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Update #2 on 12/9/13.
The tank plan and design has been changed quite a bit since the dry start. I am running c02 on an EI regimen with auto-dosers. This is because that Rudger dude decided he had all these gadgets he wasn't going to be using anytime soon. I blame him.
Overall, things are going well. The moss really filled in nicely. I put some UG in during the dry start and moved the MM. I will probably move things around a bit more as the plants fill in, and I find a few additional things I am looking for.
I am surprised at how long the ADA amazonia leeches ammonia. I changed water out of the substrate a few times during the dry start, and I thought this would give me a good head start. However, I am in week 3-4 with frequent water changes and there is still detectable ammonia. I have a bit of algae, but I'm not surprised since there was no cleaning crew. The ammonia levels were finally low enough I felt comfortable dumping some amano shrimp in over the weekend. They have been doing a good job cleaning things up. Once the ammonia is down to 0, some horned nerites I have been saving for this tank will go in. With capped dirt substrates, I have never really had ammonia issues after a dry start, so this is a new experience for me.
I put in couple temporary Riparium Supply planters for a bit of extra help on the substrate leeching.
The e. cinerum and e. parkeri didn't really like the dry start that much, but have been perking up nicely since I flooded:
After spending some time looking dead, the moss really exploded during the dry start. Amano moss method is the way to go. It has slowed down since flooding, but I am having to trim it regularly.
The tank plan and design has been changed quite a bit since the dry start. I am running c02 on an EI regimen with auto-dosers. This is because that Rudger dude decided he had all these gadgets he wasn't going to be using anytime soon. I blame him.
Overall, things are going well. The moss really filled in nicely. I put some UG in during the dry start and moved the MM. I will probably move things around a bit more as the plants fill in, and I find a few additional things I am looking for.
I am surprised at how long the ADA amazonia leeches ammonia. I changed water out of the substrate a few times during the dry start, and I thought this would give me a good head start. However, I am in week 3-4 with frequent water changes and there is still detectable ammonia. I have a bit of algae, but I'm not surprised since there was no cleaning crew. The ammonia levels were finally low enough I felt comfortable dumping some amano shrimp in over the weekend. They have been doing a good job cleaning things up. Once the ammonia is down to 0, some horned nerites I have been saving for this tank will go in. With capped dirt substrates, I have never really had ammonia issues after a dry start, so this is a new experience for me.
I put in couple temporary Riparium Supply planters for a bit of extra help on the substrate leeching.


The e. cinerum and e. parkeri didn't really like the dry start that much, but have been perking up nicely since I flooded:

After spending some time looking dead, the moss really exploded during the dry start. Amano moss method is the way to go. It has slowed down since flooding, but I am having to trim it regularly.
