# DSM 28 days in, can you see a difference.



## Furgan (28 Dec 2017)

Ok so I’m 28 days into the dry start method. A week in , I thought I would of started to see a improvement by now, with the DHG.

The java moss on the rocks was added 1 week later using the yougart method.

Now I’m starting to get itchy feet, please tell me it will be worth wating X amount of days more.




 
28 days later





Moss day 1


 
Moss 21 days later


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## Furgan (30 Dec 2017)

Has anyone else got experience with Eleocharis Acicularis 'Mini' using DSM. It seems to be going very slowly if anything at all. 

I am also wondering if I should trim it to stimulate growth?


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## tam (30 Dec 2017)

It's probably working on roots rather than top growth, if you have any near the glass you might be able to see it forming runners under the surface. If not take a little bit from one of the clumps and plant it against the glass then you can see it grow and feel like it's doing something  I grow it emersed and it does well once it's got going.


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## Nigel95 (30 Dec 2017)

Furgan said:


> Has anyone else got experience with Eleocharis Acicularis 'Mini' using DSM. It seems to be going very slowly if anything at all.
> 
> I am also wondering if I should trim it to stimulate growth?



I have experience with eleocharis acicularis mini in DSM. It grows slow!!! Very slow. I had a nano which I tore down after like 2,5 months and It was still not really spreading. But I had low light when starting with the dsm. Later I added more light but still it was slow. But people tell once it goes it goes like a weed.

You can see my journal *>> here <<*


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## Danny (30 Dec 2017)

I gave up on it after about 3 weeks as I didn't see any growth lol when I pulled it to replace it it had grown a good root structure though so had been doing well just not visibly so I imagine the same for yours.


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## Furgan (30 Dec 2017)

So what do you think, keep going another month and see? I would really like it to do well


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## tam (30 Dec 2017)

How long are your lights on, I guess if it has food and CO2 that's all it could be short on so you could try a longer light period and see if that speeds things up.


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## Danny (30 Dec 2017)

Furgan said:


> So what do you think, keep going another month and see? I would really like it to do well


I would imagine it's rooted well enough to flood by now, if it's not dead you know it's doing something at least.


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## foxfish (30 Dec 2017)

Tam has a point, if you want fast growth then you want to be giving the tank as much light as possible for 14 hours a day.
It would be difficult to over light the tank with artificial light.


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## Patrick Crowley (31 Dec 2017)

Hi Furgan, I had a very similar experience with ‘mini’.  You can read about it here 

DSM no growth
https://r.tapatalk.com/shareLink?sh...php?threads/DSM-no-growth.51363/&share_type=t

I found that adding a heat mat made a big difference, it really allowed me to keep the humidity high.  I would not be in a rush to flood it, the growth will be even slower after - less light (14hrs vs 6hrs?) and less CO2 (400ppm vs approx. 30ppm if injecting).

Good luck!


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


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## Furgan (1 Jan 2018)

Patrick Crowley said:


> Hi Furgan, I had a very similar experience with ‘mini’.  You can read about it here
> 
> DSM no growth
> https://r.tapatalk.com/shareLink?share_fid=58521&share_tid=51363&url=https://www.ukaps.org/forum/index.php?threads/DSM-no-growth.51363/&share_type=t



How is yours looking now, beautiful tank by the way and love the bonsai


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## Patrick Crowley (1 Jan 2018)

Furgan said:


> How is yours looking now, beautiful tank by the way and love the bonsai



I flooded mine after 7 weeks, because of the pending arrival of a betta that was due to take up residence.  I wish I could have held off for a few more weeks - as the mini has not really filled in any more since it was been underwater.

I will update my thread with a new picture, but I'm away from home for a couple of weeks.


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## Furgan (1 Jan 2018)

No problem, ill hold out longer, ive increased the light period to 16 hours to see if that helps and have given some of the longer bits a trim to see if that will stimulate growth.


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## Furgan (8 Jan 2018)

Little update,
The yougart mixed java moss seems to be coming along well. I can see more growth with a dwarf hair grass that’s pushed its way to the glass so the magic must be working now. Will see what it’s like at the end of the month.


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## tam (8 Jan 2018)

Woohooo! Glad you are getting some noticeable growth at last. I imagine it will increase at a faster rate now. That's some very nice moss growth


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## Furgan (8 Jan 2018)

Yes the moss is looking really cool, very happy with it. I’m really looking foreword to seeing what it will look like in a few months when the tanks flooded and settled.


