I'm doing the emersed HC & glosso! Some questions...

[DaveSurfer]

Hi! Just got a pile of HC and Glosso from April's Aquarium up here in BC (best prices, awesome to deal with!! )

I have Onyx sand and a top layer of Eco-Complete. As you can see I've split up the HC and Glosso and have planted it emersed with water just below the substrate surface. I also got some anubias that I've set around the driftwood.

A few questions for those that have been successful doing this:

1. How much of a vent do I need for exchange of gases etc? In the picture the two holes for the filteration pipes are taped off. The only air coming in and out is through a 1/4 inch hole drilled on the right of the tank.

2. How often can the canopy be opened without loosing too much moisture? I've noticed there is a LOT of condensation on the glass and it builds up real fast after I close the lid.

3. Besides the plants in eco-complete, do I need to do any fertilization?

4. I also have anubias...nana, coffeolia and dwarf. Do I have to plant them or can I grow them in the air stuck to the driftwood emersed? Should I mist them every day? Has anyone done anubias emersed? Will they survive?

5. What is a good photoperiod for this? I've been doing 12 hours for the last two days.

6. Also as you can see my substrate is sloped. This means that some it is not at all as close to the water level as the front of the tank. Will this matter much?

Thanks for any help!!

 

[Tom Barr]

I'd use a general terrestrial fertilizer for now, diluted in a spray bottle, mist often.
You need some nutrients(N, P, K, Traces, not just the onyx which has none really.

Adding peat would have helped.

The DSM is generally for ADA aqua soil, which has those nutrients.
If you use something else, you need to add nutrients.


As long as you have hig humidity and it seems you do, you are fine there.
The terrrestrial ferts will help cycle the tank for the next 3-6 weeks.
Always allow another week or two to go by before filling.

These plants all do well without being submersed in water. So let them grow and get good sized before filling.

Regards,
Tom Barr

 

[DaveSurfer]

I'd use a general terrestrial fertilizer for now, diluted in a spray bottle, mist often.
You need some nutrients(N, P, K, Traces, not just the onyx which has none really.

I'm also using a top layer of Eco-Complete.

Ok, so just a 20-20-20 houseplant fert will do with say Tropica Master Grow? So I would dilute the houseplant fert by it's instuctions on the package and then just add say half the amount of TMG typical for a filled 33 gallon tank?

Mist say once a day in the morning when I turn on lights??

THanks!!

 

[DaveSurfer]

Some bits of Glosso drying out. I think I need to mist more than once a day? The HC is lower and closer to the water level. The Glosso is up a few inches. There are new shoots coming out though.

Also, some of the leaves from the Anubias are curling up a bit.

The more I open the tank to mist the more humidity is lost. I guess it's a toss up. But those glossos need more misting.

What kind of fert schedule should one use? 20-20-20 ferts diluted and misted with traces, what ever day?

Thanks!!

 

[Signus]

You could just do 1/8 to 1/16th of a tsp of miracle grow. That's about equal to half (respectively) of the indoor plant concentration.....


in 500 mL of H2O! forgot to mention that. you just want to give a dilute concentration like Tom said

 

[DaveSurfer]

You could just do 1/8 to 1/16th of a tsp of miracle grow. That's about equal to half (respectively) of the indoor plant concentration.....


in 500 mL of H2O! forgot to mention that. you just want to give a dilute concentration like Tom said

Thanks! Yeah I just got some Miracle Grow "all-purpose" ferts, it's 24-8-16. Should I be misting twice a day (once when turning on lights and once in the evening a few hours b4 they go off?) I just don't want to open the lid too much to loose the humidity. I was thinking I could mist everything once a day and then mist the anubias and glosso twice because they are planted considerably higher than the water level (I have the substrate sloping up) and will get dryer.

Even though I'm using CF lights it does get pretty warm in there which can contribute to stuff drying out quicker.

 

[DaveSurfer]

Anyone plant Glosso emerged before? Mine is drying about and turning brownish. There are some green shoots here and there which I think are new shoots. But the their roots don't touch the water as they are much higher up in the slope. I'm misting them twice a day hopefully that will prevent any more from drying out.

