Thank you for this video. I tried this dry start method after watching your video and I must say that I have succeeded in my 30 gallon sorority tank. My Monte Carlo and dwarf baby tears have carpeted gorgeously! If I could give this video more than one thumb up I would in a heartbeat. Lol Thanks again. Looking forward to more of your educational videos. 😊👍🏼
I came here looking for tips to start my Eagle Talon (dsm) with an isc delete. This isn't what I expected to find but now I know more about fish tanks.
Your videos taught me everything I know about planted tanks, but I wana know where could I get dwarft baby tears seed to purchase. I love the whole process of growing my own carpet from scratch scratch
i screwed up and left the tank lid open for 9 hours. came home to dried out monte carlo chunks i just planted two days before that. really mature plants. had roots reaching the bottom of the pot when i when bought them. will they bounce back? how long will it take or should I just flood it?
They might grow back but it's it was planted two days before, the roots might have dried up as well since it didn't have time to grow in. I'd let it go a week and see if they bounce back.
Hi Bro! Going all out for Dry Start Method after Dark Start Method. I understand to keep bacteria cycling in my sump tabk, with my power filter on. What would be your suggestion/advice on this?
That happens often. I'd use hydrogen peroxide and put it in a spray bottle and spray it down. You can try the same with excel though I don't think it's as effective.
Very informative! Planning to do dry start i have 21 gallon long tank and will use monte carlo for carpet. It is okay to put seachem flourish tabs while doing dry start method?
It depends on the current substrate you are going to use. If it's an active substrate then don't as you might over saturate the nutrient in your tank. If it's inactive, then you need to provide some kind of ferts at the substrate level.
The Water Box - Seemed like a while back you weren't posting much. Thought you were either going through some personal stuff, or maybe a bit stressed, or maybe just a little burned out. Whatever it may have been it seems you have a new vigor and more energy focused on making videos now. It's nice to see.
Beginner here... I bought seeds online (I know it may not work out but for $2 I had to try). They are different varieties but it said they were low light... Does the lighting rules still apply when starting them? I'm asking your opinion because even though they haven't arrived I'm sure it won't have directions. Any help would be appreciated. Thank you for your videos, I've been bing watching for a week now!
haha, I think nick copied me on that one. I've done informative videos like this on my gaming channel for a while now but I think I do a lot more closer shots because of watching him.
Good tips man. Do you use a lower power lights to acclimate the par for water at all? I'm doing my first real ada start up with the "proper tools". and I wish i dry started it
No, you don't have to do that. Just make sure you will have enough light after you flood the tank is the important part. As long as you're not burning the plants you should be ok.
What do i do if the substate seems to be growing mold? Im using ada and the seed have sprouted. But about 11days into it, there seems to be a spot of greyish mold :( :( i sprayed a small bit of peroxide diluted with water, and it hasnt spread since, but if i cut out the pieces with mold, is it still unsafe for the fish? It isnt flooded yet, just humid in glass tank with saran wrap and heating pad under tank
Very educational video. Followed your tips and the result is great. However, I've being experiencing some algae problem 3 weeks after the dsm. I created a sand path with ADA la plata sand and I see some green spots along the path. I see similar green spots on my seiryu stones as well. Should I start treating the algae problem or just ignore it until I get a full carpet?
Do you need to have the water to go above the lowest part of the substrate? I read that that is too moist and can cause issues, whats your take? Love your channel!
Not all the way. You should be ok as long as you keep your tank humid so it doesn't have to be to the top of the lowest point of your substrate as long as there's water in your substrate somewhere.
I watched both guides and would be starting a DSM with a fluval roma 90. This and your original guide helped so much in how I'm going to start with mine.
I have one giant request. Can you please make a video about soil in tanks like using the DSM and what to use if you want soil in a tank. This is something I want to do and it would help out a whole lot thanks!!
I am have a low tech tank with DIY. I think my lighting is not enough. I'm planning to do a DIY LED strips with pink, blue, and white strips. Will it do good to a 2.5 gallon tank? I also don't know how to check the watt of the LED.
You can try it. Unless you have a meter you'll just be guessing. Depending on the plants your grow, it may work but if you're planting something that required high lighting, it may not work.
I’m about to start a 7” tall shallow tank and I’d love to try the DSM I was wondering since I was thinking about adding some driftwood that will go out of the water once flooded How could I possibly cover the tank during the DSM and ensure enough humidity ?
Very informative. Can this method apply to growing mini pelia or fissiden on hardscape? How about using mist fogger on timer for increasing humidity in tank? Thanks
Meeeeehhh. The fungi are killed on my tank (on DSM) but they arent really removed from the places they were attached in. Would it be safe for my clean up crews after flooding?
