Maybe a bit off-topic, but HOLY COW the depth of this hardscape is insane! In the b-roll shots where it fills the screen it seems to be at least as deep as it is wide
I've done something similar the last two tanks I set up. I actually attach moss and epiphytes and run the lights at 10% brightness. Up here it can take a couple months to get plants and fish special ordered. In that time the moss and ferns attach themselves to the hardscape. No algae issues either time.
precycling the soil and filter is genius, also you can wait for the driftwood to leech all tannings, keep some rocks on the wood util its fully soacked and rub off all fungus and stuff growing on new driftwood in the initial period
Hab ich bei meinen 80er auch so gemacht ohne Pflanzen, ohne Licht und ohne co2 für die ersten 4-5 Wochen hat super funktioniert hab den Trick auch von Liquid Nature und vor allem wenn man Wurzeln verwendet ist es super das wenn man dann bepflanzt der ganze Bakterienrasen weg ist 😁👍
I unintentionally did this and worked without adding ammonia and had plain gravel, i just added sachem start and let the filter run, 3 weeks nitrite became 0 and added fish, 6 months later no algae and happy fish. doing my shrimp thank now with same method.
So all this time when I had absolutely no money left after I bought the hardscape and filled up the tank without plants to check out how different the hardscape looks with water refraction I was doing a dark start? Cool! :D I always pre-soak my wood as well for several weeks, even before gluing it, because it's very easy to remove excess superglue from the softer wood without a trace, don't need to cover up the mess I made with moss.
Greetings, I'm completing my 3rd week of dark start method. I usedADA aqua soil Amazonia Vol.2 with the pellets included, I also added 1cap od stability on 1st day and half cap for 5 days. I did add 1mm of clarity because I added a shrimp cylinder wood over outflow bar that was giving a stong flow. I'm giving it 1 more dak week and start planting with Dragan stone. Hoping to add aa Alien Betta . Any advice regarding placing a cylinder wood over outflow bar? 3:173:17
I plan to do a Nano tank in the next few months and will try this. Thanks for the video. I will check the chemistry as it matures and follow the progress. This should be fun. Jim
Hey Juris... Would you still recommend Dark start method after a year now... I mean.. has any of your friends tried this... Like filling up the tank for 3 weeks without water change and no plants... And drain and plant and start as a fully cycled tank?
awesome tips, just wonder if I need to keep dosing seachem stability as per the direction and also do I dose seachem prime to dechlorinate the water before leaving it for 3week? Thank you
Hello buddy! Does it make sense to add nutrition capsules to the soil during this method? Or should I add them just before adding the plants? Thank you!
I Simply follow the recommendations of the bacteria product. However, I think it’s not really necessary, what is more important to feed the bacteria on daily basis, otherwise the pop can collapse due to lack of nutrients in water
Off topic question but do you mineralize RO water right from the start when using ADA aqua soil? what is the best time to adding the minerals back into the to water since the soil is made to balance the water chemistry in the beginning.
Yes I use RO and minerals right from the start. I dose a little bit more minerals to compensate the soil and I monitor until the Gh values stops fluctuating
Hi, I am begynning with one tank now and I was thinking to try this. Noob question, what will happened with ADA bacter 100 if I use it in the soil during the setup? Is it waisted? Do I have to add more after 3 weeks?
@@JurijsJutjajevs thanks bro jurjis! I can't get ammonia here in the Philippines and also these bacterial starters. So I'm planning to do the fish food method and then wait for it using my test strips
Hi Jurijs, great tip an amazing scapes, I am embarking on a 37 ltr Nano low tech nature aquarium. I am interested in running a dark start. How long would you recommend for a tank this size. Thanks
I just started two of my tabks for this method. I wonder what will happened if there is root tabs added during its dark method? As you said, no other nytrients added.. but i added NPk and FE tabs
The soil is releasing ammonia and the hardscape also comes with some dirt. Depending how long you want this to cycle it might be necessary to add some fish food to feed the bacteria
Depending on the soil, you might have to add ammonia (like Dr. Tim's Ammonium Chloride). Fish food takes much longer to produce workable ammonia levels. Yes, adding ammonia sounds counter intuitive, but bacteria need ammonia, so if your soil does not have enough of it, you'll see bacteria dying off and your cycle ends before it has started. The way it works is that you (artificially) raise ammonia to a certain level (e.g. 4ppm), keep adding bacteria according to what your bottle of Seachem Stability suggests and wait for ammonia levels to drop (maybe to 0.5-2 ppm), then you bring it up again by adding ammonia. We are talking 12-hour increments here, or days. You need to monitor ammonia, nitrites and nitrates (the bacteria that turn nitrites into nitrates need more time to develop than those making nitrites out of ammonia, so 0 ammonia is not proof of a cycled tank), and when you see that you can drop ammonia levels from 4ppm to 0 in 12 hours with 0 nitrites you are cycled. Why no light? You are making nitrates--great food, for plants and algae alike.
@@jonnzi789 Shrimp are very sensitive to ammonia, even lower levels can kill or hurt them (promote bacterial infections or stunt their growth). I personally add shrimp last to a new tank. In a slightly acidic environment (pH lower than 7), NH3 (the toxic, hurtful for fish and shrimp) is less present, so if you run CO2 (which lowers your pH) you might get away with low levels of ammonia (because the tests we use react to both NH3 and NH4+, the less toxic form). In short: I would wait until you have clean water.
hello friend, I have a question about the dark start 😜 how much time should it last and most importantly, do I flood it back with the same water after the planting tank has been rinsed or fresh, for example, RO? I am asking for information on this, the snake will tell you I just launched the aquarium, this method, best regards
Since the dark start method is an alternative to the DSM, will I be able to achieve a nice carpet with the dark start method? I'm planning to do a Iwagumi style tank with Monte Carlo carpet. Also, if I add Bacter 100 under the power sand and aqua soil, do I need to add more Bacter 100 to the water when I start cycling?
