My emersed updated 8-27

[fish_4_all]

Well, here is my first true attempt at an emersed setup for aquatic plants.
The pictures explains the substrates. I plan to remove the perlite as all it has done is grow algae.

The rockwool and the peat pots with the Profile Aquatic plant soil are doing the best so far. I have 2 20 watt equivelant screw in fluorescents and 1 20 watts NO fluorescent lighting the setup. It provides plenty of light and enough heat to evaporate the water enough that it needs to be filled twice a week. I dose micros as 1 tbsp CSB+M solution (1 tsp in 100 ml water) in 500ml of water and tank water when I do a water change. So far so good.

As of today, the HC was starting to grab some of the rockwool and the Profile so that seems to be the best 2 options yet. The stuff in the peat pot with the profile seems to be doing better although the reason isn't certain except maybe a little higher out of the water. The rosetta swords are wilting and withering but I expected this going from submerged to emersed. The roots of the swords are doing really well and growing faster than they ever did in my aquariums. I expect new leaves to sart forming soon.

Any comments please throw them out there. Ultimately I want to learn to grow plants emersed, in a tank without fish and in a tank with fish so I can setup something that should be really awesome. But that could be a couple years down the road at the rate I learn.

 

[jcarlilesiu]

I know nothing of emersed growth, but this idea looks fantastic.

I did however get a compacta sword which was being sold as an amazon, and with-in a few months of getting it into the tank, it was back small.

Are you planning on selling these?

 

[fish_4_all]

If I get it grow well enough I will trade for a lot of other plants. If the interest isn't there, I may sell to my LFS or at least try to get store credit so I can get some other stuff. If I can get this to work with these two, I plan to do Sunset Hygro so I can ship seeds to those who want them instead of live plants. That and anything else I can get to go to produce seeds inculding crypts and swords. If it works, the possibilties are endless, the key thing is it has to work first.

Well the perlite isn't going anywhere because the HC has grabbed ahold of it and is actually putting out roots. Maybe it will outcompete the algae and grow over it. Who knows but as along as I don't have the algae growing higher than the leaves I guess it should survive.

 

[fish_4_all]

My emersed Updated 8-27

Here are the latest pictures of my emersed setup. The HC has actually grown quite a bit all be it, slowly. I think I need to get my light closer or make it brighter but I am happy with it for now. As for the rosetta swords and R. rotundafolia, nothing in the way of excitement yet but the roots are strong and the plants seem to be trying to put out new shoots.

The perlite grew algae so it had to come out, was getting really nasty. The rockwool started to get some really odd colored algae so it came out also. The peat pots were desintigrating and had to come out before they couldn't be removed.

Some keys I have found. Keep the water line high enough that it either covers the substrate or is just below it. A saturated look is what you want, not a wet sloppy look. The Profile aquatic soil keep plenty of moisture so you don't have to worry about any of them drying out. Other substrates could be different. For now I really like the profile.

Dosing is 500 ml tank water after macro dose and 500 ml tank water with 1/4 tsp CSM+B mixed 1 tsp in 100ml water. No deficiencies showing yet.

 

[czcz]

Sweet you're getting growth. Keep the updates coming

 

[fish_4_all]

Only other change is the fact I am now using the bubble lid to keep moisture during part of the day to help the swords some. Once they get going, I won't be able to use but by then it should be a green monster. If it makes a difference, I will keep using it, if not then I will take it off. Have seen it can cause algae to grow faster so we will see.

 

[travis simonson]

Nice work man! I'm thinking of trying emersed growth this fall so I will be watching and learning

 

[Alshain]

I will be looking for HC soon but I don't have a lot to trade atm. Anyway, this looks like a really neat project. Keep us updated, I'm very interested.

 

[fish_4_all]

Well let's hope it grows a little faster. I am going to put some in some Miracle Grow soil to see if it grows faster. This is why I am growing it this way. I can't grow it in my tanks. I thik the growth rate will increase when the Profile soil gets saturated with nutrients. If you try it, I would recommend soaking it in a nutrient rich solution of everything but PO4 before starting it.

When I can afford to do so I will be getting fluorite and onyx sand and mixing the 3 for the best of all worlds, hopefully. Maybe even mix with soil but we will see how the soil attempt goes first.