Hello, great video! I have a couple of questions: 1. What is Excel and why is helps to kill mold and fungus? 2. For how long do I need to apply it on the water mix? What is better Excel or hydrogen peroxide? - I am using ADA aquasoil as sustrate.
1. There's a component in excel that if used enough of can be used as a herbicide. Apparent as if you overdise too much, it'll kill all your plant. There mire to it but that a long conversation. 2. How much to dose as a herbacide? I don't know. Depends on how bad the algae outbreak is. 3. Neither, balance your tank and/or don't give it a chance to grow in the first place.
What's a good 12 inch light for a nano tank that's 10 inches deep to the substrate? I'm looking at the finnex planted+ fugeray cliplight. Will it do fine with monte carlo after flooding? It's only about 30 par at that depth.
Yes, should work great with Monte Carlo. Monte Carlo is a low to medium demanding light and 30 pars should give you low/medium. MC actually does ok in low light. Just slow and patchy. Where did you get the 30par rating from?
The Water Box whats your ratio hydrogen peroxide to RO water? I’m starting to get some white hairlike mold on some of the hairgrass I put in. I may have put too much water or misted to often
Sir this is akash from india yoir vedios are very helpful for me. I truly appreciate your work and knowledge. Kinda fan of yours. Please tell me im going to do dry start method do i need to plant all the plant at that time or only carpret plant at that time means no jungle val or no Amazon sword at that time?
akash verma to make it easy in the plants you mentioned, dry start the carpet. Put in the vals and Amazon after you flood. Amazon's can grow out of water but vals I don't think can. The Amazon will die back if you grow out of water then in water again so easier to deal with when in water. Great question. I have to do an a to q video for this.
Question, can you drain water from an already filled planted aquarium w a few plants.. lets say planted for about 2-3 weeks now but now i would like to add more plants however i wanna do that by the dry start method, can i drain the tank to do so? or will it affect my already immersed plants growth due to the transition?
Been seeing a few videos that say the temp should be above room temperature - is this true and how do you increase air temperature in a controlled way?
You mean DURING the dry start period? Having it warming inside the tank will create more condensation in the tank itself keeping it moist. Normally, the lighting that you use and covering up the tank should be more than enough to do this and has been for me. If it doesn't do that for you (I'm not sure why) or your room temp is super cold all the time, you can use heating pad used for reptiles. Just tape one of those heat pad to the side of the tank (or bottom). It doesn't have to be that large of one.
Temperature affects plant growth in and out of water. Keep it in the 72 to 78f range but for DSM, it's ok to go a little warming to keep the humidity up.
Hello, I have a tank that’s already been planted with pearl weed. I filled the tank with water the day I planted it, which was a month ago. If I were to remove all the water, would I be able to do a dry start method? And does the pearl weed have to be tissue culture or plants in bunches? Or could I dry start pearl weed if each stem is planted individually?
you can dry start pearl weed but you have to make sure to drain your tank. I am on the process of flooding my pearl weed tank. you can even just lay them horizontally on the substrate amd they will root fast
I'm trying to get rid of mould. How much excel to water ratio should I use? I leave about a inch of gap on each side , got mold and I tried to kill it with hydrogen peroxide but that failed so I'm switching to excel. And, I spray below average amount of water.
Depends on the plants you're growing. But just start with one and you can later get a second one if you need it. That's what I did with this 40g tank: ua-cam.com/video/QQji5LypDN0/v-deo.html
You should watch my full video on this method but the wrap is to help keep the moisture in. Without it, then it won't work as well or at all depending on your enviroment your tank is in. And that's assuming your house isn't humid and warm in the first place (It would be an uncomfrotable place to live if so). The full video is here: ua-cam.com/video/lHuyg0unl1c/v-deo.html
My dwarf hairgrass has browned at the tip of the blade while the dwarf baby tears are doing fine in the dry start method. What is causing the browning of the dwarf hair grass? Also i hav a 0.5cm layer of water in the base of my substrate due to overspraying. Will it cause mould fungus in week 3 or more for dry start method?
If it's int he middle of dry start (not flooded yet) it does happen. The browning happens to me all the time. I'll grow back. You should be fine with the water. I've had more myself that .5cm. For fungus, it will ususally happen anyways. Put some Hydrogen Peroxide and spray at the fungus if there are any and that'll help cull it down. Or just leave it and it usually goes away. If not, again, spray bottle with hydrogen peroxide.
@@TheWaterBox thank you! I always heard comments like 1 part h2o2 and 4 part water. But what if my h2o2 that i bought from pharmacist is already at 3 percent concentration. Do i need to dilute further by 4 parts?