Jurijs, hi, I came across your video because I was looking for Dark Start. I have a 380 lt fish tank. So.. in another words, I start everything but the plants and fish. So I leave the filters on? I.e. SUMP for instance? Thanks for your commens.
no light, no plants, no fish. everything else as normal. you can skip most water changes, but some will help and you can use beneficial bacteria if you want. after 2-4 weeks you soil and filter are cycled and your wood stopped producing bacteria film. clean everything, drain water, plant it and refill with fresh water. its now ready for first live stock
@@JurijsJutjajevs Do I definitively have to drain the entire fish tank? that´s a lot of water.. lol. Really? Thanks so much for your reply. Are you in Lithuania?
I’ve just started a Dark Start using Tropica Aquasoil and dosing with Seachem Stability but someone commented that I’d need to add ammonia to cycle the tank. Is that true?
I have some wood in my tank already that i want to have waterlogged before my plants arrive in a week. Would it do more harm than good, to do this for a week and hope that my wood water logs a bit more before i receive my plants and empty it and fill it up like a usual start?
@@JurijsJutjajevs cheers for your quick reply. Just spent 8 hours filling it up and attaching rocks to keep the wood from floating and destroying my hardscape. So far so good. Cheers Juri! 😄🙏🏻
@@JurijsJutjajevs Hey man - one more question.. When the period is over and i take 90% of the water out to do a few changes like adding roots to my hardscape and afterwards planting, How long would the beneficial bacteria in the filter be able to live without the tank being filled and the filter running? Maybe it doesn't matter because when i add the roots to my hardscape and have done the planting i'll fill it up again to let it run a few weeks before adding any shrimp, snails etc. Does it even matter if the beneficial bacteria dies due to the filter not running a few days so i can do the last part of my hardscape after this dark start period is over? The tank itself would have gone through the nitrogen cycle and my wood is already starting to do the white fungus, so i guess it doesn't hurt too much does it?
Hi Jurijs, great video. I did a 5 week dark start and then fully planted my 80 gal tank. Today is day 3 after plantitng: 2 wrgb2 lights (4hours day) , nutritive substrate. Water parameters are no3 =0 and po4=0.2. Should I start dosing the water column? It make sense to balance No3 and Po4. Aquarium plants are mainly fast stems, and also lots of epiphites plant. So should I dose more nutrients to the water colum?
I have a bit of a situation. I added plants only 2.5 weeks after cycle (they arrived early). Now my ph is high but there is no ammonia or nitrates. I drained the 90% prior and refilled. I did half a water change the next day with osmotic water. Please help. Results still the same
Hi Jurijs. Great tip. I’ve just started my dark start today and was wondering...do you need to heat the water during the dark start as you normally would when the tank has plants and fish? I have a Juwel internal filter/pump/heater system. Do the bacteria need the correct water temperature to multiply?
Interesting method. Do you still have to do your regular water changes using this method or do you just fill the tank and leave it to cycle with your canister filter until it’s clear of ammonia?
you can just leave the tank until ammonia and no2 spike is over. 2-3 weeks and you are good to go. filter is cycled, also the wood fungus stuff can be cleaned of before planting it is a very good technique
Do we need to do water change if using this method? If yes, how many times per week? Because of no plant, does that means no need for ferts? Btw great setup you got there buddy!
@@JurijsJutjajevs compared to George's daily water changes, the dark start is like a walk in the park ;) Ok bad analogy now... Btw, I was wondering if I should put some fish food in few days in order the bacterias have something to feed on?
You know I have to say, I always learn something from your videos. Tips, tutorial, whatever it is about there is always so much information. The Secret DARK START method is amazing and something I would have never thought of. Thank you for the tip and all the videos you do. Inspiring!
Dear Jurijs, can I aks you, please? I follow you on your perfect channel on youtube. I am very interested to try the dark start method with my new aquarium. I want to use ada additives and use Nutrition capsules from Tropica under the substrate. I am just wondering if these Nutrition capsules are wasted, if there is no plants for 3 weeks?
Hi, I got a few questions for you as I myself is doing a dark start method also, and here is my question: 1. I have setup the scape for my aquarium before the dark start method process take place, is it okay to rescape back the aquarium after the 3 week of dark start method process ? Or will it ruin the process (I'm just changing the scape without adding/taking out the item in aquarium) 2. I'm planning to put some plant later on, is it okay to use supplement to promote the plant growth or is it unessary? 3. I still not satisfied with the volume of the sand that I put before dark start method, is it okay to add more sand after the I finish the that method ? Hope you can answer my question as I'm wondering about this
Hi!! I’ve tried dark start method for quite a while now and I’ll try to answer your questions based on my experience only. If there are any points that are wrong, anyone can feel free to correct me😊 1. In rescaping, keep in mind that the beneficial bacteria is on the hardscape, the soil, the filter media, etc and is NOT in the water so as long as you dont do something drastic to kill the existing beneficial bacteria, then you’re good to go. 2.) If you’re using aquasoil, supplements can be done after planting it. Wait for about a couple days to a week and then add supplements. If you’re not using a nutrient-rich substrate, I recommend putting supplements before planting but make sure that your aquarium doesn’t get any light because excess nutrients + light = algae😅 3.) Yup, try to put the sand in a plastic bag and lower it slowly so that you won’t disturb it and make your water cloudy. Hope this helped!!
