Peter's Low-Tech Mini-M HC & Glosso DSM

[fusiongt]

Looks nice. I like when the drift wood (or parts of it) are actually in the substrate and not just atop of it but you won't be able to tell once the plants grow in.

[PeterN1986]

Small update after planting a week ago:


New root growth for that glosso!


More new glosso growth.


View from above.

I definitely see new glosso growth as some of them start to die off. Also, as you can see in the 3rd pic, some of the HC bunches look rotted and dead, while the rest look green and lively. There is definitely HC starting to runner out and new small leaves popping up. Should I leave the rotted looking parts there so that they can break down for the bacteria, or remove it so that they don't rot up the rest of the root system of the other HC bunches?

I have not submerged the substrate in water at all; in fact, all I have been doing is spraying (Excel + tank water from my 20H + dry ferts in 750mL bottle) a good amount twice a day (when I get to work and before I leave work). I know the DSM method calls for submerging the substrate no more than 1" over it, but I think the heavy spraying I'm doing is working quite well.

[Couesfanatic]

Iv'e never read to go one inch over the substrate before. I try to keep mine with enough water that most of those air spaces in the substrate is gone. I'd add more water personally, but it looks good so far.

[PeterN1986]

Sorry, I thought of Lion King in this pic:

[tommypham]

You will get HC growth full carpet about 1 month . don't miss excel with water . It will kill your plants . Very nice start .

[PeterN1986]

Just after I first planted:


After one week:


Update after two weeks:


I should probably break up some of the bigger HC clumps and replant them to fill up some of the empty spaces. Also, I am noticing HC growing more spread out than the glosso. The glosso has a good amount of new growth, but it seems to be a little bit upward instead of laterally. I'm also going to try and remove the dead looking clumps of HC. The java moss is doing its thing, sopping up the moisture.

[Green_Flash]

The plants are beginning to fill, the flood is imminent?

[PeterN1986]

Nah, no flooding for a bit. As much as I am tempted to flood it, I want to grow out the HC and glosso to cover as much of the bottom as I can. I think I will hold out for at least another month.

[Adri.]

Looks good so far! I love nano tanks

[Xalyx]

Isn't a dry start supposed to have the tank covered?

[duy]

Wow, it looks great man! Only two weeks and your plants are picking up already, I'm green with envy haha.

[TheRiverRat]

Very clean looking set-up. I just got a pico-tank, wish my LFS sold one of those ADA tanks as they look really great, and will be following yours to get some ideas. Can't wait to see it filled.

[PeterN1986]

Thanks guys for the props! Xalyx, I peeled back the cling wrap to take the above-tank pictures. I had to travel for work again this past week, so the tank was covered for 4 straight days without any misting. I think this is a good period to build up the moisture and let the substrate dry out a little bit.

RiverRat, I ordered mine online from the ADG shop. It shipped perfectly fine. There are a lot of journals and set ups that I have looked through on here for inspiration. My initial inspiration was this awesome tank:

http://www.aquascapingworld.com/thre...ro-manso.1182/

But then I came across the piece of driftwood in my LFS and just had to go with it.

[PeterN1986]

Originally Posted by duy

Wow, it looks great man! Only two weeks and your plants are picking up already, I'm green with envy haha.

How is your tank coming along?

[PeterN1986]

This is week 3 of my DSM. The HC bunches have grown a great amount. This week I decided to break some of the clusters up and break them up into smaller pieces to fill in some gaps. I know a lot of you use aquasoil, but I think eco complete is fine too. When I was breaking up the clusters, the roots were clinging to the granules of ecocomplete, which is good; they were getting their nutrients from them and the roots were established well.

Week 3 Update:


After breaking up some clusters and replanting:


Hopefully the smaller pieces will bunch up on their own and spread out.