@@CheeryCherios Probably not at that low of a dose. For when I dealt with it in a DSM before flood I have used higher concentration without cutting it but I made sure i sprayed only direct on the fungus/mold and not hit other plants and I didn't have any fish (since it was still in dry start) to worry about.
@@TheWaterBox ok thank you. Im using a water bottle with a air stone in it then it pumps the humid air to the tank and i also spray fertilized water once in the morning and at night
You can but I've never tried it. I wouldn't do it outside though. For example, leave it in the patio as it can introduce bugs and other outdoor elements that might not be suitable for fish.
what are your thoughts on ecocomplete some say it is inert with a high cec using the dry start method and thoughts on using ecocomplete as a possible cap for dirt?
I'm on team inert for this one. Only gives at best some micro-nutrients. Good CEC. That's about it. If you use it for DSM, dose your misting water and the water you use to dampen the soil.
hi, i just started my DSM for like 7 days. the plant grew well but i noticed there is a mold grew on the soil and plant. how to get rid of it? as the root cause is i put to much water in. show i remove the saran wrap for a few days to get rid of the moist?
Hi i loved almost all your vids and tips. i downloaded alot :) please can you reply? im having a bit trouble on what you said on other vids that i need to put some osmocote with root tabs. can you please tell me how many root tabs am i putting in my aquarium? do i need to put alot or just a little? like for example my tank is 24x12x12? thank you so much. :) plus is it good for dry start method? i am planting dwarf hair grass HC, Monte carlo and java moss. also, do i need a liquid fert? cant afford to buy that liquid fert, and what i am planing is organic soil and topped with just regular black sand. Thank you so much man. i have a DIY LED only 12 watts. can that do? i know the basics of DSM. its just i need more research. thank you for your help so i can get started ^_^
I don't know what kind of root tabs you are using. If you're making the osmocoat capsules, you just need 2 or 3 and you just need to put them under where your heavy root feeders are. Like amazon swords... etc.
Sure. We commonly use plants that's grown submersed for this process. That or in-vitro. That's not to say you can't use plants that are already grown emmersed as well (though make sure they are plant that can actually be grown aquatic)
Sweet! ;-P I'm interested in using this method for something I saw (I don't think it was you) where you take java moss and mince it up, paint the result on a rock wherever you want, and get it to attach to the rock that way so you get a moss-scattered mountain without tying artless clumps on with thread. With the dry start, it won't float away. Very intriguing. (Still on the fence about java moss itself; not sure if it's more of a nuisance, but I really liked the idea and the (initial) result was gorgeous.)
It actually was you! Sorry about that. Not so terribly long ago, but many YT videos between then and now. :-) Think it was one of the early videos of yours that I watched. I love that idea, and it was a great video - the way you lay things out make it seem not so overwhelming to someone wanting to venture a little deeper into the hobby. Thanks! (Any caveats on java moss used this way or in general? Or maybe I should scan back to see if you've addressed this and I forgot, lol.)
No caveats other than it's freaking java moss and it'll grow on everything it lays down on. Java moss is a beast. They can live through death it seems! lol
Hmm, that is a caveat. :-) I'd kind of read that, but thanks for the confirmation. Easy to grow, but maybe too easy! Suppose it could be a good thing if that's the growing habit you're after; still might give it a try. Sounds like a bit of maintenance to try and keep it nicely manicured though. Thanks again!
Just like Eco-Complete or Stratum. Need to dose your misting water and initial substrate wetting. Flourite is not nutrient charged. It's inert other than some minor nutrients.
@@leluckyband2391 For blacking out for 3 days? Should be ok. Might come out not that good but can recover quickly if you have a good environment. But if you're not sure about going that route or have confidence in doing so, then go with the chemipure.
The substrate you're using should leach into the water column. Assuming you are using something like Soil or ADA Aquasoil that will spike ammonia during flooding. Also, your substrate should have already been cycled to help kick start the cycle in your filter pretty quickly in the tank. If you find you need to completely restart the cycle (i.e. using non-active substrate) then you would cycle as a normal tank. I always use active substrate that gives off ammonia spike in the beginning of flooding so that is my cycle seeding as well as the substrate being cycled out already makes the tank fish ready in a few days to a week or two.
You just come across as so very... Trustworthy? I haven't had a fish tank for 7 years, but I've ordered a 33g tank to be delivered in January and I'm definitely feeling inspired by your videos. (Of course I'm impatient so I've already started growing my carpet plants on a wire mesh "cushion" of substrate so I can just transfer that to the tank when it's here. Because I'm really bad at following instructions directly... But consider it an "interpretation" of your video.)