@@JurijsJutjajevs so after dry start, you don't need to do frequently water changes? For example, if you do 6 weeks dry start, than fill up a tank with water, it is not necessary to do 2-3 times water change in first week?
Very interesting, especially as I've got an upcoming holiday and a tank I'll be scraping tomorrow. Seems like a perfect fit. You mention no algea, is that because of leaving the lights off? Since even with clear tap water you'll still get algea in a while in my experience, no plants of whatever bio materials needed. Just put it in a bottle and set it in a window somewhere, nature will take care of the rest.
@@JurijsJutjajevs Cool. I've setup my new scape today. Lights are off, filter is running. Added in some ceramic media from my existing tank to headstart bacteria population. Very curious to find out how this will go. My tank is in the living room. There's no direct sunlight but it will be getting some indirect light. If this method sucks I'll let you know ;) :D
I would definitely try this method with my first nano tank. Out of curiosity though, would seeding the filter with established filter media lessen the soil precycle time period? And do we throw out the water that we drained out prior to planting or do we toss it back in the tank after planting? Newbie here obviously -_-
Its simple & cool but how many weeks to need for this technic is 3 weeks enough or more weeks needed too be done & in meanwhile water change is needed or not just left the tank & filter to work?!
Hi.so for this dark start method do surrounding light plays a part in promoting some form of algae problem or maybe if I cover the tank up will it be a better n faster way to sort of cultivate the BB and minimising any form of algae issue? As my tank is in my living room so there will still be light here n there....so will it invite algae in the cycling process? =)
a little ambient light is no problem. if you have direct sunlight hitting your tank, its a different story. but yes covering up the sides will help to prevent algae growth during the dark start. I have had no algae, just some biofilm on the glass and hardscape
Moin Jurijs, hast du beim Darkstart dein Aquarium auch abgehangen? Bzw. bei relativ viel Licht im Zimmer, durch Fenster, ist der Darkstart dann noch möglich ohne Abhängung? Eine weitere Frage wäre noch, müsste man es zusätzlich belüften für die Bakterien? VG
Belüften nein. Haben wir nicht gemacht. Und abdunkeln auch nicht. Direktes Sonnenlicht sollte jedoch vermieden werden. Und generell wenn das Zimmer sehr hell ist, dann ist abdunkeln tatsächlich eine gute Möglichkeit
Jurijs Jutjajevs danke dir!! Meinst du ein zusätzlicher Twinstar macht beim Darkstart noch Sinn? Oder setz ich den erst nach 4 Wochen mit den Pflanzen dazu?
great idea, i probably will try it in my new aqua. One question, i suppose i have to make it without lights? with light even without plants i will have algae?
Hi Jurijs, eine Frage. Ich habe den kompletten Bodengrundaufbau von ADA. Muss ich für den Darkstart noch Flüssigbakterien in den Filter hinzufügen? Oder reichen mir die ganzen Zusätze wie Bacter 100 und Tourmaline UC?
I had this idea for long time in my mind, but in this video you gave us the proof! Smart method! I'd like to try it soon. So after the tank cycled for 3 weeks you just add the plants right? So simple.
Hi Jurijs, first of all thanks for all that tips, always a pleasure ! Is it possible to do a dark start followed by a DSM ? For mosses and ground cover plants especially
A dark start prior dsm is not necessary. The nitrogen cycle will complete inside wet substrate during dsm. The only benefit of doing both is when using wood to get rid of tannins
Hi Jurijs, So you guys all got your heads together and came up with this. Genius .only problem I can see is if working in say a fish room/ gallery ,there will be light spillage from the other tanks 🤔 would that be a problem? Just a thought. Great idea though.
I had a dark start today...lost my L046 Zebra in my “Cave Scaped” Tank...then another dark start with Jurijs’s biceps remind me I need to hit the gym 2020
Nice Jurijs! do you think it would be a good idea to combine this Dark Start method and then begin the Lazy Dry Start method after the water has cycled?! that might be really cool!
Hi Jurijs, I love these tips, they really help me starting with this hobby. I currently have 2 tanks (80L and 234L) and start getting problems with "Black Algea" in my tank. Do you have any tips for me? I do weekly waterchanges and check the watervalues.. Still i get the "Black Algea" on some of my slowgrowing plants and they are al over my rocks..
im dark cycling my 72 gal waterbox right now. it's good because it's also letting my big driftwood leach out tannins. the tank is cycled, now just waiting for the brown water to be done. patience is key
So do you think the purigen would clear the water up enough where I could plant? medium/high light/ co2. the water is really brown and the wood still leaking tannins.
Könnte man auch schon in Woche 3 bepflanzen und Licht und Co2 hinzufügen, natürlich dann auch das alte Wasser entfernen, kann es kaum erwarten. Fische würde ich weiterhin erst nach Woche 4 reinsetzen
Hello! I'm doing a darkatart atm. When im done do you keep the water that was in the aquarium or do you get new water. I was thinking maybe you lose alot of good bacteria Best retards Kim
ra ra you basically asked my question-when you mention the filter are you basically just having the filter/media sitting in the water or is it submerged and running?
@@JurijsJutjajevsPerfect channel and very useful info! I've recently bought a Juwel Rio 125 tank, and planning a dark start. The inner filter is fixed to the glass, and cannot remove it. At the end of the dark start, plantation may require quite long time. Cannot remove and run filter seperately. Worried to lose beneficial bacteria in the filter media as it will not run for long time due to low water level. Any recommendations?
