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Dry Start after Dark Start

Vinkenoog1977

Vinkenoog1977

Member
Joined
14 Apr 2014
Messages
560
Location
The Hague, Netherlands
Hey everyone,

So, I'm making preparations for a new aquarium, which will be a Juwel Rio 240. It will be a high tech setup, even though I will stick with the LED lamps that come with the aquarium for now (about 7000 lumen, or about 28 lumen per liter). But CO2 injection with a solenoid, and all the other bells and whistles. Okay, I will be keeping the internal filter, but upgrade the pump to at least 1000 ltr/ hr, and add loads of biological filtration media to the filter.
As a substrate, I will be using crushed lava rock, covered with either something like Dennerle 10 in 1, or regular soil, capped with fine gravel. Bunch of bog wood and lave rock for the hardscape.
In order to avoid ammonia spikes, I plan on doing a dark start for about 4 weeks. I have never done this before, but after reading up on it, it sounds like it could prevent a lot of the issues I have had previously. However, I was wondering if it was possible to do a dark start first, and then do a dry start for four weeks after that, in order to give all the moss and epiphytes and carpet plants an extra good start. I could keep the filter media in a bucket of tank water with an air stone or something to keep the bacteria alive I think/ hope.
Anyone have any experience trying this?

Cheers in advance!
 
Why not just cycle the filter in a bucket while you are running the dry start? I would think that going from wet to dry to wet would upend the microbial communities in the tank several times, blunting the advantages of a dark start. You could also dark start the tank, but dry start your mosses and epiphytes on the hard scape in another container if that's available. If you are clever about it you could also begin growing your carpet out this way in a bit of substrate and transplant it in a cycled tank.
 
If I may, you're an example of a hobbyist who diligently reads all common sources and tries to get all the best into your tank. In your case, your plans for the substrate, filtration and cycling strike me as a bit overthought.
I'm not about to talk about my methods (as some members around are tired of it already), but I suppose hardly anyone would argue with an assessment that the safest way to a success is often the simplest one.
 
Why dry start? The transition from emersed to submersed will be a shock too. Secondly most plants will physically change when going submerged. So all previous growth is "useless" (exaggerated).
Did a 4 week dark start(3rd week nitrite peak) followed by 3 week plants only. It worked great!
 
dIggO said:
most plants will physically change when going submerged
Click to expand...
In fact, all higher plants form different leaves when submerged. In many instances, the difference is not visible with naked eye, but it's always there.
 
Do one or the other. Both is not necessary. It's conflating two totally different methods. In short transitioning plants from emersed to submersed growth can be problematic and these methods might help increase the chance of success.

Dark start is letting the aquarium run in flooded with water without lighting, and without plants or livestock for a week or two before planting. It allows microbial communities to establish in the filter and substrate, which potentially adds to the stability of the system and avoids an ammonia spike. The method may give higher plants the upper hand over algae whilst they grow in.

A dry start is allowing the plants to grow in for several weeks before flooding, giving plants access to atmospheric CO2 or the aerial advantage, and establish root systems before flooding. Again it helps to develop microbial communities in the substrate and oxygenate the rhizosphere and avoid an ammonia spike, hopefully giving higher plants an advantage over algae after flooding.
 
Either way, I think the general idea is to at least try and avoid the worst of an ammonia spike and help establish plants easier.
 
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