@@TheWaterBox Different strokes you know?? lol - Myabe there is a different motive. My reasoning is to get a strong root/leaf system going so I dont have to fight algae (hopefully) during the first week of flood when I spike the CO2 and then dial it down. I also want to give the root bed a head-start to aerate the substrate as Ive had issue with anaerobic pockets in the past. Im planning to push to the 8th week mark with chopped Monte Carlo and a few areas of S. Repens. Ive used the same plants in traditional high tech tanks in the past so Im excited to see how differently they behaive.
Thank you for this video. I tried this dry start method after watching your video and I must say that I have succeeded in my 30 gallon sorority tank. My Monte Carlo and dwarf baby tears have carpeted gorgeously! If I could give this video more than one thumb up I would in a heartbeat. Lol Thanks again. Looking forward to more of your educational videos. 😊👍🏼
Excellent! Glad it worked!
Hope these tip adds to what you learned in the original guide!
The Dry Start Method Playlist: bit.ly/2kXud7h
Using inert (fluorite black by Seachem) and dosing liquid ferts has worked great for me so far. It's actually kind of fun watching things grow!
Hey man! I Haven't tried excel for fungus and molds. Do you put it in the sprayer also? How much? Thanks!
❤
💙 I planted yesterday and i have puddles of water,thank you for the tips i would’ve have to spend more money on plants 🌱
I use a turkey baster to removed excess water
@@eus105611 lol thats exactly what i used thank youu!💙
Appreciate the knowledge man, well delivered
I came here looking for tips to start my Eagle Talon (dsm) with an isc delete. This isn't what I expected to find but now I know more about fish tanks.
Hahah well, I hope it as entertaining! :)
Your videos taught me everything I know about planted tanks, but I wana know where could I get dwarft baby tears seed to purchase. I love the whole process of growing my own carpet from scratch scratch
I can't really tell you that. Might look on ebay or amazon.
i screwed up and left the tank lid open for 9 hours. came home to dried out monte carlo chunks i just planted two days before that. really mature plants. had roots reaching the bottom of the pot when i when bought them. will they bounce back? how long will it take or should I just flood it?
They might grow back but it's it was planted two days before, the roots might have dried up as well since it didn't have time to grow in. I'd let it go a week and see if they bounce back.
Hi Bro! Going all out for Dry Start Method after Dark Start Method. I understand to keep bacteria cycling in my sump tabk, with my power filter on. What would be your suggestion/advice on this?
My plants got mold unfortunately. What is the excel method that you were talking about?
Great channel by the way!
That happens often. I'd use hydrogen peroxide and put it in a spray bottle and spray it down. You can try the same with excel though I don't think it's as effective.
Very informative! Planning to do dry start i have 21 gallon long tank and will use monte carlo for carpet. It is okay to put seachem flourish tabs while doing dry start method?
It depends on the current substrate you are going to use. If it's an active substrate then don't as you might over saturate the nutrient in your tank. If it's inactive, then you need to provide some kind of ferts at the substrate level.
Glad to see you back and putting out interesting content again. :)
Thanks! Back from what?
The Water Box - Seemed like a while back you weren't posting much. Thought you were either going through some personal stuff, or maybe a bit stressed, or maybe just a little burned out. Whatever it may have been it seems you have a new vigor and more energy focused on making videos now. It's nice to see.
OH yeh, I came back doing it full blast in around December. I got a new job and got busy dealing with that. :) Thanks for coming back!
Beginner here... I bought seeds online (I know it may not work out but for $2 I had to try). They are different varieties but it said they were low light... Does the lighting rules still apply when starting them? I'm asking your opinion because even though they haven't arrived I'm sure it won't have directions. Any help would be appreciated. Thank you for your videos, I've been bing watching for a week now!
You would just spread the seeds across the substrate and let them grow (hopefully you go good ones). It's really that easy.
Great video you a good teacher sir.
Thanks buddy!
This is perfect the info I been looking on dry starts
Great! More detailed instruction on the original guide.
Very cool interesting video! I like your style because it reminds me of nick nimmin :)
haha, I think nick copied me on that one. I've done informative videos like this on my gaming channel for a while now but I think I do a lot more closer shots because of watching him.
Good tips man. Do you use a lower power lights to acclimate the par for water at all? I'm doing my first real ada start up with the "proper tools". and I wish i dry started it
No, you don't have to do that. Just make sure you will have enough light after you flood the tank is the important part. As long as you're not burning the plants you should be ok.
Im using aquatic plants in a terrarium including carpet plants so far so good.
