# Tattooedfools emersed setups



## Tattooedfool83

This is my 10 gallon has a standard 48" t12 over it, various clippings from my submerged tanks.







my micro sword Tupperware. Almost a full carpeted mass


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## Tattooedfool83

I wanna start gathering Anubias and crypts so I'm starting this new tub. 
Single 23w cfl 6500k. I'm thinking to much light so I might do the old screen diffuser trick. 
I'm planning on 3" mesh pots which will be here Thursday I already have the coco tek liners for those and I'm gonna use miracle gro organic. Currently I have a couple pitchers of water in there with the light on to see what kind of heat and condensation I can produce.


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## WallaceGrover

That does look like a lot of light, but I'm not sure if you would need to limit it for emersed. I was reading a thread on another forum and they were dry-starting their 12 gallon Mr. Aqua with something like 2x finnex LEDs, a ridiculous amount (although it was mainly eleocharis)...


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## Tattooedfool83

I saw a very sad pot of hc AT my local chain pet store yesterday. I would never buy plants from them but I might buy some to try this set up and light out and see how it goes. I left the light on for around an hr and when I pulled the lid off the inside was warm. But there is a couple holes I need to plug in the tub where it had clasping handles on it before. Hoping that leaving it on all day tomorrow will give me a lot of humidity


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## Cavan Allen

WallaceGrover said:


> That does look like a lot of light, but I'm not sure if you would need to limit it for emersed.


No, you don't. No matter how much light you add, it won't be like the sun. No need to hold back unless you want to limit growth, perhaps.


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## Tattooedfool83

Ok awesome. More light and no worries of algae now. So perfect


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## kingjombeejoe

Looking good. I might have to give this a shot one day. I'm running out of space for plants d I ways want more.


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## Tattooedfool83

That's what interested me. And it's very low maintenance so once its all set up I can almost forget about it 


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## asukawashere

Tattooedfool83 said:


> That's what interested me. And it's very low maintenance so once its all set up I can almost forget about it


You can more or less forget about it for awhile, but eventually the plants will grow big enough to deplete the soil of nutrients, so you'll have to either repot or start fertilizing. That, and if you forget it for too long, you eventually end up with an overgrown jungle LOL. Some fast-growing species just _love_ to raid all the nearby pots and establish themselves everywhere.

Anyway, you have a great setup going there Tattooedfool, and we all look forward to seeing the progress as it grows!


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## Tattooedfool83

I'm planning crypts an Anubias. So not to worry about fast growing to much for awhile. And I'll be repotting as they go. Either to bigger pots or splitting them to other pots b


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## Zelth

What susbtrate does is in the dwarf sword tupper?


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## Tattooedfool83

It's a mix of potting soil and too soil.


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## Tattooedfool83

So a member from another forum hooked me up with a bunch of crypts a couple weeks back and I added an additional plastic tub







it's 80 degrees in there and almost 90% humidity





















my 10 gallon emersed


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## Tattooedfool83

the guy hooked me up and labeled it all for me


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## Tattooedfool83

Upgraded a bit











































I plan to combine this all into a 55 gallon tank with a smaller power head circulating water. I'm getting great growth out of everything


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## asukawashere

Lookin' great! Isn't it impressive how fast things grow in emersed form? It looks like you're already seeing some spillover from the Hydrocotyle tripartita... keep an eye on that one, it'll start taking over the other pots if it gets the chance.


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## Cavan Allen

Once things are adapted, humidity that high can actually be counterproductive and lead to fungus. Just so you know. But yes, looking good.


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## Tattooedfool83

I've read that java moss has a sort of anti fungal property to it nap everything has java moss on the dirt. We will see. Thanks guys!!


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## Tattooedfool83

Upgrade


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## ts168

Hi Tattooedfool83, great setup. what is the temperature there? I guess it cold there.


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## Tattooedfool83

Te mornings have been a little chilly but by mid day it's in the 80s


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## Tattooedfool83




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## Tattooedfool83

Flowering


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## saddletramp

In my set ups, I apply diluted liquid ferts to the pots approx. every two weeks, The Crypts seem to be OK as there is always something blooming. I guess that means all is OK.


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## Tattooedfool83

saddletramp said:


> In my set ups, I apply diluted liquid ferts to the pots approx. every two weeks, The Crypts seem to be OK as there is always something blooming. I guess that means all is OK.


What are your crypts planted in? As far as media?


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## lonesomeshark

Amazing and healthy growth! Are you keeping it covered 24/7?


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## Tattooedfool83

lonesomeshark said:


> Amazing and healthy growth! Are you keeping it covered 24/7?


Yes I am, but it's not completely air tight, keeps the humidity at a constant 85%


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## Tattooedfool83

Did a big trim on Sunday, enough to fill up a 20long








Wait for these to root and take off then add different plants


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## saddletramp

As far as substrate is concerned, that is determined by what photos and written info is available on the internet for each specie/locale. The initial research is very time consuming, as you surely know.
It is best, however, for me, to finally place a plant in a substrate category to keep things simple.

So, you can end up with, say, a blackwater category, a slightly acidic category and a slightly alkaline category.. This keeps it simple. You can go as crazy as you want with this. It is up to you. It is a real learning experience - lots of rewards and sometimes heartache!! But, that is how one learns, by constantly evaluating your results and further refining them.

It seems that the better you can tailor your conditions to those most favorable to a specific plant, the better the result.

Be sure to record EVERYTHING , then study and learn from what you record!!

it is good to trial different ingredients on cheap or extra plants first. Standbys such as: Miracle Gro Organic Choice Garden Soil, earthworm castings, powdered red potter's clay, sand, limestone chips, oak leafmold and the like are on here. Just keep trying different things and keep the plant's conditions in nature in mind as you test things.

Another key is to repot before plants get too overcrowded. 

Be observant. This is a great time to study the root system and evaluate it. Do they fill out the substrate? Are the roots fine and sort of fibrous or thick and heavy? Have they really shown an affinity for a pocket of clay you put over in one corner or have they avoided it? Do they favor an area with more oak leafmold? 

Repotting is a good time to try other substrate options on surplus plants.

I do not give specific ingredients and ratios here as those can vary with your specific conditions. But the above list will fill the bill for most collections. You can use things not listed above, like iron filings, steel wool and the list goes on.

Sorry for rambling on, but it is early and quiet - a good time for contemplation, sorry!
Bill


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## denske

Great info Bill, that's one thing I really need to start doing is recording everything, and keeping track of exactly what substrates are in which pots.


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