Can I do a shorter Dry start method??

[SanjayB]

Hi Everyone,

Long time lurker first time tanker. I have an ADA60p with ADA 3 part substrate system and have read up a lot about the DSM. I have planted a tank with a combination of HC, Mini hair grass and Staurogyne. I understand that the DSM will give me the best chance that my HC roots. However, I am worried about my other 2 plants?

Can I do a mini-version of the DSM (maybe 1 week?).

 

[Jayefc1]

All 3 plants should be fine in a longer dry start no real point to.doing a 1 week as the hc will.not take sufficiently so might as well flood it from.the start

 

[JBFUK]

Rather than starting a different topic I think my question is close enough to this one.

I am just at the point of planting/flooding my new 125L tank (ADA substrates too). I have received most of my plants now. Looking at the size of the 1-2-grow packs I might need to top up but I'll see how far they go once divided! Straggling plants and the CO2 cylinder should be delivered on Thursday. Just started filling a 100L container with RO water. The plants I have are:

Tropica Pogostemon erectus 1-2-GROW!
Tropica Alternathera reineckii 'mini' 1-2-GROW!
Tropica Rotala macrandra 1-2-GROW!
Tropica Taxiphyllum Taiwan moss 1-2-Grow!
Vallisneria spiralis Red Bunch (straight red vallis)
Vallisneria spiralis Bunch (straight vallis)
Tropica Eleocharis acicularis 'Mini' 1-2-Grow!

Can I start planting up dry now and then flood it at the weekend, once I have the CO2 setup to go and possibly extra filler plants delivered? If so how to I keep the plants from drying out over a few days? Would it be a good idea to fill the tank up to a few mm above the substrate to ensure the plants all have their feet wet while waiting for the tank to be flooded or will that just go stagnant over 3-4 days?

 

[Zeus.]

If your plants are '1-2-GROW!' they are perfect for DSM

If the plant is available as '1-2-GROW!' then you are fine the plant will adapt if it is 'available as '1-2-GROW!'

If the plant isn't available as '1-2-GROW!' then you taking chances

 

[zozo]

Can I do a mini-version of the DSM (maybe 1 week?).

There is no rule set in stone... About every plant goes into transplant shock when it's pulled from and swapped to an different growing media.

How well a plant will take it and how fast it will come back / grow on depends on many factors that make it impossible to give it a number.

It purely is something to be determined visually, as soon as a plant shows new growth than this also means new root growth. With this you can say for sure it's past the transplant shock and used to its new surroundings.

For example, you can take several cuttings from the very same mother plant and repot them to develop roots. Then its pretty common to experience a few cutting take 5 days to show root growth and others maybe 2 weeks or even longer or maybe never and die. And there is about no way to know why.