If i want to DSM my HC cuba Does this method needed? plz follow me up Your tips are awesome... I watched all your videos,its just great.. Every question in my mind,your videos has the answer..😁🙏🏻
Im just thinking if do this method,and start DSM later.. Are the bacteria will be die after i drain the water?and have to repeat the process of populating the benefiecial bacteria? And then if i didn't do this method and im using amazonia soil,how about the ammonia leaching after floading to prevent algae problem? Plz help🙏🏻🙏🏻🙏🏻
Do you have the patience to do the DARK START method? Who is planning to join the IAPLC 2020?
Ive a dennerle 55 liter tank standing here standing with hardscape since juni.. haha so i have patience.. gonna plant is soon.
maybe you should precycle it first and plant afterwards, this will give you a great start
@@JurijsJutjajevs thx for the info jur! Ure always inspire me so Lets give it a go :)
Do oxygen filter work for recycling?
Or normal in filter?
Oxygen Filter?
This is a great idea, especially because those three weeks will give you the opportunity to decide whether you're happy with the hardscape or not
good point, bonus point!
Maybe a bit off-topic, but HOLY COW the depth of this hardscape is insane! In the b-roll shots where it fills the screen it seems to be at least as deep as it is wide
the height has been build with gravel bags and there are 4 plant layers and 4 hardscape layers this I what give the depth
I'll definetly try this for one of my next projects. I think George also did this (or just told me that it could be done). Very interesting idea!
Ist sehr praktisch wenn man Zeit hat und vor allem beim Holz damit der Bakterien Belag schon weg ist bevor die Pflanzen kommen
I've done something similar the last two tanks I set up. I actually attach moss and epiphytes and run the lights at 10% brightness. Up here it can take a couple months to get plants and fish special ordered. In that time the moss and ferns attach themselves to the hardscape. No algae issues either time.
Sounds like a good technique 👌
The store green machine always did this also. When you think about it, it’s very logical.
precycling the soil and filter is genius, also you can wait for the driftwood to leech all tannings, keep some rocks on the wood util its fully soacked and rub off all fungus and stuff growing on new driftwood in the initial period
@@JurijsJutjajevs Maybe the same method like setup an saltwater reeftank.
Yes reefers do this all the time
Jurijs Jutjajevs is it possible to put some fresh soil to an existing tank? Maybe a coffee mug full?
Do you put the heater on 🤷🏼♂️✌️🇨🇦
Do you add water conditioner during this method?
How about cicling de filter mídias ?
Hab ich bei meinen 80er auch so gemacht ohne Pflanzen, ohne Licht und ohne co2 für die ersten 4-5 Wochen hat super funktioniert hab den Trick auch von Liquid Nature und vor allem wenn man Wurzeln verwendet ist es super das wenn man dann bepflanzt der ganze Bakterienrasen weg ist 😁👍
Ja der Bakterienrasen ist in dem Fall super dass er schon weg ist!
Bringt es zusätzlich noch den Twinstar M5 etc. laufen zu lassen? Begünstigt das noch zusätzlich etwas?
I unintentionally did this and worked without adding ammonia and had plain gravel, i just added sachem start and let the filter run, 3 weeks nitrite became 0 and added fish, 6 months later no algae and happy fish. doing my shrimp thank now with same method.
Hello 😊 do we need to refill with the same water or some fresh ones ?? Thanks
go with fresh water
So all this time when I had absolutely no money left after I bought the hardscape and filled up the tank without plants to check out how different the hardscape looks with water refraction I was doing a dark start? Cool! :D I always pre-soak my wood as well for several weeks, even before gluing it, because it's very easy to remove excess superglue from the softer wood without a trace, don't need to cover up the mess I made with moss.
Hehe 😉 dark start is popular
How long do you soak the wood?
Greetings, I'm completing my 3rd week of dark start method. I usedADA aqua soil Amazonia Vol.2 with the pellets included, I also added 1cap od stability on 1st day and half cap for 5 days. I did add 1mm of clarity because I added a shrimp cylinder wood over outflow bar that was giving a stong flow. I'm giving it 1 more dak week and start planting with Dragan stone. Hoping to add aa Alien Betta . Any advice regarding placing a cylinder wood over outflow bar? 3:17 3:17
Oh yeah it's a 10 gallon tank
I plan to do a Nano tank in the next few months and will try this. Thanks for the video.
I will check the chemistry as it matures and follow the progress. This should be fun.
Jim
Do we need to boil and treat the driftwood before we start? Is the dark period enough for the treatment without any concerns?
We have the same concern, also my tank has a lot of sand rather than aqua soil so im a little hesitant if I go dark start method or not..
That is what I do all the time. The algae are very minimal doing this.
Hello, nice video, for the ADA version 1 i did a 2 month black start, for a 1st tank, perfect, no melt, etc...
Just wondering, lets say you do Dark start and after 3 weeks you drain the tank, now at this stage can you plant and do dry start ?.
dark start also cycles the filter, what happens to the filter during the following dry period?
when using dark start method I saw you used tap water at the initial set up. Is that ok if you will be using RO water later on?
Yes, it allows Soil to saturate with minerals and before planting you will remove all of it anyway
Do you need lid on aquarium for dark start method or just to cover walls in the dark,with heater and filter makes lots of condensation
No need heater during dark start. Use a lid if you intend to use it anyway.
Hey Juris... Would you still recommend Dark start method after a year now... I mean.. has any of your friends tried this... Like filling up the tank for 3 weeks without water change and no plants... And drain and plant and start as a fully cycled tank?
