DSM HC Project Help Needed

[bigfthing]

Hi All! I started my HC DSM project 2 weeks ago.
Start Date: 22nd April 2010.
Tank Size: 120x60x45cm
Lights: T5 4x54w (8hours)
Substrate: ADA Power Sand x 1bag 6litre, middle layer ADA Africana(used) x appx.18L, ADA Amazonia2 x 9L, top with 3KG of Amzonia2 finer ones.
HC used 7x big pcs cut into 1cm by 1cm cube. (plant in with the sponge directly into the soil)

Problems to deal with: some white fungus like stuffs on the HC that melted in a particular area in the middle. Only a very small area are affected by this though so i just removed them & planted a few stanbys back.
Another problem need you expert to rectify for me is the green stuffs on the soil mainly? Don't know what they are & what to do about them?

[reveru]

looks a lot like algae. not sure what you can do about them, maybe can try spot dosing with excel. but i don't think you need to worry too much about it. must have taken you quite some time and effort to plant all that HC in a 4 ft tank! looks promising! hope to see more pics after they have grown in!

[bigfthing]

Thanks Reveru! I'm crossing my fingers cause others are asking me why i plant in with the sponge??? Ya I think they have to be algae but they are on the soil? Maybe i'll try the Excel! How's yours look like now?

[reveru]

I'm not sure WHY plant in with the sponge exactly, but I suppose it's much easier to plant with the sponge rather than individual shoots of tiny HC! My HC is growing rather well, in fact it recently reached about 2-3 cm thick in some areas and I had to mow them down rather aggressively! Interestingly, I would like to see how the DSM method you're using now will turn out so do post periodic updates!

Good luck!

[madnugget]

bro thats very nice HC planting that you did! It will cover your whole foreground very soon and looks like its doing very well!

[gemo82]

I think your soil is too wet. The water level should be well below your substrate. With stagnant puddle of water, nutrients and high light, algae is bound to join in the party. Do not worry too much about the HC not having enough water, just make sure the soil is damp (you can see it from the colour of the ADA soil particles on the exposed surface). This also encourages them to root deeper in search of water, and good rooting is one of the main goal of DSM.

The green stuff is probably algae. You can remove the layer of soil and replant.

In our climate, fungus tends to be a problem with high humidity. I had a tank of HC with the DSM, almost ready to be flooded, but they were wiped out by fungus when I was away for a week. =(

I tore down the tank, washed everything properly, boiled the wood and rocks, and replanted with new soil etc. Added a thermometer to keep temperature in check. Still, the fungus came back. But this time, I was around to keep things in check. Removed those infected as soon as I see them, and replanted. Also, I found that by opening up the wrapping on the tank once in a while for air exchange, the fungus problem seemed to subside. So for now, whenever I am at home, I will keep the tank unwrapped and mist the tank once every 1-2 hour. I will only wrap it up when I go sleep, or when I'm out and unable to attend to it for long period. The HC is free from fungus and flourishing now.

It may seem troublesome to mist it so often, but I have some moss on rocks in that tank so I need to prevent them from drying out. For your tank, which only has HC, I suppose you only need to mist it heavily every morning if it is kept unwrapped. As long as the soil is kept damp, the little bit of air circulation will be beneficial to the plants. Think of the DSM HC as more of a terrestrial plant than aquatic plant, and it will do better at this stage.

[bigfthing]

Wow! Very infomative! Thanks for your advise Gemo82! I will take note of all the details! Will post the pictures again in 1 ~ 2 weeks for all to see how it progress! Cheers!

[Navanod]

Very informative indeed! Will certainly follow when its my turn to start planting HC

[ue52square]

This is one thread I will constantly track and hope bigfthing can continue to update and post new pictures as I am likely going to embark on the same journey soon.

Do you intend to install a chiller in your tank ?

[bigfthing]

Hi All! These are some of the updates on the 3rd weeks of the planting. All seems well & spreading runners already! Only the centre area few spots melted so i took them out & some i just push it into the soil hoping it grow back. As for the fungus problem, not a worry after i took gemo82 advises on opening up the cling wrap when i'm at home & letting the water evaporate more. But seems like the problem's not on the too much water! The center area where i dig up the fungus & melted are actually on the slope area, i think could be too hot in that area or something? But besides from there i think all are well. I am think of adding some others like tie some nanas on the DW. I wonder if they would dried up? Maybe i'll try & see how. Will post the pisctures again in 1 or 2 weeks. Oh to answer to ue52square, my tank is in my tank room which is aircon 24hrs. The temp would be below 25degree but right now no water so temp is higher. Hope mine can succeed when i flood it & also hope to see yours soon!

[bigfthing]

HELP!!! http://thefthing.blogspot.com/2010/0...ys-dsm-hc.html
It's been 27 days & the center area keeps melting off 1 by 1 even though they are growing runners, it melt as well???
What's going on? it's like it's contagious, 1 link to the other even though i removed the previously melted ones! Is it too hot or too much light because it only happen in the middle region as you can see in the 1st pic. 2nd picture is the left which are still ok & the 3rd pic is the right, also ok now. The middle right is the most upsetting one cause its almost all blooms & joint up already but now??? Could it be because i start spraying water on them when i open up the cling wrap for them to breathe?? Really don't know what went wrong??
http://thefthing.blogspot.com/

[eviltrain]

what is the temperature in the tank currently? best to keep the inside of teh tank cool. example like put 2 bottle of ice 500ml on the drift wood to keep inside the tank cool.

[bigfthing]

Are you serious Alan!!! I can't do that lah! The Ice will melt off in no time ! But btw i saw your Horned Nerite pipe cleaning method! Not bad cause they don't glow big! Also want to ask you where to get them now? I need them to clean some hair like algae from my plants!

[eviltrain]

i got my nerite snails from colourful. but hor, you seriously need to cool down the tank. i guess the trapped heat is melting the HC. oh, by the way, is your soil new? ADA Amazonia II?

[bigfthing]

Soil are a mixture of old Africana but top with a large bag of AmazoniaII. No leh, every article on DSM didn't mention got to put ice to cool tank leh? It's already in aircon room but when the light goes on for 8 hours, the temp sure to raise in the ma! Should i lower the light? Instead of the current 4x 54w, should i turn off 2 tubes?

[eviltrain]

hmm. i guess you need professional help like Shadow to answer your question liao. although in aircon room, if you warp yor tank with cling flim. it will create a green house effect inside the tank.

[Navanod]

I'm gonna start planting soon too and based on my high slopes, I expect similar problems. Will report what I can find but so far, my guess is drowning of the HC dued to too much water

[bigfthing]

Navanod,please post your pictures & progress too! And i think you better take out the sponge if they come with it!
No it's not drowning! In fact those area with lower ground are still doing absolutely fine! Something wrong with the middle section? Not soaking in water & not the highest point as well??? But i think don't spray water on them, just let their roots go search for the water.
Good Luck!!!

[Navanod]

They didn't come with sponges as I bought the potted type

Here they are


Melt

[blue33]

too much water.