Andrew's High Tech EBI - RCS, CRS and Fish!

[GMYukonon24s]

Good start.

[cawolf86]

Originally Posted by GMYukonon24s

Good start.

Thanks!


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[FlyingHellFish]

I think excel will help you keep algae away, I would dose it regardless.

Have you thought of using Dry fertilizers? KNo3 and K2Po4 and I think Kh2Po4, you might not need the K since it being dose along with the other two.

You can get 800 g for about 6 bucks and it will literary last a life time with the size tank you have.

I got the HC to turn greener from the extra K I was dosing, the yellow had to be cut off but the new leafs are noticeable greener.

[cawolf86]

Yah I have dry fertilizers for my other tanks I plan on using. With my dry start currently the only nutrients I am providing are with the osmocote+ tabs in the substrate. I'll be ready to use excel and trimming as necessary - thanks for the tips.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[GMYukonon24s]

Sorry to interupt but where you get the ferts from flyinghellfish?

[cawolf86]

Originally Posted by GMYukonon24s

Sorry to interupt but where you get the ferts from flyinghellfish?

I bought mine from http://greenleafaquariums.com/

[cawolf86]

My tank survived the trip down to LA - woot. Not too muich shifting but I do think I have been having too much water. I am going to drop the water even lower as I think it is too high. How often do you guys mist?

[cawolf86]

So I decided to just prop up the front of my tank with a book - that was an easy solution I should have done earlier. Now all my water is below the substrate line. Woot.

[Kevchan]

Cool start, and nice improvising with the water line.

[cawolf86]

Day 14 Update
4-4-2012

Tank has been running dry start now for 2 weeks. I think for the first week I had it too flooded and too low light. I have since moved the tank to where it can be lightly misted every day and has a proper lamp. Still only using root tabs as fertilizers. Tank is propped up to keep water line about 1.5" below substrate top.

Major updates
-Tank propped up.
-Aquatek received, assembled, and tested.
-Trying to decide on glassware for my tank - new drop checker, diffuser, and bubble counter.

New regulator and foggy tank


Aquatek


Gauge readings with solenoid unplugged and NV closed.


Fits right in.


No new growth that I can tell.....Ugh.

[cawolf86]

Day 25 Update
4-15-2012

Tank now running just over 3 weeks - starting to feel a little frustrated. :/
I don't feel as though I have seen any growth and one little node of HC in the top left has turned yellow. I feel like a few pieces have developed roots a couple inches deep and are "starting" to sprawl but mostly it looks the same. Very frustrating.

Top shot


Front shot


Picture of roots starting to develop - shot from the side.

[cawolf86]

Starting to think about my livestock.

I am going to start with some Otos and Amanos but not sure on how many of each yet.

Then I will add some of my RCS to the tank.

Fish still not sure on - Celestial Pearl Danios? Microrasboras? How many of either do you think I could put in the tank...

[talontsiawd]

Dry start doesn't really take off in the first month. I have done it for over 2 months before I got good growth. I found it usually takes shorter to just fill the tank if you are using CO2 anyway, plus you don't have the transition period. I used to be a fan of DSM, now I may do it for like a week most, just to make filling easier, if at all.

[cawolf86]

Originally Posted by talontsiawd

Dry start doesn't really take off in the first month. I have done it for over 2 months before I got good growth. I found it usually takes shorter to just fill the tank if you are using CO2 anyway, plus you don't have the transition period. I used to be a fan of DSM, now I may do it for like a week most, just to make filling easier, if at all.

Ah ok - well maybe I will fill when I decide on fishies.

[talontsiawd]

Originally Posted by cawolf86

Ah ok - well maybe I will fill when I decide on fishies.

Don't get me wrong, it works, but I have had times everything worked great, I have had times where I got crazy melting (and algae to go along with it). One of the best benefits to dry start is you have plant mass, but some transition harder than others. Even with HC, I have had good and bad luck. I will say it wasn't quicker when dealing with a tank with pressurized co2.

If you do fill, you may want to get some fast growing stems and just put them in with plant weights or let them float until the HC really takes off. It isn't critical but I do it out of habit. It probably has saved me some grief on some setups, less so on others.