first-timer 15gallon DSM journal (56k)

[vesparados150]

hi there, 15 gallon dsm for the first time...just for the fun of it, i decided to give it a try an also an attempt to log this project for future reference. this is the first time that im going hi tech.I guess i just got tired of having low tech with nothing to meddle or play arund with. Im setting this up hoping in a few months time it will look like a jungle. and also, this is my first time using ada AQ...quite excited bout it. been using dirt all this while..hopefully everything goes right. Interestingly, my cat pooped on my aquasoil TWICE while i was scaping the tank!! i repeat, TWICE..It was quite dumb of me to leave the tank open with dry soil. that makes it the most expansive cat litter used by my cat..sure smell terrible..

I just remove the poop and continued with the process (fingers crossed).I did some googling and found a guy in this forum even use dog poop in his soil mix..Im assuming it wud be safe based on his tank..okayy im done..
Comments, advice, criticisms all are highly appreciated..thanks for viewing
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SPECS
ADA AQ new
2x 24W T5's 6500k

Foreground;
Marseila Minuta
Staurogyne Repens

Midground;
Anubias Nana Petite
Dwarf Hairgrass
Hemianthus Micranthemoides
Dwarf Rotala (rotundifolia?macrandra?) indica
Crypt wendtii
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1. DAY 1
- 25th september 2012
-photoperiod 10 am - 9pm



UPDATE
DAY 2
um...this white mold...should i take any action? i heard it can be disastrous..
-added dwarf rotala (macrandra? rotundifolia?) indica
-took out all the hemianthus micranthemoides and planted again. now max 3 tiny stems when poking into the substrate.
-spotted tiny bit of white mold on the small foreground piece on driftwood

[GMYukonon24s]

This is a good start to this tank keep it going.

[vesparados150]

Originally Posted by GMYukonon24s

This is a good start to this tank keep it going.

Thanks GM hopefully i wont kill all d plants....

Update day 3
- the white mold is starting to gain presence!! Fortunately its only growing on my driftwoods not the substrate..

Today before goin to college, i wet a tissue paper with exceland left it open for about 15 mins...

Is this normal?

[tetra10]

Originally Posted by vesparados150

Thanks GM hopefully i wont kill all d plants....

Update day 3
- the white mold is starting to gain presence!! Fortunately its only growing on my driftwoods not the substrate..

Today before goin to college, i wet a tissue paper with exceland left it open for about 15 mins...

Is this normal?

mold is a sign of too much water. mix a solution of 1 part water and 4 parts of h202 in a spray bottle, then apply to moldy spots, also spray less often if molds still occurs.

[vesparados150]

Originally Posted by vesparados150

Today before goin to college, i wet a tissue paper with exceland left it open for about 15 mins...

*rubbed the tissue paper on the effected areas..

Just came back from college and white mold is dissapearing..but i cant make assumptions too fast..its only 6 hours...

Oh crap...i jsut misted the tank before reading ur post tetra10... i think ill stop misting forawhile and see how it goes

As for the plants i cant see any growth yet but they are all doin fine...this anticipation is killing meee...

Other than that...i am still thinking of which stem plant to use, at the back of the driftwood and at the back of staurogyne repens... Any suggestions, ideas etc?

[vesparados150]

UPDATE:

just gotback from a 2 days road trip just to find out that HM and Marseila Minuta are melting and some of the dwarf rotala dang~~~....others seem to be doing fine...what really seem to bother me is that the plants that i mention melting is thriving without any problems in my emersed setup outside my room...no misting, no artificial lighting, no ffertilizing...basically i just leave it there...but in my current setup...its melting!!! sigh...anyways...i think the lights are generating too much heat...

I pulld out all the HM and marseila and some mushy dwarf rotala...then leave a small opening at the top of the tank...I also remove 1 of the 2 t5's... hopefully this time, it will not cook up the plants....lets see how it go's..Once i see new growth on the remaining dwarf rotala's, i ll start transfering some HM and Marseila from my emersed tank outside my room to the current tank.. Any advice is highly appreciated!

[vesparados150]

update 1st october day 6;

I notice that the plants arent growing as fast as my emersed setup outside my apartment room..i am suspecting the heat to be the culprit..I decided that i ll be moving the tank outside together with my emersed setup..

1. Heres the view from outside my window..thanksfully, the high rise building blocks any direct sunlight from hitting the tank..The tank i think will be getting at max 1 hour of direct sunlight in the afternoon..


2. thats my emerse setup beside the curent tank


3. the view from top..added limnophila vietnam alongside stauro repens.


4. a close up of limno vietnam


5. i also rearranged the crypts to replace the melted HM at the mid section of the tank


6. heres the close up view of the right end of the tank...as i av pulled out most of the M.Minuta..i took a tiny bit from my emersed tank to test it..

hopefully i can see new growth within the next few days..i am also quite worried by heavy rain hitting the top of the cling wrap which might burst it and let water in...this would be a mess...

heres my emersed setup which started as a plant dumping tank...most of them are from extra clippings which eventually filled up..

[vesparados150]

Update day 3 outside;

current setup, now outside, is not doing very well...i cant see new growth....and my dhg is turning brown nw...sigh...thoughts of flooding the tank is high but i am stopping myself from doing so....maybe i should wait for a week or two..

[vesparados150]

Update day 4

dang man....i can defo c my plants are deteriorating in my current setup...i hav no idea y im so stressed out bout this...the thing is, my other setup which i barely do any maintainence is doin so well that i can see anubias nana sprouting new leaf everytime i check! on my current setup...everything is dying!!!

One thing i notice is that in my other setup it is always hard to see on the insid because of the mist... on my my current setup? naah...i can easyly see thru it...so i was thinkin maybe there isnt enuf humidity in it...since they r doin bad...i decided to fill in water above the substrate...i know algae is a real threat, but just wanna experiment..lets see how it goes.. i ll put up a photo later...