Is it ok to do this method with aquasoil and nutrition capsules in the soil?
Yes works well
Good tip and stunning hardscape work
awesome tips, just wonder if I need to keep dosing seachem stability as per the direction and also do I dose seachem prime to dechlorinate the water before leaving it for 3week? Thank you
Hello buddy! Does it make sense to add nutrition capsules to the soil during this method? Or should I add them just before adding the plants? Thank you!
you can add them when making your substrate
@ Jurijs Jutjajevs do you need to add more bacteria after the first dose during the dark start?
I Simply follow the recommendations of the bacteria product. However, I think it’s not really necessary, what is more important to feed the bacteria on daily basis, otherwise the pop can collapse due to lack of nutrients in water
@@JurijsJutjajevs thank you.
Off topic question but do you mineralize RO water right from the start when using ADA aqua soil? what is the best time to adding the minerals back into the to water since the soil is made to balance the water chemistry in the beginning.
Yes I use RO and minerals right from the start. I dose a little bit more minerals to compensate the soil and I monitor until the Gh values stops fluctuating
Jurijs Jutjajevs 𝐓hank you!
@@JurijsJutjajevs Do you have a Gh goal?
Is this ok, even I'm not using ADA Aquasoil?
Hi, Were did you got the sky aquarium background?
Hello Jurijs, Is it necessary to install the twinstar nano+ during the 4 weeks period of the dark start method ?
No it’s not
Great video😀
1 question,is it run 3 weeks without the heater?
It doesn’t matter, you want substrate and wood to leech excess stuff and some bacteria to settle in the filter. Either way will work.
Love this but here's a big question: What filter media should I use and use during dark start???
I always use a mix of sponges, biological and filter wool
@@JurijsJutjajevs No carbon to help clear tannins and leaching, etc? That's all the ADA Superjet comes with!
Hi, I am begynning with one tank now and I was thinking to try this. Noob question, what will happened with ADA bacter 100 if I use it in the soil during the setup? Is it waisted? Do I have to add more after 3 weeks?
Ivan Maric it will be active and alive in your substrate etc - perfect use
@@JurijsJutjajevs Thank you! Keep on with the great work!
I'm about to rescape my tank and thinking of doing this using my old cycled canister filter, but not sure if the bacteria there would survive.
Do I need to cover the aquarium in doing a dark start? Like with black cloth if it's in the living room?
If it doesn’t get too much daylight, no need to cover
@@JurijsJutjajevs thanks bro jurjis! I can't get ammonia here in the Philippines and also these bacterial starters. So I'm planning to do the fish food method and then wait for it using my test strips
@@JurijsJutjajevs I also don't need to do the water changes right?
Thanks for this ideal and will try on my next scape.
Hi Jurijs, great tip an amazing scapes, I am embarking on a 37 ltr Nano low tech nature aquarium. I am interested in running a dark start. How long would you recommend for a tank this size. Thanks
Do u precycle it with complete fiter media..or can change it jst before start
Complete with filter media. It’s cycled with bacteria and you can stock fish and shrimps very quickly y
@@JurijsJutjajevs so we don't need dry start followed by dark start..as if we ll go for dry start..all bacteria in filter media ll die
Thanks for the info. Just started 2 days ago. Lets fill and forget.
Are dechlorinators and bacteria both added during this cycle?
You can but it’s not necessary
If it really works. This would be the best aquascaping advice i have ever received
It does! You welcome 😉
I just started two of my tabks for this method. I wonder what will happened if there is root tabs added during its dark method? As you said, no other nytrients added.. but i added NPk and FE tabs
I thought the "good" bacteria needed bio-waste to survive? How did it propogate without anything in the tank?
The soil is releasing ammonia and the hardscape also comes with some dirt. Depending how long you want this to cycle it might be necessary to add some fish food to feed the bacteria
@@JurijsJutjajevs Thank you! Brand new to the hobby so this is incredibly useful info :)
Depending on the soil, you might have to add ammonia (like Dr. Tim's Ammonium Chloride). Fish food takes much longer to produce workable ammonia levels. Yes, adding ammonia sounds counter intuitive, but bacteria need ammonia, so if your soil does not have enough of it, you'll see bacteria dying off and your cycle ends before it has started. The way it works is that you (artificially) raise ammonia to a certain level (e.g. 4ppm), keep adding bacteria according to what your bottle of Seachem Stability suggests and wait for ammonia levels to drop (maybe to 0.5-2 ppm), then you bring it up again by adding ammonia. We are talking 12-hour increments here, or days. You need to monitor ammonia, nitrites and nitrates (the bacteria that turn nitrites into nitrates need more time to develop than those making nitrites out of ammonia, so 0 ammonia is not proof of a cycled tank), and when you see that you can drop ammonia levels from 4ppm to 0 in 12 hours with 0 nitrites you are cycled. Why no light? You are making nitrates--great food, for plants and algae alike.
@@raveG244 what if i add 2-3 small shrimp and feed them very very little?
@@jonnzi789 Shrimp are very sensitive to ammonia, even lower levels can kill or hurt them (promote bacterial infections or stunt their growth). I personally add shrimp last to a new tank. In a slightly acidic environment (pH lower than 7), NH3 (the toxic, hurtful for fish and shrimp) is less present, so if you run CO2 (which lowers your pH) you might get away with low levels of ammonia (because the tests we use react to both NH3 and NH4+, the less toxic form). In short: I would wait until you have clean water.
