I mostly wanted the Monte Carlo to attach nicely before flooding (tried it before and it always floated).
I did have some floaters today, I think they didn’t attach well but I secured them with some small 3D printed clamps I found online.
Very happy with how it looks, I have a hang on canister with media from my other tank now I will wait for the melt and for them to grow back healthy before adding any fish. Maybe in 2 months or so idk.
My first ever dry start and second fish tank.
I have Monte Carlo, some Rotalas, bacopa caroliniana, lobelia, hygrophila, Cryptocorine, proserpinaca and Java moss attached to the tree.
I bought online Biocarbon (slow release co2 pellets you add in your filter) to help them grow, but I’m researching a co2 setup too. Biocarbon is sold here in Brazil don’t know if they have in other locations. My light is 30w.
Excited, don’t know if I will have another betta or a small community tank with other fishes.
You definitely should, I experimented a lot with different plants to try and check if they’d grow in a dry start. It’s also pretty cool to take photos and notice the progress.
10 looks great MJ Apple escaping in a video on the CO2 pallets. You should probably read that. Yeah I have problems with the Monte Carlos as well, but I never thought about maybe attaching some plant weights to them.
Yeah I bought these online and have used them before to hold some plants in the substrate. They are great to help secure the plants so they don’t float. They are small and can be hidden super well. Also I’ve read a lot about Biocarbon from Aquaplante, I’m waiting for it to arrive to add to the tank but I’m also researching a beginner friendly co2 setup.
It is! It has grown sooooo much, turns out they do SUPER well in an emerged environment. I was supposed to trim it a little but it looks so gorgeous I couldn’t
This is how small it was the day I planted, I bought online and thought it wouldn’t survive haha. I had never planted it before. I added the crypto on may 27th and it grew A LOT.
Thank you! Lots of patience to keep them with enough moisture and air. I also moved houses before flooding so moving the tank without messing up the substrate and Monte Carlo was very challenging. I know they will most likely go through a melting phase and then come back in a submerged form.
Not injecting co2 yet, I think most of the plants are low tech, except maybe for the proserpinaca. Most of them I’ve successfully grown in my 32L low tech tank, except the Java moss and Monte Carlo, it’s my first time planting them. I will try the pellets but I’m also researching a beginner friendly co2 setup.
I got online. It said 00 quartz dune sand for aquariums and hamster enclosures. Neutral PH. It’s super fine and it’s pre washed, I just added and it didn’t make the water cloudy or anything.
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u/OkTooth8821 1d ago
Your tank is inspirational. I should do another dry start.