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2.5 Gallon HC emersed: Week 3 update

5K views 22 replies 8 participants last post by  manzpants92 
#1 · (Edited)
Hey guys, for my botany class that I'm taking we have to do a semester project so I decided to do mine on HC/planted aquariums. I don't have a ton of money to spend on a nice co2 system and i didn't want to go through the trouble of getting a filter and everything else needed for the tank to run with water so i decided to go emersed. For the visual aid portion of the project i planted HC throughout the tank and i'm just going to document the growth. I'm really not sure if im going to end up submerging the tank or not so i didn't really do a crazy rock layout....just went as generic as possible and did a little slope just because i want to be able to see/document the growth of the HC as clearly as possible.

Equipment:
2.5 gallon tank
Ada Aquasoil
26 watt CFL bulb



As of now I just have the top saran wrapped and I spray the tank down once a day when it looks kind of dry and unwrap the saran at the end of the day for a couple minutes to get some gas exchange(not sure if this is good or not). For lighting duration i've only had it up for a day and yesterday i kept the light on for 12 hours when i was at class, so is that a good amount? or should i take the lighting duration down?

I'm looking for as much advice as possible on the dry start/emersed method so any input would be great! Ill post pictures with updates when things start to get rolling along
 
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#10 ·
I'm doing DSM with HC in my 5.5g tank, journal is below. I started it 4 weeks ago. I think my progress will be a good indicator for your HC. I have my lights on a timer for 12 hours a day, misting with tank water from my 20g and added a pinch of KH2PO4 and KNO3 into the spray bottle. I'm spraying just before I leave work every day, which requires me to lift up the saran wrap and spray, so I am getting gas exchange for a couple of minutes there. The thermometer in the tank shows it at 70F when the lights come on, then eventually stays at 73-75 for the rest of the day. In addition to good lighting, I don't think you will want the HC to get below 70F.
 
#11 ·
Here's a little update.

Week 2








I've been leaving my light on for around 12 hours. I've been misting a couple times a day when the plants look dry. Some of the plants on the top of the slope are starting to get a little yellow so i've been highering the light so its not so close, or should i lessen the lighting period?

Regardless its somewhat hard to tell from the picture but things are coming along slowly but surely. Seems like the bulb i have in my desk light seems to be doing the job and the tears are enjoying it!

More updates to come
 
#17 ·
I know it gets to be a tough situation. I probably shouldn't have made the slope so significant because the plants on top are dry if anything and the ones on bottom are practically submerged. So I try to spray the stop ones lightly throughout the day
 
#21 ·
I had the light very close to the tank at first but then the plants on the top of the hill were starting to get tannish/yellow and looked like they were getting burnt so i set the light a little bit higher so the light wasn't as intense

Just lean/tilt the tank back so the waterline is more or less parallel to the substrate.
Would that mess up the slope of the hill?

Very nice. May I ask, you only spray some water into this tank daily? not other stuff add in correct?
Yeah just water, keep it simple
 
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