Hemianthus Callitrichoides (HC) - Dry Start Method Journal!

[felix_fx2]

I don't use the burst mode... what i do is manually take individual shots, allowing the camera lens to auto re-focus between each shot, i find that this method results in better photos.

i just now tried my note 2 lte... never noticed how good it was.
the close up shot is very much better then i actually anticipated.

btw, when is the main rock going in?

[bravobb]

DSM is really an effective method to fast grow the plants... even Diana Walstad recommended that but nothing beats your details illustration.
I will be using this method as well.
However, i was a little disappointed that the growth is quite slow from your initial planting to Week 6....
I was hoping the DSM would have cover the entire ground by then... is this the norm ?

[Urban Aquaria]

I'm wondering if lengthening the photo period will enable the HC to grow faster...

That would actually be a good experiment to conduct, i guess you could test and see if it's possible.

i just now tried my note 2 lte... never noticed how good it was.
the close up shot is very much better then i actually anticipated.

btw, when is the main rock going in?

Its going to be a bogwood covered with fissidens... at the moment its still undergoing its own DSM in a separate tub.

DSM is really an effective method to fast grow the plants... even Diana Walstad recommended that but nothing beats your details illustration.
I will be using this method as well.
However, i was a little disappointed that the growth is quite slow from your initial planting to Week 6....
I was hoping the DSM would have cover the entire ground by then... is this the norm ?

Yup, i referred to Diana Walstad's guide when doing my HC DSM too, this was the article which contained alot of useful info:

http://www.atlasbooks.com/marktplc/00388Shrimp.pdf

I guess if i continued the DSM for another 2-3 more weeks, the HC would probably cover the whole surface, but my main objective was to just get them to establish strong roots, so once that was achieved i had no issues to flood and then let it continue its growth submerged... i was also bored of misting everyday, staring at an empty tank and tired of hearing everyone keep asking me "eh, how come the fish tank still got no water and no fish ah?".

Another reason was also because my holding tank (the 13 litre nano one i posted up earlier) was getting increasingly overstocked with fishes (accumulated almost 25+ fishes in there over the many weeks) all waiting to transfer over, so it was additional incentive to get the tank up and running earlier.

Btw, i'm also following Diana Walstad's post-flooding/submerged techniques on this tank too... no additional Co2 injection, siesta lighting regimen to allow the Co2 to replenish naturally in staggered grow/rest shifts, stocking well to allow for natural Co2 and nutrients from fauna, not planting other more demanding plants to reduce competition for Co2 and using floating plants instead (i'm also using frogbits) to help absorb excess nutrients to prevent/slowdown algae (floating plants don't compete on Co2 'cos they draw it directly from the air).

It'll basically be a "low/mid-tech" tank with HC carpet, fissidens and frogbits. So far, it seems to be working according to plan. Will be doing a follow-up thread on the tank as it matures.

[Fahmy]

Its going to be a bogwood covered with fissidens... at the moment its still undergoing its own DSM in a separate tub.

Why didnt u do their DSM together? Is there a different parameter?


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[Urban Aquaria]

Why didnt u do their DSM together? Is there a different parameter?

Yeah, the bogwood and fissidens DSM i'm doing is abit different, its done in a clear tub that is covered to increase the humidity. The fissidens are not tied to the bogwood, they are just layered on and will anchor to the wood over time... 'cos i found that if the tub was left open the fissidens will tend to dry out too quickly.

[Urban Aquaria]

Quick update... its a few weeks after flooding and so far the HC has gone through the transition well and fresh growth is seen with nice and green new leaves.

Only encountered an initial thread/hair algae attack after flooding but it was cleared away quickly with the help of 35+ hardworking cherry shrimps, otherwise no other algae issues so far.

I'm only running an 8 hour light duration (split between 9am-1pm and 5pm-9pm) as this tank is being run "el natural" without added Co2 injection or fertilization. Although the trade-off is slower growth, but in return i also encounter very little algae along with well balanced water parameters. Hopefully it continues to be as low maintenance as possible.

One thing has been puzzling me though, i've been spotting a few strands of HC that seems to be growing much taller and with much larger and longer leaves (i keep cutting them shorter, and within a few days they grow back very quickly)... they look different from the other HC plants so i think they might be a different plant species or sub-species that somehow hitchhiked on the HC mats.

Here are 2 photos of them:





Any plant experts have an idea what plant species or sub-species they could be?

[Fahmy]

Cool! Looks super pretty! One question: your current tank currently has a temperature of 27-28°c right? And no CO2? Which means HC does not require low temp and injected CO2... also, i always thought that shrimps required cooler temperatures... are they thriving?

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[Shadow]

look like HM (Hemianthus micranthemoides)

[milk_vanilla]

+1

HM to me

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[Urban Aquaria]

Cool! Looks super pretty! One question: your current tank currently has a temperature of 27-28°c right? And no CO2? Which means HC does not require low temp and injected CO2... also, i always thought that shrimps required cooler temperatures... are they thriving?