What do i do if the substate seems to be growing mold? Im using ada and the seed have sprouted. But about 11days into it, there seems to be a spot of greyish mold :( :( i sprayed a small bit of peroxide diluted with water, and it hasnt spread since, but if i cut out the pieces with mold, is it still unsafe for the fish? It isnt flooded yet, just humid in glass tank with saran wrap and heating pad under tank
I usually blast it with hydrogen peroxide. I'm not sure I've ever experienced greyish mold though but that's what I would do.
Great tips! Thank you. I am an impatient person but I will try to extend it a bit lol!
You got this!
Very educational video. Followed your tips and the result is great. However, I've being experiencing some algae problem 3 weeks after the dsm. I created a sand path with ADA la plata sand and I see some green spots along the path. I see similar green spots on my seiryu stones as well. Should I start treating the algae problem or just ignore it until I get a full carpet?
If you haven't flooded yet, it should go away. You can try spraying Hydrogen Peroxide on it.
Do you need to have the water to go above the lowest part of the substrate? I read that that is too moist and can cause issues, whats your take? Love your channel!
Not all the way. You should be ok as long as you keep your tank humid so it doesn't have to be to the top of the lowest point of your substrate as long as there's water in your substrate somewhere.
Simple, awesome, and concise information!~ thank you for the tips!
Glad you enjoyed it!
I watched both guides and would be starting a DSM with a fluval roma 90. This and your original guide helped so much in how I'm going to start with mine.
Excellent! Glad it helped!
The Water Box I learned a lot in your videos so I'm going to share your channel to all groups I've joined in facebook about the hobby.
Thanks! That's always helpful!
Good job. Great advice. Keep it coming.
Thanks Eric!
I have one giant request. Can you please make a video about soil in tanks like using the DSM and what to use if you want soil in a tank. This is something I want to do and it would help out a whole lot thanks!!
That video is coming in the near future. I have a ton of other soil videos if you haven't seen them yet?
I’m trying to catch up with your videos just starting off want to learn as much as I can. I will definitely be looking forward to future videos
Awesome!
I am have a low tech tank with DIY. I think my lighting is not enough. I'm planning to do a DIY LED strips with pink, blue, and white strips. Will it do good to a 2.5 gallon tank? I also don't know how to check the watt of the LED.
You can try it. Unless you have a meter you'll just be guessing. Depending on the plants your grow, it may work but if you're planting something that required high lighting, it may not work.
Awesome Chung I think the hardest thing to learn yourself to do is patience lol.
For sure buddy!
I’m about to start a 7” tall shallow tank and I’d love to try the DSM
I was wondering since I was thinking about adding some driftwood that will go out of the water once flooded
How could I possibly cover the tank during the DSM and ensure enough humidity ?
use seran wrap and wrap around the drift wood. You just need to create enough of a cover to keep in humidity.
Great info. Will definitely check out the other video.
Great! :)
Very informative. Can this method apply to growing mini pelia or fissiden on hardscape? How about using mist fogger on timer for increasing humidity in tank? Thanks
It should. Never tried it myself for those plants. Fogger will work but I never had to use one.
Meeeeehhh. The fungi are killed on my tank (on DSM) but they arent really removed from the places they were attached in. Would it be safe for my clean up crews after flooding?
@@TheWaterBox I did. Thanks
Great!
Hello, great video! I have a couple of questions: 1. What is Excel and why is helps to kill mold and fungus? 2. For how long do I need to apply it on the water mix? What is better Excel or hydrogen peroxide? - I am using ADA aquasoil as sustrate.
1. There's a component in excel that if used enough of can be used as a herbicide. Apparent as if you overdise too much, it'll kill all your plant. There mire to it but that a long conversation. 2. How much to dose as a herbacide? I don't know. Depends on how bad the algae outbreak is. 3. Neither, balance your tank and/or don't give it a chance to grow in the first place.
What's a good 12 inch light for a nano tank that's 10 inches deep to the substrate?
I'm looking at the finnex planted+ fugeray cliplight. Will it do fine with monte carlo after flooding?
It's only about 30 par at that depth.
Yes, should work great with Monte Carlo. Monte Carlo is a low to medium demanding light and 30 pars should give you low/medium. MC actually does ok in low light. Just slow and patchy. Where did you get the 30par rating from?
Can I try this method with my driftwood already in place ? Or will it get fungus?
Yes you can, and it might get mold, no big deal, just hit it with some Hydrogen Peroxide.