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## Danny (8 Jan 2018)

Looking good, nice to see it is worth the effort and patience.


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## Furgan (8 Jan 2018)

I think so but the final outcome will be seen when it’s flooded and settled. I wish I could stick in the Spider wood it would look nicer with that in but I need it soaking so it doesn’t float when flooded.

At least it’s outside in a large container, hopefully building up some lovely biofilm for the shrimp to eat when it goes in.


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## Danny (8 Jan 2018)

Furgan said:


> I think so but the final outcome will be seen when it’s flooded and settled. I wish I could stick in the Spider wood it would look nicer with that in but I need it soaking so it doesn’t float when flooded.
> 
> At least it’s outside in a large container, hopefully building up some lovely biofilm for the shrimp to eat when it goes in.


Im looking forward to seeing this flooded, I've just had a total rethink on my tank and gone with spiderwood too. I have it weighed down in the tank and hoping it takes on enough water in 48hrs or so to not float so I can plant it.

How long have you been soaking yours?


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## Furgan (8 Jan 2018)

Danny said:


> Im looking forward to seeing this flooded, I've just had a total rethink on my tank and gone with spiderwood too. I have it weighed down in the tank and hoping it takes on enough water in 48hrs or so to not float so I can plant it.
> 
> How long have you been soaking yours?



Technicality a year. I had it in a discus tank before stripping it down, and then chucked it in a container.

Planning on attaching a lot of buse around the base  and a few bits of süsswasatang around the top of the branches, struggling to find enough of the süsswastang.


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## Furgan (10 Jan 2018)

3 days later and an extra runner off this one. I can see lots more appearing inside the tank as well. Looks like it’s action time above ground now. Hopefully 4 weeks from now things will be looking great.


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## Furgan (17 Jan 2018)

So these photos are 48 days later....... (moss on rocks are a week younger).
Dwarf hair grass is definitely coming along now.


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## Furgan (31 Jan 2018)

I think after seeing how these grow, if I ever did this again I would use dry start but I would also split the clumps up a lot more. I used the tropica 1-2 pots and cut them into 8-10 clumps but after this experience I think I should of done more, also I should of increased the period of light slot higher in the beginning. 

My plan is to flood the tank next week although it’s not a full carpet it still looks good and the next week will really help it grow in more and should be looking pretty good.


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## Furgan (14 Feb 2018)

I got fed up waiting for the dwarf hair grass to DSM and flooded the tank. This was 10 weeks and 3 days later after starting the DSM, so the roots should be nicely in place and it has filled in more. Süsswasertang looks pants at the moment but give it time.

Co2 is on running at 1-2 bubbles a sec, showing up as medium green. Lights on 6 hours 4pm to 10pm, co2 30 mins on and off before lights on and off. External Filter has been running in shed to keep mature and I chucked in a pure aquarium bomb in.

Heater is set with a controller at 24. Spray bay added pointing to the front/bottom (did I really type that) opposite corner and also added a aqueal mini pat filter at right corner to make sure there is nice surface movement. 

I’m hoping the Eheim pre filter and the mini pat sponges will be shrimp friendly.

I’ve got some bacter ae due for delivery to keep it seeded and get it ready for some shrimp or Otos not sure which 1st. Mean while I’ll keep it seeded with some Pure Nordic NUTRIDUST. I’ve added a diy hydrogen peroxide line in with a airline defuser to add a little oxygen but the catalyst doesn’t seem to be working, will give it a few days before I try something else.


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## Tim Harrison (15 Feb 2018)

So far so good. But I'd be aiming for lime green drop checker at lights on and all the way till lights off. 
If you don't dial your CO2 in asap you will end up with an algae farm pretty quickly, especially during the transitionary phase.
Try starting the gas 2 hours before lights on, and take it form there.


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## Furgan (15 Feb 2018)

Tim Harrison said:


> So far so good. But I'd be aiming for lime green drop checker at lights on and all the way till lights off.
> If you don't dial your CO2 in asap you will end up with an algae farm pretty quickly, especially during the transitionary phase.
> Try starting the gas 2 hours before lights on, and take it form there.



The great thing about using WiFi plugs is I changed this while I was in bed after reading your reply, it’s pumped up to 2 hours prior to lights on now. On a plus the lights are very low powered so this will help the algae issue as well.

My plan is a water change on Monday as working over the weekend and then start the water monitoring and the ph monitor thing.


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## Edvet (15 Feb 2018)

Uhh is that some kind of Starwars fighterplane? Is it to scare away bugs?


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