Can anyone figure this out ???

[bigbrownie94]

Hey guys! I'm back again ... sorry for all the questions lately, I just really want to make sure I am doing the right thing! Anyways, I've had my emmersed grown aquarium setup for about 2 weeks and 5 days. In that time my alternanthera reneckii mini has been growing like crazy! But my Monte Carlo and especially my eleocharis sp mini haven't budged... I can't seem to figure it out! I have 3 23 watt 6500k cfl bulbs on for 8 hours a day (advised from 12 hours at the beginning to lower, now 8) and I dose ferts about twice a week. The soil is amazonia powder and the humidity is always above 60. I was lead to believe the reneckii mini was the most difficult to grow, but so far it's the easiest. Also the leafs on the monte appear that they are turning black and dying.. I recently bought flourish potassium and dosed that about 2 days ago.I am really hoping for some feedback, I hope I'm not too late ! Thanks everyone !

 

[bullyboy]

What water are you using?
Are there no animals in it yet?

Im trying to do a 10g just plant set up now and my plants started dying reguardless of fertilizer and Co2.
I realized they were used to higher Nitrates and so i used some tank water from my 20g and things are greening up

 

[bigbrownie94]

No, it's a dsm so no water , liquid ferts in the water I mist !

 

[anna11]

So what water are you using? I hope the liquid I see in the substrate isn't just liquid fertilizer? Since you say no water im confused.

 

[bigbrownie94]

Technically there is no water ... it's a dry start method. However the little water you see is conditioned tap water that has some ferts in it . I mist the plants but some of the water pooled in the centre . It's being syphoned today

 

[coralbandit]

No plastic wrap to hold humidity higher?
I am no plant expert but that may be what is up with the MC?
Fresh would know better?

 

[bigbrownie94]

There's a sheet of acrylic on top . Humidity always reads higher than 70.

 

[bullyboy]

Ohhh.... what is yer light source
As in what type of light, if its Halide than you may be burning them

You got a close up shot of the plants in question?

 

[bigbrownie94]

There cfl( compact fluorescent) on for 8 hours

 

[bigbrownie94]

I'll upload one sec

 

[bullyboy]

Hmmmm
Could we get a pic if the Monte?

Also i wonder why the Reneckii are doing so well.
There must be a peramiter that they require and the others dont...if that is in abundance than its possible that its stunting or harming the other plants.

 

[bigbrownie94]

Hopefully you can see !

 

[bigbrownie94]

From what I've read the reneckii is the hardest to grow... also the monte and reneckii were bought as a 2in1 combo pack... so they should be growing the same . It's strange , at first I thought it was lighting being too minimal but renickii needs good light to grow and mine are growing rapidly !

 

[bullyboy]

Well it makes me wonder if theres some fertilizer or soil element that one likes and the other doesnt.
Or dosing method, are you spraying liquid ferts on the plants when you mist?

 

[bigbrownie94]

I dose seachem flourish , excel, potassium and condition with prime . I've cut down how much I mist . It's only about 1-2 times a week now !

 

[bigbrownie94]

Sorry, the water mix that I spray contains the liquid ferts .

 

[bullyboy]

Ya i wonder if thats the case, many plants dont like ferts on their leaves when doing a dry start beacause it creates a film of deposits... also many plants dont do Execl very well either.

It may be worth looking into Ozmocote diy tabs or some under substrate tabs.

Which i actually prefer because the plant's roots will seek them out and it encourages root growth and thus stabilizing both the substrate as well as the plants abilities to pull additional nutrients for its conversion to being submersible (less wilt, and walk out, etc)

 

[Bert2oo1]

I'm pretty sure there is no need for ferts or carbon when dry starting because of the nutrient rich substrate had everything they need for the first month or so. I'd only start the ferts when u fill it

 

[bigbrownie94]

I think maybe I've been overdosing ferts! Maybe it caused burnout , I'll just mist water from now on!

 

[Bert2oo1]

I think maybe I've been overdosing ferts! Maybe it caused burnout , I'll just mist water from now on!

I read up a lot about dry start yesterday as I'm about to dry start a nano, stop the ferts and just go water. Substrate wants to be constantly moist but not sitting in water. The substrate will create all the nutrients u need and the roots bedding into the substrate will spread o2 into the substrate to further the nutrient creation

Hope all goes well, I'll be following along with your progress