The Water Box whats your ratio hydrogen peroxide to RO water? I’m starting to get some white hairlike mold on some of the hairgrass I put in. I may have put too much water or misted to often
Sir this is akash from india yoir vedios are very helpful for me. I truly appreciate your work and knowledge. Kinda fan of yours. Please tell me im going to do dry start method do i need to plant all the plant at that time or only carpret plant at that time means no jungle val or no Amazon sword at that time?
akash verma to make it easy in the plants you mentioned, dry start the carpet. Put in the vals and Amazon after you flood. Amazon's can grow out of water but vals I don't think can. The Amazon will die back if you grow out of water then in water again so easier to deal with when in water. Great question. I have to do an a to q video for this.
Sir thanks a lot and I'll very happy if you took my que in your que ans vedio 😇
Cool!
Thank you this video helped. Great video
I'm glad it helped! :) Thanks for watching.
Question, can you drain water from an already filled planted aquarium w a few plants.. lets say planted for about 2-3 weeks now but now i would like to add more plants however i wanna do that by the dry start method, can i drain the tank to do so? or will it affect my already immersed plants growth due to the transition?
It depends on the plants you have. Not all plants can be grow emersed.
The Water Box Thank you sir
Thinking of doing this in a small tank with either a betta, or a handful of some other colorful and but not territorial fish
Right on!
I have a dirted substrate combined with lava rocks thrn capped with small pebbles.. then planted monte carlo.. is this ok
Nice
Been seeing a few videos that say the temp should be above room temperature - is this true and how do you increase air temperature in a controlled way?
You mean DURING the dry start period? Having it warming inside the tank will create more condensation in the tank itself keeping it moist. Normally, the lighting that you use and covering up the tank should be more than enough to do this and has been for me. If it doesn't do that for you (I'm not sure why) or your room temp is super cold all the time, you can use heating pad used for reptiles. Just tape one of those heat pad to the side of the tank (or bottom). It doesn't have to be that large of one.
You are a great Chanel I can you your Chanel will start growing
Thanks Anthony!
Does temperature affect the growth using the DSM?
Temperature affects plant growth in and out of water. Keep it in the 72 to 78f range but for DSM, it's ok to go a little warming to keep the humidity up.
Hello, I have a tank that’s already been planted with pearl weed. I filled the tank with water the day I planted it, which was a month ago. If I were to remove all the water, would I be able to do a dry start method? And does the pearl weed have to be tissue culture or plants in bunches? Or could I dry start pearl weed if each stem is planted individually?
I don't know. I never dry started pearl weed before. You need to google it.
you can dry start pearl weed but you have to make sure to drain your tank. I am on the process of flooding my pearl weed tank. you can even just lay them horizontally on the substrate amd they will root fast
@@lanlavina Thanks for clarifying
Can the small black bugs on substrate called aphids cause browning of the leaves?
Thank you!
That I'm not sure of. Sorry
I'm trying to get rid of mould. How much excel to water ratio should I use?
I leave about a inch of gap on each side , got mold and I tried to kill it with hydrogen peroxide but that failed so I'm switching to excel. And, I spray below average amount of water.
Try half half? I've always used Hydrogen Peroxide and it worked for me.
Do u think a fluva 3.0 is enough for a 24 inch high tank
Depends on the plants you're growing. But just start with one and you can later get a second one if you need it. That's what I did with this 40g tank: ua-cam.com/video/QQji5LypDN0/v-deo.html
Do i have to wet the substrate completely till the bottom part of the aquarium?
Yes. It'll help with any air pocket build up
Very very useful thx sir 🙏🙏🙏🙏
You're welcome!
Can dsm be used for background plants?
If the plant can grow emmersed, yes.
Thanks! Really love your videos..
Thanks for watching!
If I don't cover my tank with wrap and if my tank is moist will it work ??
You should watch my full video on this method but the wrap is to help keep the moisture in. Without it, then it won't work as well or at all depending on your enviroment your tank is in. And that's assuming your house isn't humid and warm in the first place (It would be an uncomfrotable place to live if so). The full video is here: ua-cam.com/video/lHuyg0unl1c/v-deo.html
My dwarf hairgrass has browned at the tip of the blade while the dwarf baby tears are doing fine in the dry start method. What is causing the browning of the dwarf hair grass? Also i hav a 0.5cm layer of water in the base of my substrate due to overspraying. Will it cause mould fungus in week 3 or more for dry start method?
If it's int he middle of dry start (not flooded yet) it does happen. The browning happens to me all the time. I'll grow back. You should be fine with the water. I've had more myself that .5cm. For fungus, it will ususally happen anyways. Put some Hydrogen Peroxide and spray at the fungus if there are any and that'll help cull it down. Or just leave it and it usually goes away. If not, again, spray bottle with hydrogen peroxide.
