pepedopolous
Member
Background
I bought an Azoo Flexi-Mini Scape Set from one of the UKAPS sponsors (Aquasabi) back in September. I wanted to get back into using CO2 as I had all the equipment going unused because my 125 litre aquarium is now low tech with oxygen-loving gobies and loaches.
With such a tiny aquarium, it's cheap and easy to run (and to start over again if it goes wrong). Unfortunately, I ended up starting over 3 times due to diatoms/new tank syndrome. 🙁 To solve the diatom problem I tried lowering the light intensity, loads of water changes, and upgrading to an external filter.
For the current (3rd) attempt, I thought there was nothing to lose in trying the Dry Start Method. I also washed the soil out until the water ran clear and even boiled the Seiryu rocks. Both of these things are not recommended but I felt it necessary because there was lots of debris (grey powder) in the soil which seemed to come from the rocks. For the DSM I placed pieces of 'Monte Carlo' and Glossostigma on the soil. I planted some pieces of Eleocharis acicularis using tweezers. I used cling film over the aquarium and sprayed water about once a day. I put the whole aquarium in the bottom part of a heated propagator which kept the temperature a degree or two above ambient. I kept the light on for 12 hours a day during the DSM.
After 4 weeks I flooded the aquarium and after 5 weeks added some stem plants and 4 Topaz shrimp. Finally, I am enjoying this aquarium!
Picture from today
P3240166 by pepedopolous, on Flickr
Equipment list
Azoo 16 litre clear glass aquarium (32 x 21 x 24 cm)
Flex-Mini LED light
Tropica Aquarium Soil Powder (3 litres)
Oase Filtosmart 60 external filter (300 lph)
Seiryu rocks
All in one Czech-brand fertiliser (1 drop a day)
Schedule
CO2: 12:00 to 18:00 (6 hours)
Light: 14:00 to 20:00 (6 hours)
Plant list (all Czech tissue culture)
Micranthemum sp. 'Monte Carlo'
Glossostigma elatinoides
Eleocharis acicularis
Microsorum pteropus (a couple plants of dwarf variety I have had for years)
Pogostemon erectus
Staurogyne repens
Now the aquarium is flooded I have a custom analogue dimming solution! First I have some floating plants (Salvia natans). Second, I have two layers of baking paper cable tied to the Flexi-Mini LED. I tested the PAR using a Biotek (Apogee) PAR meter and without the baking paper it's about 100 at the substrate. With the baking paper it's about 30-40. The paper looks ugly but I what else can I do? I wouldn't buy this light again but it was good for the fast DSM stage.
Dimming in action!
P3240214 by pepedopolous, on Flickr']P3240214 by pepedopolous, on Flickr[/URL]
DSM after 1 week
IMG_20180219_164228 by pepedopolous, on Flickr']IMG_20180219_164228 by pepedopolous, on Flickr[/URL]
DSM after 2 weeks
IMG_20180227_212905 by pepedopolous, on Flickr']IMG_20180227_212905 by pepedopolous, on Flickr[/URL]
DSM after 3 weeks
IMG_20180306_205643 by pepedopolous, on Flickr']IMG_20180306_205643 by pepedopolous, on Flickr[/URL]
4 weeks, about to flood
P3100105 by pepedopolous, on Flickr']P3100105 by pepedopolous, on Flickr[/URL]
Day of flooding
P3100124 by pepedopolous, on Flickr']P3100124 by pepedopolous, on Flickr[/URL]
Today, before a trim of the glosso
P3240173 by pepedopolous, on Flickr']P3240173 by pepedopolous, on Flickr[/URL]
P3240178 by pepedopolous, on Flickr']P3240178 by pepedopolous, on Flickr[/URL]
P3240187 by pepedopolous, on Flickr']P3240187 by pepedopolous, on Flickr[/URL]
I bought an Azoo Flexi-Mini Scape Set from one of the UKAPS sponsors (Aquasabi) back in September. I wanted to get back into using CO2 as I had all the equipment going unused because my 125 litre aquarium is now low tech with oxygen-loving gobies and loaches.
With such a tiny aquarium, it's cheap and easy to run (and to start over again if it goes wrong). Unfortunately, I ended up starting over 3 times due to diatoms/new tank syndrome. 🙁 To solve the diatom problem I tried lowering the light intensity, loads of water changes, and upgrading to an external filter.
For the current (3rd) attempt, I thought there was nothing to lose in trying the Dry Start Method. I also washed the soil out until the water ran clear and even boiled the Seiryu rocks. Both of these things are not recommended but I felt it necessary because there was lots of debris (grey powder) in the soil which seemed to come from the rocks. For the DSM I placed pieces of 'Monte Carlo' and Glossostigma on the soil. I planted some pieces of Eleocharis acicularis using tweezers. I used cling film over the aquarium and sprayed water about once a day. I put the whole aquarium in the bottom part of a heated propagator which kept the temperature a degree or two above ambient. I kept the light on for 12 hours a day during the DSM.
After 4 weeks I flooded the aquarium and after 5 weeks added some stem plants and 4 Topaz shrimp. Finally, I am enjoying this aquarium!
Picture from today
P3240166 by pepedopolous, on Flickr
Equipment list
Azoo 16 litre clear glass aquarium (32 x 21 x 24 cm)
Flex-Mini LED light
Tropica Aquarium Soil Powder (3 litres)
Oase Filtosmart 60 external filter (300 lph)
Seiryu rocks
All in one Czech-brand fertiliser (1 drop a day)
Schedule
CO2: 12:00 to 18:00 (6 hours)
Light: 14:00 to 20:00 (6 hours)
Plant list (all Czech tissue culture)
Micranthemum sp. 'Monte Carlo'
Glossostigma elatinoides
Eleocharis acicularis
Microsorum pteropus (a couple plants of dwarf variety I have had for years)
Pogostemon erectus
Staurogyne repens
Now the aquarium is flooded I have a custom analogue dimming solution! First I have some floating plants (Salvia natans). Second, I have two layers of baking paper cable tied to the Flexi-Mini LED. I tested the PAR using a Biotek (Apogee) PAR meter and without the baking paper it's about 100 at the substrate. With the baking paper it's about 30-40. The paper looks ugly but I what else can I do? I wouldn't buy this light again but it was good for the fast DSM stage.
Dimming in action!
P3240214 by pepedopolous, on Flickr']P3240214 by pepedopolous, on Flickr[/URL]
DSM after 1 week
IMG_20180219_164228 by pepedopolous, on Flickr']IMG_20180219_164228 by pepedopolous, on Flickr[/URL]
DSM after 2 weeks
IMG_20180227_212905 by pepedopolous, on Flickr']IMG_20180227_212905 by pepedopolous, on Flickr[/URL]
DSM after 3 weeks
IMG_20180306_205643 by pepedopolous, on Flickr']IMG_20180306_205643 by pepedopolous, on Flickr[/URL]
4 weeks, about to flood
P3100105 by pepedopolous, on Flickr']P3100105 by pepedopolous, on Flickr[/URL]
Day of flooding
P3100124 by pepedopolous, on Flickr']P3100124 by pepedopolous, on Flickr[/URL]
Today, before a trim of the glosso
P3240173 by pepedopolous, on Flickr']P3240173 by pepedopolous, on Flickr[/URL]
P3240178 by pepedopolous, on Flickr']P3240178 by pepedopolous, on Flickr[/URL]
P3240187 by pepedopolous, on Flickr']P3240187 by pepedopolous, on Flickr[/URL]