timahensis and Bullosa is still in emersed setup struggling to survive.

    My mistake:
    Originally, I have added in too much water in the tank. So much so that the water level is just 1 - 2cm below the top of each pot. At 1st, I thought this will keep the soil moist. It's a mistake. I failed to realise, at the same time, the water are actually soaking the fertiliser (dissolving it) in the pot and thus causing the water in the tank to be highly concentrated with nutrients. This is the reason which caused the plants to melt.

    Damage control:
    I drained the water in the tank and renew it with fresh water. This time round, I only fills the tank up to the level just above the 'holes' of the pot. At the same time, I took out all the pot and drain them under running tap water to clear the soil of excess nutrients. Placed them back in and planted some other affordable cryptocoryn species as a trial, though the Bullosa and Timahensis is still inside.
    [IMG][/IMG]


    I hope this will work out right.

    Any comments guys?

    PS: Ya man, greatest and stupidest mistake>>trying out a new setup with expensive plants = great $$ loses...

  2. #2
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    Did you use the mister you bought in the end? I am thinking of setting up a similar tank also but its now just NATO (no action all talk). I am still hoping to find time to visit those irrigation shops to try to see if I can source for a cheap "half-pass-six" misting / spray head which can be driven by a small submersed pump.

    I see some wires running up the tank, are those for air-pump, lights or fan?

    My current set up is still in mineral bottles (plants are surviving, putting out new leaves slowly but not growing very fantastically from my point of view) for those slightly more expensive species or in open air flower bed for those cheaper and more hardy species.

    As for fertiliser, I recently tried inserting a fetiliser tablet (wonder-gro brand) into one of my mineral bottle just to test the effect and it immediately caused the crypt leaves to completely melt off in 2 days (should be due to sudden nutrient shock?). However, I will wait a while more to see if the crypts re-grow back and if yes whether they grow better then before. Maybe you should also wait a while more before you conclude whether your set up is successful of not.

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    For my setup, originally when the water level is high, which is about 1 - 2cm from the top of the pot, I do use the mister I bought which is doing great in maintaining the moist in the tank.

    As now I have since lowered down the water level, it can't really work. It needs the water to be above it at certain level before it can work. So for now, I have to do the misting whenever I'm around.

    The wire you mentioned is the fan, put on a timer, for exchange of air. It's on 2 times a day. Once in the evening, and once when the sun rises.

    I am using the fertiliser brand Horti Pot Plant Tablet from NTUC. It surprise me that your leave melted when you add in the fertiliser. Are they really so sensitive? So how should we add in fertiliser then? What went wrong?

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    I have an urge to know how we should prepare our potting mix. As in what's the mix ratio of soil and sphagnum moss to achieve the best mix.

    Also, should we add in the fertiliser as part of the potting mix? What fertiliser is best meant for cryptocoryn?

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    There are many queries which I hope could be answered too but no one could answer some of them which I posted. That being the case, I think all we can do now is to run experiment ourselves and share our findings!

    I am currently testing 3 types of potting media bought from NTUC to test their suitability for growing cryptocorynes. Will keep you guys updated in the separate thread on this.

    About your mister, maybe you could raise the base higher so that you can increase the water level in the tank and yet maintain the water level in to pots so that you can use the mister?

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    Hopefully someone who have already gone through what we are going through now can share with us their experience.

    BTW, what do you add in your potting mix? Do you add fertiliser to it? If you do what are they? Or do you only uses the plain soil?

    Thanks for your suggestion on raising the base. For the time being, will leave it as it is. This is actually just a trial. Need to understand the fundamentals now before going into a larger setup in the future.

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    I am using 3 different types of potting medias: ADA, GEX, normal soil + lapis sand above, all 3 types are getting satisfactory results with new leaves growing and white roots forming, the rate however is slow. None are mixed with fertiliser except my recent experiment with wonder-gro in one of my "mineral water bottle".

    I haven't really measured the pH of my potting media and that little bit of water inside the bottle but I suspect that plays an important part (you may want to measure the pH of the water in your tank). For my method used, two other issues are the lack of air exchange and the limited space for the leaves to spread out naturally.

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    Hi carl the picture show in your 1st post? The setup is to allow a water pump to pump the water down n up thru, so that you get a water circulation. Hope you understand.

    As per your use of garden soil is a big challenge you take. I think it is very acidic if you use the burn soil.

    I do suggest you use lapis sand or ada soil for start. If you want use normal plant fert? you can pickup some from me. Usually i do not add any fert for start, let them stablise 1st.

    Hi illumbomb, i think you are starting to get it right.
    Best Regards, TS
    PlantLog Garden Cryptocoryne, Bucephalandra .....

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    Quote Originally Posted by TS168 View Post
    Hi carl the picture show in your 1st post? The setup is to allow a water pump to pump the water down n up thru, so that you get a water circulation. Hope you understand.

    As per your use of garden soil is a big challenge you take. I think it is very acidic if you use the burn soil.

    I do suggest you use lapis sand or ada soil for start. If you want use normal plant fert? you can pickup some from me. Usually i do not add any fert for start, let them stablise 1st.

    Hi illumbomb, i think you are starting to get it right.
    Thanks for the information.

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    hmm...seems like little exchange of information from other members here...

  11. #11
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    Basically the setup is trying to simulate the natural environment of the crypt....flowing river water...The movement of the water will aid in the exchange of gases (I cant remember what gases they were...) at the roots...

    With regards to the substrate...it really depends on what plant species you are planting.
    It's still about trying to simulate the natural environment for the plant..like apongetifolia grows in waters of high Ca in its natural envn.. So if you want to grow it in your setup...
    U would have to put in calcium chips or coral chips in your substrate...

    Rgds,
    gchoo

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