Newbie DSM attempt for Iwagumi

[FaRnieGuy]

First attempt on DSM using HC. Want to keep things simple so i tried to do Iwagumi.

My tank is a Gex Glassterior Slim 600.

found some left over ADA Amazonia from many many many years ago and also some JBJ base fert
and here it goes...

poured the left over ADA Amazonia as the base, added JBJ Base fert and also placed my rocks in.

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Went to Seaview and bought this Azoo substrate recommended by their staff.

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then i started spraying dechlorinated water to wet the substrates before i start planting.

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[FaRnieGuy]

back aching hobby

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it was after i finished planting all my HC then i realised i forgot my slope at the back.

Day 3 (13 November 2014)

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Day 9 (19 November 2014)

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Day 10 (20 November 2014)

HC growing soooooo slowly. decided to get some root tabs to hopefully help the HC to root nicely.

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[FaRnieGuy]

Day 15 (25 November 2014)

was happy to see some of the roots crawling down.

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Day 23 (2 December 2014)

HC spreading bit by bit.. some turning yellowish but i'm happy to see new leaves coming out.

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[FaRnieGuy]

Tank: Gex Glassterior Slim 600
Lighting: Beamswork LED 400
Photo Period: 20 Hours (Lighting not strong so i extended the photo period, hope it helps)
Misting: misting is done only before, during and after photo period.
Room temperature: Day 29 deg celsius max, Night about 24-26 deg celsius(because of aircon)

i covered the front and back of the tank with blue mat, i did cover the sides also. so that all the light will "concentrate" in the tank? haha.
another reason is because the tank is in my room, i can't sleep with the light on.

planning to flood the tank before Chinese New Year 2015. hope the HC can carpet nicely and not die on me.
might be getting CO2 for the tank, don't want to see HC melt after i flood the tank. that'll be months of effort wasted.

[Urban Aquaria]

Looks good, at this rate you could probably flood the tank in another 2-3 weeks time. Great timing.

[FaRnieGuy]

Looks good, at this rate you could probably flood the tank in another 2-3 weeks time. Great timing.

I'm really afraid of flooding the tank. Read about too many cases of HC dying after flooding. :eek:

[kurty]

I'm really afraid of flooding the tank. Read about too many cases of HC dying after flooding. :eek:

yeah, i'm one of them..

i planted 2ft of hc via DSM..
after flooding, they melt or died..
despite i'm using co2, good light, ada soil, root tabs..

well, maybe mc is more suitable for me.

good luck to you, mate

[Urban Aquaria]

I'm really afraid of flooding the tank. Read about too many cases of HC dying after flooding. :eek:

If your HC carpet is well established with good strong root structure during DSM, the melting after flooding will usually be minimal (it'll mainly be the older leaves that melt)... just don't flood the tank too early before the HC has time to establish properly or they will all tend to melt.

Co2 injection after flooding will definitely help in the transition process.

[limz_777]

didnt know azoo have aquasoil , how much it cost for a bag ? 9 litre ?

[FaRnieGuy]

yeah, i'm one of them..

i planted 2ft of hc via DSM..
after flooding, they melt or died..
despite i'm using co2, good light, ada soil, root tabs..

well, maybe mc is more suitable for me.

good luck to you, mate

Thanks bro. I hope everything will be ok for my tank. :thumbup:

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[FaRnieGuy]

If your HC carpet is well established with good strong root structure during DSM, the melting after flooding will usually be minimal (it'll mainly be the older leaves that melt)... just don't flood the tank too early before the HC has time to establish properly or they will all tend to melt.

Co2 injection after flooding will definitely help in the transition process.

I'll be very patient with this DSM. Let the roots establish properly. *fingers crossed*

I've never use CO2 before, how many bps is good for the transition taking note that my lighting is Beamswork LED 400 which is only around 78 x 0.06W = 4.68W ?

Thinking to get those disposable CO2 set, not sure whether it's enough because I'm planning to inject CO2 only during transition.
Or is it a must to continue injecting CO2 to keep the tank running?

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[FaRnieGuy]

didnt know azoo have aquasoil , how much it cost for a bag ? 9 litre ?

Hi, the Azoo substrates that I got was 5.4kg pack, written on the bag that it's for 40L aquarium. Cost about 3 red notes after discount. :thumbup:

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[kurty]

I'll be very patient with this DSM. Let the roots establish properly. *fingers crossed*

I've never use CO2 before, how many bpm is good for the transition taking note that my lighting is Beamswork LED 400 which is only around 78 x 0.06W = 4.68W ?

Thinking to get those disposable CO2 set, not sure whether it's enough because I'm planning to inject CO2 only during transition.
Or is it a must to continue injecting CO2 to keep the tank running?

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i think the plant fairy will answered you like this:

the light is weak, go for something better as it will serve you well in the long run.
instead of disposable co2 set, why dont you get an used co2 cylinder with solenoid etc?
the price range from $50-$100.
while you can fixed a timer to control the operating time.
When light is on, co2 is present = photosynthesis.