@@TheWaterBox thank you! I always heard comments like 1 part h2o2 and 4 part water. But what if my h2o2 that i bought from pharmacist is already at 3 percent concentration. Do i need to dilute further by 4 parts?
@@CheeryCherios Probably not at that low of a dose. For when I dealt with it in a DSM before flood I have used higher concentration without cutting it but I made sure i sprayed only direct on the fungus/mold and not hit other plants and I didn't have any fish (since it was still in dry start) to worry about.
Can i use ada amazonia light soil for dry start method?
Yes, it can.
Im trying dsm on a tank and was wondering if i can keep the lights on for 24/7
You can. Just make sure the tank doesn't dry out and it's kept moist.
@@TheWaterBox ok thank you. Im using a water bottle with a air stone in it then it pumps the humid air to the tank and i also spray fertilized water once in the morning and at night
That works!
Will the dsm work if you are not using co2 when you flood the tank?
Kinda. It'll be harder for plants to bounce back from switching from emmersive to submissive growth.
How about worm castings as a substrate
So in the DSM plants don't need co2?
Yes but it’s in the air
You mentioned leaving the light on for 10-12 hours a day. What if I leave it on for 24 hours a day? Sorry for my silly question.
Not sure myself. Never tried it. Not sure if it'll be good for the plants or not.
Does grow faster.
hi sir. can dry start method work using direct sunlight?
You can but I've never tried it. I wouldn't do it outside though. For example, leave it in the patio as it can introduce bugs and other outdoor elements that might not be suitable for fish.
got it! thanks so much for the information. very helpful! Keep it up sir.
what are your thoughts on ecocomplete some say it is inert with a high cec using the dry start method and thoughts on using ecocomplete as a possible cap for dirt?
I'm on team inert for this one. Only gives at best some micro-nutrients. Good CEC. That's about it. If you use it for DSM, dose your misting water and the water you use to dampen the soil.
The Water Box Dose the misting water with what exactly? Seachem Flourish?
hi, i just started my DSM for like 7 days. the plant grew well but i noticed there is a mold grew on the soil and plant. how to get rid of it? as the root cause is i put to much water in. show i remove the saran wrap for a few days to get rid of the moist?
If it looks to be getting out of hand, hit it with hydrogen peroxide. That'll kill it.
Already bought excel, how to use it? Just spray all over the tank? How about the ratio? 😅
Excel isn't Hydroden Peroxide but you can try it. Might work. I'd just hit it straight on. Just don't over do it.
@@TheWaterBox ok thank you 🙏🏻. I’ll try and update later 👍👍👍
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Hi i loved almost all your vids and tips. i downloaded alot :) please can you reply? im having a bit trouble on what you said on other vids that i need to put some osmocote with root tabs. can you please tell me how many root tabs am i putting in my aquarium? do i need to put alot or just a little? like for example my tank is 24x12x12? thank you so much. :) plus is it good for dry start method? i am planting dwarf hair grass HC, Monte carlo and java moss. also, do i need a liquid fert? cant afford to buy that liquid fert, and what i am planing is organic soil and topped with just regular black sand. Thank you so much man. i have a DIY LED only 12 watts. can that do? i know the basics of DSM. its just i need more research. thank you for your help so i can get started ^_^
I don't know what kind of root tabs you are using. If you're making the osmocoat capsules, you just need 2 or 3 and you just need to put them under where your heavy root feeders are. Like amazon swords... etc.
Thank you so much man, It helped me alot
ton lim I'm glad it helped!
How many time to spray once a day?
I just do it once a day
If the MC is already in submerse before, can it be use in DSM
Sure. We commonly use plants that's grown submersed for this process. That or in-vitro. That's not to say you can't use plants that are already grown emmersed as well (though make sure they are plant that can actually be grown aquatic)
@@TheWaterBox thanks, gonna start DSM right away
@@shortyleatherworks5693 good luck!
Sweet! ;-P
I'm interested in using this method for something I saw (I don't think it was you) where you take java moss and mince it up, paint the result on a rock wherever you want, and get it to attach to the rock that way so you get a moss-scattered mountain without tying artless clumps on with thread. With the dry start, it won't float away. Very intriguing. (Still on the fence about java moss itself; not sure if it's more of a nuisance, but I really liked the idea and the (initial) result was gorgeous.)
I did mince my java moss and put it on rocks in my Dry Start Method guide. Is that the video you saw? ua-cam.com/video/lHuyg0unl1c/v-deo.html
It actually was you! Sorry about that. Not so terribly long ago, but many YT videos between then and now. :-) Think it was one of the early videos of yours that I watched. I love that idea, and it was a great video - the way you lay things out make it seem not so overwhelming to someone wanting to venture a little deeper into the hobby. Thanks! (Any caveats on java moss used this way or in general? Or maybe I should scan back to see if you've addressed this and I forgot, lol.)
