# 10l Nano Shrimp Tank DSM



## Ray (24 May 2020)

So I started with "Critique my hardscape" over here.







It's an old Dennerle 10l nano tank - 20x20x25cm.  Originally it was going to be a low tech shrimp tank with a moss and eleocharis lawn.  However I just watched the James Findley video on making scree and I really like his plant list.  Plus my spare 500g CO2 cylinder from 10 years ago is still full, and that should last a while on a 10l tank, so YOLO as my kids say.... 

Plants ordered, all in Tropica 1-2 grow pots:

Vesicularia dubyana 'Christmas'
Marsilea crenata
Eriocaulon cinereum
Pogostemon erectus

I'm still planning to do Dry Start Method(!)

Other Parameters:

KH of around 8.4 to 9.5
Lighting: Dennerle Nano Style LED "M" 6W
Filtration: generic 60l/hour HOB with bio filter granules.
Substrate: used ADA Aqua-soil Malaya revitalised with Tropica nutrition capsules.

Do you think this will work guys?


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## Ray (27 May 2020)

All my goodies have arrived! Seems like a lot of plants for such a tiny tank, but it means I can plant densely and flood sooner rather than later.









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## Deano3 (27 May 2020)

Looks great ray should be nice and heavily planted for a nano keep algae away hopefully.

Dean

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## Ray (27 May 2020)

So I soaked the soil and planted away and this nano game is great - so quick - no finishing at 1am this time!











So many questions about what happens now. Not least will tissue culture Pogostemon Erectus cope with a dry start?

So now clingfilm up and wait and see 


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## si walker (27 May 2020)

I was just about to ask about how you attached the moss, but its a dry start! Excellent.
Do like the moss sitting at the base of the rock. I may borrow that idea!

Nice work!
Thank you for sharing.

Simon


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## Ray (6 Jun 2020)

The aqua scaping savant @Tim Harrison once said:


Tim Harrison said:


> Nevertheless, the DSM is not without its downside. Looking at a tank devoid of water for several weeks can stretch delayed gratification to its limits.


So spoke a man who knew what he was talking about!

*Day 10 Update:*

_Vesicularia dubyana_ (Xmas moss) - this is definitely growing.
_Pogostemon erectus_ - living up to it's name and standing up.
_Eriocaulon cinereum_ - not much action yet but turned a nice green colour compared to when I planted it.
_Marsilea crenata _- some dead leaves. I was worried this was nitrogen burn from droplets forming on the leaves when I spray, so have switched to ordinary water without ferts for that. I do have a 2nd spare pot so I will try cramming some of that in to see if it is similarly afflicted.


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## Big G (6 Jun 2020)

Dry start makes so much sense if the time is available to keep humidity up each day. I’ve got a few little hygrometers/thermometers that were very cheap online. Wonder if such a thing could be used in a ‘dry’ tank between sprayings to keep an eye on humidity. Guess you want as close to full saturation as possible. Plants look perfectly happy in there for sure.

best wishes

BG


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## Ray (6 Jun 2020)

Big G said:


> Dry start makes so much sense if the time is available to keep humidity up each day. I’ve got a few little hygrometers/thermometers that were very cheap online. Wonder if such a thing could be used in a ‘dry’ tank between sprayings to keep an eye on humidity. Guess you want as close to full saturation as possible.







That would be fun but isn’t necessary - with clingfilm over the top it keeps very humid (the glass mists up) - I remove the film twice a day and give it a few puffs from my spray gun. That’s all!


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## kishan313 (7 Jun 2020)

Following with interest! 


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## alto (8 Jun 2020)

Ray said:


> _Marsilea crenata _- some dead leaves. I was worried this was nitrogen burn from droplets forming on the leaves when I spray, so have switched to ordinary water without ferts for that. I do have a 2nd spare pot so I will try cramming some of that in to see if it is similarly afflicted.


I suggest finding another home for the extra Marsilea, it seems to like finding itself with some space  rather than being crammed together 

When using DSM it’s beneficial to wait for plants to root (and show new growth) before flooding 
(though obviously you can flood whenever)


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## Aqua360 (8 Jun 2020)

Looks great!


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## Ray (24 Jun 2020)

*Day 28 update:*

_Vesicularia dubyana_ (Xmas moss) - going crazy, I keep having to pull strands out to keep it off the Marsilea.
_Pogostemon erectus_ - growing nicely with good deep roots.  I love this plant - it even grows in my low tech betta tank!
_Eriocaulon cinereum_ - limited growth so far and has put down short 2cm roots.  I am not sure what it is waiting for?
_Marsilea crenata _- die back from emersed transition/nitrogen burn continues and new growth is showing but is very tiny (see photo).

I am thinking I have to wait a few more weeks before flooding because of the Marsilea - if I flood now all the dying leaves will rot and trigger an algae bloom unless I can somehow prune them all out - but how!?

Full Tank shot:




Close up of Marsilea - notice die back and tiny new growth:




Time lapse:


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## Ray (28 Jun 2020)

Eriocaulon flower, so I guess that answers my “not sure what they are doing” question.






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## Ray (8 Aug 2020)

Day 73 Update:

The good:
- I may be the first person in a dry start to need to cut the stems before flooding!
- Lots of Eriocaulon flowers.
- Moss is going crazy and looks good.

The bad :
- Marsilea never really got going. It’s not died but neither has it prospered.  It is also very hard to maintain emersed in such a small tank.

I’m away for a few days. Will flood next weekend and see how this responds to liquid ferts and CO2!











After the trim:


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## Ray (30 Aug 2020)

*Day 95 (14 days since flooding)*

A long hiatus posting because since I flooded 2 weeks ago it's been challenging and I got pretty disenchanted with the whole thing.

*The bad:*
Flooding was a nightmare - moss detached from stone, chunks of Marsilea and  Eriocaulon  had very short roots and floated out of the substrate at the slightest disturbance.  This negated all the benefits of a dry start.  Maybe it would have gone better if I'd used fresh substrate with a proper nutrient load, but the dry start didn't get me the rich Marsilea carpet I was hoping for.  I now regret not flooding immediately and simply blasting the CO2.
Another wrinkle was that I'd never used CO2 diffusers before - only in line reactors.  In comparison they are a PITA - it's been a headache and a learning experience with leaking tubes and broken  diffusors and basically nothing working right first time.

*The good:*
My Pogostemon Erectus is doing well, CO2 is blasting, other stuff is starting to go and the situation is not irredeemable.

An FTS - if you get closer it isn't so pretty...


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## Ray (2 Oct 2020)

128 days (47 days after flooding)

This is FINALLY starting to work. I had minor problems with traces of BGA which I am combatting with 50% water changes every 2 days. Hint: you can easily suck it off moss with an airline syphon. I’ve added 11 jelly blue Neocardina Davidi and they are all growing nicely.












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