 

[Gerryd]

Dave,

Do you have lids or too much light? Misting twice a day should keep it relatively humid...........

Do you see condensation on the glass?

Maybe more water when you do mist?

Anubias is grown emersed in many nurseries with no issues..........

 

[DaveSurfer]

Dave,

Do you have lids or too much light? Misting twice a day should keep it relatively humid...........

Do you see condensation on the glass?

Maybe more water when you do mist?

Anubias is grown emersed in many nurseries with no issues..........

Yeah I do have quite a bit of condensation on the glass. I am misting twice now. I have 2 x 55w CFs in there in a 33 gallon. I have a canopy that pretty much seals in the moisture and I've taped off the two holes that will accomodate the filter piping.

I have eco-complete and onyx sand which probably doesn't hold the water in as good as mixing it with peat like Tom recommended. Those anubias in nursaries are probably planted in a soil instead of sand! There are new shoots coming up around the older dried glosso though. Should I cut off the dried discolored stuff or leave it be till all the new shoots fill in?

I have 12 hours of light on...I'm assuming that's not too much?

I'm misting with the above mentioned Miracle-Gro ferts, I'm hoping that this isn't burning the anubias leaves?? I think the curling and some yellowing of some leaves were because of the absence of moisture.

 

[DaveSurfer]

A few pics from yesterday...

 

[DaveSurfer]

Is there a fear of getting the emersed plants too wet? Or is it only bad if they get too dry?

I have been misting twice a day and I don't think having them dry out is much a concern anymore, and I'm talking especially about the glosso. But probably 75% of the glosso has died back and turned brown and there are new little shoots coming up. Should I leave the brown stuff alone and let the shoots come up between it...maybe the dead plant material will provide a bit of nutrients for the new shoots.

I did pull up a little bunch that I thought was all dead but there was long white roots going down into the substrate! So I'm thinking I'll leave the brown stuff for now and let all the new shoots take over.

I would like the HC towards the front of the substrate a little more dry as some of it is submerged in water...but everytime I mist the glosso and anubias the water level raises again.

 

[DaveSurfer]

My HC

The only plant I'm so far happy with is my HC. There is a few bunches on the higher elevation that have a few browning leaves but overall it looks good and healthy.

I have experienced some algae on the very front of the glass where the water level was higher. The other day I sopped up the water with a paper towel, wiped the algae off the glass and made sure that the water level was below the substrate level. I'm going to hold off misting the HC for a few days to dry it out a bit and I hope it won't mind!

Thanks for any help or suggestions!

 

[DaveSurfer]

Weird thing, I just noticed that there is some algae growing on a part of the driftwood that is close to the Anubias. This area of the driftwood does get misted at least twice a day.

I never realized that algae could grow so easily!? I'm going to have to avoid misting the driftwood!!

 

[VaughnH]

When I grew glosso with the dry start method, I never did mist anything. I kept the tank pretty well covered, but not 100% covered, and the glosso grew very well, with no algae. I think I added a little more water to the substrate only one time. So, I suggest not doing any misting except for higher growing plants that you are trying to grow emersed.

 

[Tom Barr]

Once the roots are well established, you can let the tank dry somewhat.
This will keep fungi and algae down.

Regards,
Tom Barr

 

[rafel]

Tom, I had once fungi growing with this DSM.

Before flooding the tank, I sprayed the affected area with Excel and they were gone. But if I leave them alone, then flood the tank, would that have any bad effect of any sort ?

 

[DaveSurfer]

Once the roots are well established, you can let the tank dry somewhat.
This will keep fungi and algae down.

Regards,
Tom Barr

How long does this usually take? The HC is starting to send little runners out so I guess that's an indication right? It's been 2 weeks.

The glosso is sprouting new shoots from all the dead stuff, does this mean that they have more established roots?

The Anubias are discoloring and drying on the tips and the leaves are curling, I'm sure their roots aren't going that well

Right now I'm only misting the Anubias and leaving the glosso and HC alone.