How many liters of soil and lava chips were used to achieved that height?
Great tip 👍😃💚🌱
hello friend, I have a question about the dark start 😜 how much time should it last and most importantly, do I flood it back with the same water after the planting tank has been rinsed or fresh, for example, RO? I am asking for information on this, the snake will tell you I just launched the aquarium, this method, best regards
Does this work with a very light substrate
Light substrate?
@@JurijsJutjajevs as without much nutrients
Since the dark start method is an alternative to the DSM, will I be able to achieve a nice carpet with the dark start method? I'm planning to do a Iwagumi style tank with Monte Carlo carpet. Also, if I add Bacter 100 under the power sand and aqua soil, do I need to add more Bacter 100 to the water when I start cycling?
Iwagumi with Montecarlo ► dry start.
@@JurijsJutjajevs Thank you!
Can I black out using a blanket or paper?
Yes it’s okay
Jurijs, hi, I came across your video because I was looking for Dark Start. I have a 380 lt fish tank. So.. in another words, I start everything but the plants and fish. So I leave the filters on? I.e. SUMP for instance? Thanks for your commens.
no light, no plants, no fish. everything else as normal. you can skip most water changes, but some will help and you can use beneficial bacteria if you want. after 2-4 weeks you soil and filter are cycled and your wood stopped producing bacteria film. clean everything, drain water, plant it and refill with fresh water. its now ready for first live stock
@@JurijsJutjajevs Do I definitively have to drain the entire fish tank? that´s a lot of water.. lol. Really? Thanks so much for your reply. Are you in Lithuania?
hm ;) sounds interesting to test next time :) thanks for sharing!!!
You welcome 🙏
I’ve just started a Dark Start using Tropica Aquasoil and dosing with Seachem Stability but someone commented that I’d need to add ammonia to cycle the tank. Is that true?
Ammonia gets released by the aquasoil so you don't need to add more
Good one tQ...
I have some wood in my tank already that i want to have waterlogged before my plants arrive in a week. Would it do more harm than good, to do this for a week and hope that my wood water logs a bit more before i receive my plants and empty it and fill it up like a usual start?
everything is better than nothing in this case
@@JurijsJutjajevs cheers for your quick reply. Just spent 8 hours filling it up and attaching rocks to keep the wood from floating and destroying my hardscape. So far so good. Cheers Juri! 😄🙏🏻
Fingers crossed 🤞
@@JurijsJutjajevs Hey man - one more question.. When the period is over and i take 90% of the water out to do a few changes like adding roots to my hardscape and afterwards planting, How long would the beneficial bacteria in the filter be able to live without the tank being filled and the filter running? Maybe it doesn't matter because when i add the roots to my hardscape and have done the planting i'll fill it up again to let it run a few weeks before adding any shrimp, snails etc. Does it even matter if the beneficial bacteria dies due to the filter not running a few days so i can do the last part of my hardscape after this dark start period is over? The tank itself would have gone through the nitrogen cycle and my wood is already starting to do the white fungus, so i guess it doesn't hurt too much does it?
Hi Jurijs, great video. I did a 5 week dark start and then fully planted my 80 gal tank. Today is day 3 after plantitng: 2 wrgb2 lights (4hours day) , nutritive substrate. Water parameters are no3 =0 and po4=0.2. Should I start dosing the water column? It make sense to balance No3 and Po4. Aquarium plants are mainly fast stems, and also lots of epiphites plant. So should I dose more nutrients to the water colum?
Yes I would start with 1/2 recommendation Dosis and increase as you see signs of deficiency
@@JurijsJutjajevs thanks man!
I have a bit of a situation. I added plants only 2.5 weeks after cycle (they arrived early). Now my ph is high but there is no ammonia or nitrates. I drained the 90% prior and refilled. I did half a water change the next day with osmotic water. Please help. Results still the same
How about adding minerals to the RO water?
Hi Jurijs. Great tip. I’ve just started my dark start today and was wondering...do you need to heat the water during the dark start as you normally would when the tank has plants and fish? I have a Juwel internal filter/pump/heater system. Do the bacteria need the correct water temperature to multiply?
Room temperature is enough
78-82 will increase bacterial growth - we do this in marine tanks to speed up the cycle
Interesting method. Do you still have to do your regular water changes using this method or do you just fill the tank and leave it to cycle with your canister filter until it’s clear of ammonia?
I am also interested for that answer !
you can just leave the tank until ammonia and no2 spike is over. 2-3 weeks and you are good to go. filter is cycled, also the wood fungus stuff can be cleaned of before planting it is a very good technique
Do we need to do water change if using this method? If yes, how many times per week? Because of no plant, does that means no need for ferts? Btw great setup you got there buddy!
No ferts
Thank you for not making this video 15 minutes. Great and concise video!
Lazy boy
Great idea
never thought about it, that's realy uesefull. Thx for sharing.
you welcome, please share video to help more people know about it, thank you
Thnks for this idea
Just started my new 60l nano with this method! 3 weeks to go now ;)
may the patience be with you 😂
@@JurijsJutjajevs compared to George's daily water changes, the dark start is like a walk in the park ;) Ok bad analogy now... Btw, I was wondering if I should put some fish food in few days in order the bacterias have something to feed on?
You know I have to say, I always learn something from your videos. Tips, tutorial, whatever it is about there is always so much information. The Secret DARK START method is amazing and something I would have never thought of. Thank you for the tip and all the videos you do. Inspiring!
