The "Upflow" Scape (Beginner's Journal)

[avpfre]

Hello guys!
I would like to ask your opinion on my hardscape and plant placement to see whether I'm on the right track with this tank.

This is the hardscape. I've used some lava rocks that I had lying around and I have no clue with regards to the wood. It had no label on it but it seemed quite cool.

I kinda like the textures of the rocks and the wood so I decided not to go mad with the mosses, but I still added some here and there. Just waiting for it to grow.

This is the current state of things, the tank's 5 days old. Plants seem to be doing quite well as I've already seen some growth. I kinda messed up by spraying water from my other aquarium, thinking it will maybe get some beneficial bacteria living in the substrate. However, the water stained the glass a bit. I'm now using demineralised water. The moss is not doing very well for the moment, but I guess it takes it some time to get over the trauma of being blended.



In the near future, I'd like to add the following:

1. Monte Carlo or HC Cuba don't know yet if I have the guts to go into the advanced zone yet )
2. Rotala Blood Red Sg.
3. Cabomba (just behind the rotala)
4. Eleocharis montevidensis or vallisineria americana but I think that vallisineria might be too big for this small tank.
5. Ludwigia super red mini and in front of it there's already a small bush of heteranthera zosterifolia.


Any idea for how long should I be running the dry start? I was thinking to do it for 1.5/2 months and then flood the tank while abusing my co2 system and slowly decreasing bps while dosing liquid co2 to prevent algae explosions.

This thank is getting about 7h15mins of light because the light is covering my other tank as well and I'm slowly increasing photo period. I'd like to get to around 9h. However both tanks are seeing quite a bit of daylight and there's no way I can avoid that due to their location.

If you got to this point, thank you for your patience 😁.

 

[milesjames]

Hi 😊

I wanted to post on your wall as you erre so kind to post on mine. You have a nice layout lava rock and horn wood combo is always nice. Good height on it so bring good depth to the scape.

I'm a little worried about some of the species as, I can't see any active substrate. Have you capped with gravel or is it your only substrate.

In regards to the dry start be careful with this method it is good for getting some species to spread but remember plants are not converting to their submerged form. Your hygrophila is going to trick you in a dry start it will root and then produce new leaves. But when water is added will melt to nothing before showing its aquatic form.

Anyways if you would like advice on the scape just give me a message and I'll help advise as much as I can. 😊

 

[jon32]

Good looking layout. Try and get to 12 hours of light a day. If you can get a springtail culture I would highly recommend adding them to help with any mold and fungus. I got my Springtails from ebay.

Some plants will adapt easily to underwater. I have never had any problems with hc. I've had success with Monte carlo and
h. tennelum (although ht didn't do much in the dry start period) Lilaeopsis Brasiliensis was a good one. Mini hairgrass is a slow grower. tripartita does well also. Glossostigma runs everywhere very fast growing plant and adapt with no sign of melt.

1.5/2 months is good but plants should be rooted well from 3 to 4 weeks but longer the better. Good luck 🤞

 

[avpfre]

I wanted to post on your wall as you erre so kind to post on mine.

Thanks, that's very nice of you! I really enjoyed your aquarium, loved what you've done with it but I'm sorry I do not have more insightful things to say as I'm a beginner 😁

I'm a little worried about some of the species as, I can't see any active substrate. Have you capped with gravel or is it your only substrate.

I do have about 1cm of AquaBasis Plus underneath the gravel and sand but I wanted to hide it. Do you happen to have any experience with this substrate?

In regards to the dry start be careful with this method it is good for getting some species to spread but remember plants are not converting to their submerged form.

That's the only thing I'm kinda scared about, I've got a lobelia mini in there and I've seen that the emersed form is quite different from the aquatic one. I'm wondering whether when they change the form, they first melt and the new growth is the adapted one?

If you can get a springtail culture I would highly recommend adding them to help with any mold and fungus

I found a local seller the other day. However, this will sound dumb but I just don't have the heart to flood the little bastards once the dry start is over😂. Anyway, for now everything seems fine, I'm letting a lot of air in whenever I can and there are always some holes to let the air circulate. It actually smells pleasant whenever I lift the foil.

I've had success with Monte carlo and
h. tennelum (although ht didn't do much in the dry start period) Lilaeopsis Brasiliensis was a good one. Mini hairgrass is a slow grower. tripartita does well also. Glossostigma runs everywhere very fast growing plant and adapt with no sign of melt.

Thanks a lot, for the suggestions. I've actually settled for tripartita mini after reading your reply.

 

[jon32]

No I feel you the thought crossed my mind on day of flood.. poor sods, maybe next time I make a raft for them and transfer them back to the colony 💡 😂

Lovely choice on the plant. Never grown the mini version but the one I had was a brut and required frequent trimmings. Still it's good to have some fast growing plants to suck up some nutrient 👍

 

[milesjames]

Hi @avpfre
please don't apologise thank you for the comments. So in regards to substrate nutribase is a great beginners choice . It will allow your plants to get nutrients for approximately 6 months and start some good bacteria colonies in your sand/gravel.

You will need to add nutritabs after 6 months but not to worry about that for now.

The dry start will benefit your dwarf hair grass most. It is a bit of a tricky plant for some so this method will help. All stems will stay in their terrestrial form till you fill up I'm afraid. As you are in theory your creating thier ideal terrestrial conditions not emersed. This means you will get great root and stem structures but they will need to convert.

Your lobelia cardinalis mini will be a wonderful plant it grows like stink and trimmings are so so easy to propagate from. You will need to emerse it to make the change but its like a stem plant the emersed form will happen at the top and you trim down to get rid of the old terrestrial leaves.

I'm afraid the flood is coming for your plants but they will thank you for it. Its hard to get the chemistry right without water so once the hair grass spreads get filling or you might cause your self more pain than good.

Hope all goes well message or post here if you need anything 👊

 

[avpfre]

Thank you very much @milesjames ! I can't wait to flood the thing and add the co2 to be honest 😂 I'm only a bit worried about the mosses I've added. I can't see any growth yet. They still look like they've been blended yesterday 😅.

 

[dw1305]

Hi all,

I found a local seller the other day.

You honestly don't need to buy them, they are absolutely universal wherever there is decaying leaf litter etc. I've never <"seen a pitfall trap"> that didn't have Springtails (Collembola) in it.

However, this will sound dumb but I just don't have the heart to flood the little bastards once the dry start is over

No I feel you the thought crossed my mind on day of flood.. poor sods, maybe next time I make a raft for them and transfer them back to the colony

I think that a raft is a good idea.

cheers Darrel

 

[avpfre]

2 weeks update:
Added 3 brins of rotala blood red sg, 3 brins of ludwigia sp red mini (just to see how they will deal with the dry start), eleocharis parvula in the background and hydrocotyle tripartita mini as a carpeting plant.

Dwarf hairgrass doesn't look the best but I can see some growth

Lobelia cardinals mini completely melted, I can't figure out why. However, the hydrocotyle seems to be doing extremely well.

Also added a small bucephalandra kendang.

Currently trying to put up a clean-up crew for the tank but cant't think of anything else except for some neocardinia shrimps and snails for such a small tank.

Thank you for coming to my TED talk,
Adrian