[FaRnieGuy]

i think the plant fairy will answered you like this:

the light is weak, go for something better as it will serve you well in the long run.
instead of disposable co2 set, why dont you get an used co2 cylinder with solenoid etc?
the price range from $50-$100.
while you can fixed a timer to control the operating time.
When light is on, co2 is present = photosynthesis.

Reason why I wanted to get a disposable set was because I'm thinking to inject CO2 only during transition phase. Might want to stop CO2 if I can.


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[Urban Aquaria]

I'll be very patient with this DSM. Let the roots establish properly. *fingers crossed*

I've never use CO2 before, how many bps is good for the transition taking note that my lighting is Beamswork LED 400 which is only around 78 x 0.06W = 4.68W ?

Thinking to get those disposable CO2 set, not sure whether it's enough because I'm planning to inject CO2 only during transition.
Or is it a must to continue injecting CO2 to keep the tank running?

Based on number of LEDs and wattage, your current light may be okay for DSM stage (no water so no light barriers), but may not be enough to sustain growth after the tank is flooded due to the greater reduction of light intensity through the water layer.

If you find the HC growth slowing down a lot after flooding, then you may need to consider upgrading to higher intensity lights, especially in conjunction with Co2 injection.

As for BPS injection rate, it depends on the Co2 equipment used and their diffusion efficiency, just start from 1 BPS and then monitor and adjust from there. Use a drop checker to gauge the Co2 levels, as long as it's shows green color means there should be sufficient Co2 levels in the tank to support the plant growth. Some people are kiasu and inject more Co2 until the drop checker shows yellow color, but it's not really necessary and just uses up Co2 gas.

It's possible to just inject Co2 during the post-flooded transition period, but once you stop Co2 injection the HC growth will also slow down greatly... what usually happens is the new growth can't grow fast enough to replace the old growth (their leaves have a limited lifespan, they don't last forever), so the older layers will gradually melt away and the carpet wouldn't be as lush as before.

Hence it's best if you can try to get a proper Co2 tank set with solenoid regulator so that you can maintain consistent and healthy growth for the HC... it's cheaper on the long run and much less hassle to use (it can operate automatically on its own once you program the injection timings).

[FaRnieGuy]

Based on number of LEDs and wattage, your current light may be okay for DSM stage (no water so no light barriers), but may not be enough to sustain growth after the tank is flooded due to the greater reduction of light intensity through the water layer.

If you find the HC growth slowing down a lot after flooding, then you may need to consider upgrading to higher intensity lights, especially in conjunction with Co2 injection.

As for BPS injection rate, it depends on the Co2 equipment used and their diffusion efficiency, just start from 1 BPS and then monitor and adjust from there. Use a drop checker to gauge the Co2 levels, as long as it's shows green color means there should be sufficient Co2 levels in the tank to support the plant growth. Some people are kiasu and inject more Co2 until the drop checker shows yellow color, but it's not really necessary and just uses up Co2 gas.

It's possible to just inject Co2 during the post-flooded transition period, but once you stop Co2 injection the HC growth will also slow down greatly... what usually happens is the new growth can't grow fast enough to replace the old growth (their leaves have a limited lifespan, they don't last forever), so the older layers will gradually melt away and the carpet wouldn't be as lush as before.

Hence it's best if you can try to get a proper Co2 tank set with solenoid regulator so that you can maintain consistent and healthy growth for the HC... it's cheaper on the long run and much less hassle to use (it can operate automatically on its own once you program the injection timings).

Ok. Noted with thanks!
Will probably get a proper set of CO2 then.

Shall wait and see whether I'll need to upgrade my lighting because my tank is only about 25cm in height.


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[babiwangi]

Try use seacham excel carbon. It works for me without co2 tank for now

[FaRnieGuy]

Try use seacham excel carbon. It works for me without co2 tank for now

Hmmm.. that's something good to try on my 1ft tank. Planning to plant E.tennullus as foreground on sudo sand with root tabs.


Thanks!

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[AQMS]

I recommend a second hand co2 injection rather than excel,you save a lot in a long run and you can
sell the cylinder in the market place if you did not want to continue in the hobby.I have a few 2litre
cylinders fully load from bioplast lying around if you are looking for one.

[FaRnieGuy]

I recommend a second hand co2 injection rather than excel,you save a lot in a long run and you can
sell the cylinder in the market place if you did not want to continue in the hobby.I have a few 2litre
cylinders fully load from bioplast lying around if you are looking for one.

Thanks bro, I'll be getting a proper set of CO2 for this main tank but not now.. My room no space to put already. Waiting for my brother to clear his stuffs from my room. Haha.

Meanwhile playing with another 1ft tank. Well, hand itchy while waiting for DSM. hehehe.. Will try Seachem excel in this tank. Hope it helps.


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