No caveats other than it's freaking java moss and it'll grow on everything it lays down on. Java moss is a beast. They can live through death it seems! lol
Hmm, that is a caveat. :-) I'd kind of read that, but thanks for the confirmation. Easy to grow, but maybe too easy! Suppose it could be a good thing if that's the growing habit you're after; still might give it a try. Sounds like a bit of maintenance to try and keep it nicely manicured though. Thanks again!
It's not that hard. Just make sure to clean up the trimmings. It does grow slow so it's controllable unless you don't... you know... control it.
Great video! What about seachem flourite as substrate for DSM?
Just like Eco-Complete or Stratum. Need to dose your misting water and initial substrate wetting. Flourite is not nutrient charged. It's inert other than some minor nutrients.
@@TheWaterBox Thanks for the reply!
Np!
@@TheWaterBox what is the best product to dose with?
@@themichaelmartinify I'd use an all in one product. Like Aquarium Co-Op Easy Green
Great info
Thanks buddy
can i use co2 tablet in DSM?? will it work??
Probably not that well but it really depends on what you're trying to grow.
Unfortunately... I have BGA in my tank... How do i get rid of it? My dsm is around 5 week old..
Ug, I hate BGA. I usually black out the tank or use a product called chemiClean
@@TheWaterBox and will it greatly affect my mc?
@@leluckyband2391 For blacking out for 3 days? Should be ok. Might come out not that good but can recover quickly if you have a good environment. But if you're not sure about going that route or have confidence in doing so, then go with the chemipure.
@@TheWaterBox sure.. Maybe i will go for the chem one.. Will wait for week 6.. Thank you..
Plant enough in the first place and grow submerged. 3 - 4 weeks in a hight tech tank will give you a good carpet
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How would I get ammonia in the dry start method, after filling the with no fish?
The substrate you're using should leach into the water column. Assuming you are using something like Soil or ADA Aquasoil that will spike ammonia during flooding. Also, your substrate should have already been cycled to help kick start the cycle in your filter pretty quickly in the tank. If you find you need to completely restart the cycle (i.e. using non-active substrate) then you would cycle as a normal tank. I always use active substrate that gives off ammonia spike in the beginning of flooding so that is my cycle seeding as well as the substrate being cycled out already makes the tank fish ready in a few days to a week or two.
@@TheWaterBox thank you so much!
np!
You just come across as so very... Trustworthy?
I haven't had a fish tank for 7 years, but I've ordered a 33g tank to be delivered in January and I'm definitely feeling inspired by your videos. (Of course I'm impatient so I've already started growing my carpet plants on a wire mesh "cushion" of substrate so I can just transfer that to the tank when it's here. Because I'm really bad at following instructions directly... But consider it an "interpretation" of your video.)
Sounds like a solid plan.
Not happy about tip 11. It's oh to true. That is why I haven't used it. Might be trying it though. Thank you for all the information..
Ya never know, might work!
I should have done the dsm...damn HC keeps floating up on me.
Next time my friend!
Okay but what to do if I have mold?
You can want for it to just go away or blast it with some Hydrogen Peroxide in a spray bottle.
i need the last tip.
PATIENCE
PATIENCE
PATIENCE
i need a lot of that
Don't we all! Lol
Mine took literally a week before flood.
Nice!
Doesnt that kind of defeat the purpose of the 6-8 week root bed growth??
@@C.Double. No clue, maybe he just wanted to flood early and do the rest of the growth underwater?
@@TheWaterBox Different strokes you know?? lol - Myabe there is a different motive. My reasoning is to get a strong root/leaf system going so I dont have to fight algae (hopefully) during the first week of flood when I spike the CO2 and then dial it down. I also want to give the root bed a head-start to aerate the substrate as Ive had issue with anaerobic pockets in the past. Im planning to push to the 8th week mark with chopped Monte Carlo and a few areas of S. Repens. Ive used the same plants in traditional high tech tanks in the past so Im excited to see how differently they behaive.
I watched all ur videos am trying to grow plants but still dont have no idea huhh
Have no idea on what? On how to actually get started? Did you watch the beginners guide to plant tanks video?
Running into some mold so im leaving it uncovered for a day
You can also blast the mold with Hydrogen Peroxide.
@@TheWaterBox did that too. Ive filled the tank now and things are growing lovely
Yay! Glad to hear it!
What kind of plant can be use in dry start method ?
A lot. Your best bet is to Google plants that can be grow emersed. You'll find tons of lists