You welcome Mike. This pro tip might not be secret, but hey it’s UA-cam, one has to try and make it intriguing
Nice tips
Dear Jurijs, can I aks you, please? I follow you on your perfect channel on youtube. I am very interested to try the dark start method with my new aquarium. I want to use ada additives and use Nutrition capsules from Tropica under the substrate. I am just wondering if these Nutrition capsules are wasted, if there is no plants for 3 weeks?
Very nice tip! I just miss the subtitles...
Das machen wir bei uns inder Galerie schon länger so, so kann sich das soil richtig austoben 😉 LG Timo Graupe
hehe klar dass du Profi dass schon kennst ;)
@@JurijsJutjajevs ja jetzt übertreibe mal nicht mein lieber 🙄😁 funktioniert auf jedenfall super und grade auch beim thema Garnelen, sehr gut
Hi, I got a few questions for you as I myself is doing a dark start method also, and here is my question:
1. I have setup the scape for my aquarium before the dark start method process take place, is it okay to rescape back the aquarium after the 3 week of dark start method process ? Or will it ruin the process (I'm just changing the scape without adding/taking out the item in aquarium)
2. I'm planning to put some plant later on, is it okay to use supplement to promote the plant growth or is it unessary?
3. I still not satisfied with the volume of the sand that I put before dark start method, is it okay to add more sand after the I finish the that method ?
Hope you can answer my question as I'm wondering about this
Hi!! I’ve tried dark start method for quite a while now and I’ll try to answer your questions based on my experience only. If there are any points that are wrong, anyone can feel free to correct me😊
1. In rescaping, keep in mind that the beneficial bacteria is on the hardscape, the soil, the filter media, etc and is NOT in the water so as long as you dont do something drastic to kill the existing beneficial bacteria, then you’re good to go.
2.) If you’re using aquasoil, supplements can be done after planting it. Wait for about a couple days to a week and then add supplements. If you’re not using a nutrient-rich substrate, I recommend putting supplements before planting but make sure that your aquarium doesn’t get any light because excess nutrients + light = algae😅
3.) Yup, try to put the sand in a plastic bag and lower it slowly so that you won’t disturb it and make your water cloudy.
Hope this helped!!
@@jhasztinelizes1464 thank you bro. By any chance do you have a social media where I can ask questions aboutntanks
Can't you do this with a dry start too?
Dry start also cycles the soils, because bacteria settles and plants Start to uptake nutrients
@@JurijsJutjajevs so after dry start, you don't need to do frequently water changes? For example, if you do 6 weeks dry start, than fill up a tank with water, it is not necessary to do 2-3 times water change in first week?
Is it possible to do that if the tank is already planted and it had a month dry start period already? Thanks.
plants will die with no light. You either do the dry start or the dark start
@@JurijsJutjajevs thanks :)
This method should also prevent plants from melting? I'll try this out. Thanks for the tip
Yes!
Very interesting, especially as I've got an upcoming holiday and a tank I'll be scraping tomorrow. Seems like a perfect fit. You mention no algea, is that because of leaving the lights off? Since even with clear tap water you'll still get algea in a while in my experience, no plants of whatever bio materials needed. Just put it in a bottle and set it in a window somewhere, nature will take care of the rest.
Yes it’s because you keep the lights off during this period
@@JurijsJutjajevs Cool. I've setup my new scape today. Lights are off, filter is running. Added in some ceramic media from my existing tank to headstart bacteria population. Very curious to find out how this will go. My tank is in the living room. There's no direct sunlight but it will be getting some indirect light. If this method sucks I'll let you know ;) :D
I would definitely try this method with my first nano tank. Out of curiosity though, would seeding the filter with established filter media lessen the soil precycle time period? And do we throw out the water that we drained out prior to planting or do we toss it back in the tank after planting? Newbie here obviously -_-
Its simple & cool but how many weeks to need for this technic is 3 weeks enough or more weeks needed too be done & in meanwhile water change is needed or not just left the tank & filter to work?!
3-4 weeks are ideal. No water changes needed in this period. Only filter on
Hi.so for this dark start method do surrounding light plays a part in promoting some form of algae problem or maybe if I cover the tank up will it be a better n faster way to sort of cultivate the BB and minimising any form of algae issue? As my tank is in my living room so there will still be light here n there....so will it invite algae in the cycling process? =)
a little ambient light is no problem. if you have direct sunlight hitting your tank, its a different story. but yes covering up the sides will help to prevent algae growth during the dark start. I have had no algae, just some biofilm on the glass and hardscape
@@JurijsJutjajevs noted with thanks
Moin Jurijs, hast du beim Darkstart dein Aquarium auch abgehangen? Bzw. bei relativ viel Licht im Zimmer, durch Fenster, ist der Darkstart dann noch möglich ohne Abhängung? Eine weitere Frage wäre noch, müsste man es zusätzlich belüften für die Bakterien? VG
Belüften nein. Haben wir nicht gemacht. Und abdunkeln auch nicht. Direktes Sonnenlicht sollte jedoch vermieden werden. Und generell wenn das Zimmer sehr hell ist, dann ist abdunkeln tatsächlich eine gute Möglichkeit
Jurijs Jutjajevs danke dir!! Meinst du ein zusätzlicher Twinstar macht beim Darkstart noch Sinn? Oder setz ich den erst nach 4 Wochen mit den Pflanzen dazu?
You said: "Connect filter" - does it mean the filter is running, or just connected with water in it? I think second but ...
Connected and running. So the filter is primed with bacteria and the bacteria is cycling the tank
great idea, i probably will try it in my new aqua.
One question, i suppose i have to make it without lights? with light even without plants i will have algae?