Thanks!

The tank is in a room which is not facing the sun directly so its relatively cool... but occasionally when the weather is really hot, the water temperature can sometimes go up to 29-30°c in the afternoons too.

So far, i've not encountered any issues with growing HC at higher temperatures (i've seen them in outdoor gardens growing under the scorching sun at 34-35°c anyways), so i guess they can adapt to different temperature conditions.

Additional Co2 injection isn't required to grow HC (it can grow with Co2 already naturally present in the water, just at a slower pace)... but if the objective is to grow them fast, then you'll need to add the right combination of Co2 injection + high light + fertilization to accelerate their growth.

As for the shrimp, i'm keeping red cherry shrimp (RCS) in the tank, which are quite hardy and can thrive in a wide range of conditions. Though i guess if you are planning to keep the more sensitive crystal red shrimp (CRS) breeds, then those type of shrimps would usually require lower temperatures and more specific tank conditions.

look like HM (Hemianthus micranthemoides)

+1

HM to me

Cool! They do indeed look like the online photos of HM... thanks for the ID!

Maybe i'll re-plant them further back to grow as mid-background plants.

[kohanson]

Nice journal there and that makes me more excited to grow them without CO2. I just bought aquazonic 3ft 2x39W T5 and has replaced my beamswork 600 LED. Electricity bill will probably go up as the LED is running at around 8W while the T5 at around 80W!

I just started planting HC last Sunday and as my tank has been running for 5 months and I have CRS and Sakura shrimps in my tank, what I did was to remove all the plants and added in 1 pack of ADA new amozonia soil into tank. That was a disaster even though I washed the soil for almost 10 times as I did not remove the shrimps from the tank. The whole tank turned brown black and visibility was less than 5cm. I have not used any test kit since day 1 for my tank. I then planted in HC which were cut into 1cm x 1cm patches. They were immediately submersed without the DSM. I hope my HC can grow without CO2 just like yours!

[mincedmeat]

I hope you removed the shrimps as well while you were addring in the new soil. Regardless, aquarium soil shouldn't be washed and should be added into a waterless tank. Adding it straight into a tank filled with water will cause the water to turn cloudy black/brown. This pollutes the water and will in time kill off your fauna.

[bennyc]

The soil should have high ammonia content. I am not sure if washing it a few times will decrease it drastically. If it does not, it will cause a ammonia spike in your tank, seeing CRS are sensitive shrimps, it will be fatal to them.

If you follow other veteran post on the use of ADA soil, it will be better.

[kohanson]

ok, thanks for all your advise. Will monitor my shrimps for the next few days.

[armageddon]

are we able to use DSM on staurogyne repens?

[Urban Aquaria]

are we able to use DSM on staurogyne repens?

Yes, Staurogyne sp. Repens can be grown emersed via DSM too.

You can check out an example of it in this thread: http://www.aquascapingworld.com/thre...-culture.3512/

Most plants that you buy from LFS that are not packaged submerged in water (ie. sold in plastic tubs or cartons) are usually grown emersed at plant farms anyways.

[felix_fx2]

Yes, Staurogyne sp. Repens can be grown emersed via DSM too.

You can check out an example of it in this thread: http://www.aquascapingworld.com/thre...-culture.3512/

Most plants that you buy from LFS that are not packaged submerged in water (ie. sold in plastic tubs or cartons) are usually grown emersed at plant farms anyways.

It's easy to grow emerse. if in pots with ample water (as in your reference link), they will grow nicer.
Btw, ever thought of letting those hitch hiker plants grow? Will look more natural.

Just my point of view, you'll notice those ada showroom tanks. quite a few of them have mixed HC and hairgrass.

[ivantan]

how much wet do you get your soil? I have one but it seems like some of the leaves are drying out

[Urban Aquaria]

how much wet do you get your soil? I have one but it seems like some of the leaves are drying out

Each time you mist it, just moisten the soil enough until the soil granules are slightly "shiny". The water will trickle down to the lower portions of the soil between regular mistings. The top-most soil layer may look drier after a few hours but that is fine, as the water settles into the lower substrate for use by the plant roots.

You can see how much water there is under the soil just by looking at the plant roots through the lower sides of the glass tank.

Healthy leaves are green and lush... if some leaves are becoming brittle or turning brown, its most likely due to the weaker ones dying off before new healthier ones grow out to replace them.

[ivantan]

Each time you mist it, just moisten the soil enough until the soil granules are slightly "shiny". The water will trickle down to the lower portions of the soil between regular mistings. The top-most soil layer may look drier after a few hours but that is fine, as the water settles into the lower substrate for use by the plant roots.

You can see how much water there is under the soil just by looking at the plant roots through the lower sides of the glass tank.

Healthy leaves are green and lush... if some leaves are becoming brittle or turning brown, its most likely due to the weaker ones dying off before new healthier ones grow out to replace them.

weak plants? interesting concept never thought plants were like that, thought that if one part was to die it could be a sign that the rest of it was getting ready to go to.