Yes, no plants, no light, no fish
Algae is more likely to appear without plants actually. Once the tank is cycled it will begin to appear with only light and water.
@@JurijsJutjajevs one more thing, its better to fil up first time with RO water? or for that period it doesnt matter?
Yes but we keep the lights off and with no light - no algae 😉
I would say it doesn’t matter
What kind of background is on this tank. I love the sky blue fading into the frosted white. Who sells this background?
ADA Lightscreen, the white blue print can be inverted with blue on the bottom and white on the top
Jurijs Jutjajevs SWEET! I will have to get one of these. 👍🏼🙂
Hi Jurijs, eine Frage. Ich habe den kompletten Bodengrundaufbau von ADA. Muss ich für den Darkstart noch Flüssigbakterien in den Filter hinzufügen? Oder reichen mir die ganzen Zusätze wie Bacter 100 und Tourmaline UC?
Kannst du, musst du aber nicht. Ich würde es wahrscheinlich tun 😉
@@JurijsJutjajevs Danke dir, kannst du da Flüssigbakterien empfehlen für diese geschichte?
Hannes Köpnick microbe Lift von Arka
@@JurijsJutjajevs Würdest du alle 3 Produkte nehmen? Special Blend, Nite Out II und Aqua Pure?
may it get light or du you have to wrap it en black plastic or clothes ,so it get no light at all
No need wrap, just lights off
Just the amm from the aquasoil will start the cycle.. most ppl don't realize that.
I had this idea for long time in my mind, but in this video you gave us the proof! Smart method! I'd like to try it soon. So after the tank cycled for 3 weeks you just add the plants right? So simple.
yes, drain water to as low as possible so you can plant comfortably
@@JurijsJutjajevs Thank you for this content, I'll try this method!
Do we still need to do water changes?
afterwards I recommend weekly water changes. but this eliminates the heavy daily water changes that are common with soil substrate
Hi Jurijs, first of all thanks for all that tips, always a pleasure ! Is it possible to do a dark start followed by a DSM ? For mosses and ground cover plants especially
A dark start prior dsm is not necessary. The nitrogen cycle will complete inside wet substrate during dsm. The only benefit of doing both is when using wood to get rid of tannins
Hi Jurijs, So you guys all got your heads together and came up with this. Genius .only problem I can see is if working in say a fish room/ gallery ,there will be light spillage from the other tanks 🤔 would that be a problem? Just a thought. Great idea though.
A Little daylight shouldn’t be a problem. If you think it might be, simply wrap the tank with black film from the outside
I had a dark start today...lost my L046 Zebra in my “Cave Scaped” Tank...then another dark start with Jurijs’s biceps remind me I need to hit the gym 2020
Sorry about the L46 - you can get rid of the anger in the gym ;)
Nice Jurijs! do you think it would be a good idea to combine this Dark Start method and then begin the Lazy Dry Start method after the water has cycled?! that might be really cool!
There is no need to Prevacid the soil for the LDSMB via a dark start. One or another
Awsome!
Hi
Jurijs,
I love these tips, they really help me starting with this hobby. I currently have 2 tanks (80L and 234L) and start getting problems with "Black Algea" in my tank. Do you have any tips for me? I do weekly waterchanges and check the watervalues.. Still i get the "Black Algea" on some of my slowgrowing plants and they are al over my rocks..
be careful with iron dosing, also check trace elements. sometimes additional trace elements can come from the RO minerals powder
im dark cycling my 72 gal waterbox right now. it's good because it's also letting my big driftwood leach out tannins. the tank is cycled, now just waiting for the brown water to be done. patience is key
Nice, purigen helps with tannins
So do you think the purigen would clear the water up enough where I could plant? medium/high light/ co2. the water is really brown and the wood still leaking tannins.
Könnte man auch schon in Woche 3 bepflanzen und Licht und Co2 hinzufügen, natürlich dann auch das alte Wasser entfernen, kann es kaum erwarten. Fische würde ich weiterhin erst nach Woche 4 reinsetzen
der Aquaowner hat 4 Wochen gesagt aber ich werde es denke ich mit 3 wochen ausprobieren
Did the same unintentionally
Hello! I'm doing a darkatart atm.
When im done do you keep the water that was in the aquarium or do you get new water. I was thinking maybe you lose alot of good bacteria
Best retards Kim
Bacteria is not in the water.
...but how is the filter able to run with that low water level?
that was filmed with water drainer, the tank is filled up completely
ra ra you basically asked my question-when you mention the filter are you basically just having the filter/media sitting in the water or is it submerged and running?
@@andykerr415 the tank was filled completely with water and regular canister filter has been attached
@@JurijsJutjajevsPerfect channel and very useful info! I've recently bought a Juwel Rio 125 tank, and planning a dark start. The inner filter is fixed to the glass, and cannot remove it. At the end of the dark start, plantation may require quite long time. Cannot remove and run filter seperately. Worried to lose beneficial bacteria in the filter media as it will not run for long time due to low water level. Any recommendations?
If i want to DSM my HC cuba
Does this method needed?
plz follow me up
Your tips are awesome...
I watched all your videos,its just great..
Every question in my mind,your videos has the answer..😁🙏🏻
Im just thinking if do this method,and start DSM later..
Are the bacteria will be die after i drain the water?and have to repeat the process of populating the benefiecial bacteria?
And then if i didn't do this method and im using amazonia soil,how about the ammonia leaching after floading to prevent algae problem?
Plz help🙏🏻🙏🏻🙏🏻
Dark start means you can save money to buy even more plants 😃
haha yes its the only reason 😂