# First Time Emersed HC



## p3md (May 23, 2008)

Journal of my Nano HC, Emersed Growth
"Uber" Simple Aquascape

Tank Specs:
16x10x10 Inch
2pcs 23watt CFL's DIY Hood with Cooling Fan (upgrading to 4pcs)
Black Volcanic Sand
PPS Fertilization

Planned Fauna:
Otos
RCS

Pictures:
Day 0









Week 1









Week 4


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## LordSul (Mar 17, 2006)

Wow, great pictures.
I would live to hear some tips on you emese HC technique, please :clap2:


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## p3md (May 23, 2008)

Thanks *LordSul* 

No special technique really.

-I just planted the HC as individual "plantlets" using small tongs on a 45 degree angle.
-Photo Period is 10 hrs.
-Fertz is PPS-Pro at 5ml Macro and 2.5ml Micro, weekly, mixed with around 20ml or so tank water from my 55g. (I plan to increase fertz dosage to double the amount though.)
-I don't let my substrate get too wet specially on the bottom slope.
-The top of the tank is covered with a glass lid but I leave a 5mm gap between the back wall of the tank and the lid for air circulation.

I think that's about it


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## LordSul (Mar 17, 2006)

You make it sound really easy!.. Im interested to see what happens to this tank 

Any ideas what would happen if you gave CO2 in daytime?


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## niko (Jan 28, 2004)

LordSul,

I've tried pumping a few bubbles of CO2 under the lid of an emersed HC setup. I basically put the end of the CO2 tubing in some water in the substrate and counted the bubbles. Well, 10 bubbles killed all the HC very efficiently. I must have done something wrong because my setup was not airtight or anything and I don't see how so little CO2 can wipe off all of my HC.

Basically you need to be very careful when adding CO2 in an enclosure. But if you use Aquasoil, tons of light, and don't let the substrate develop fungus or BGA your HC will grow shockingly fast without CO2.

--Nikolay


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## p3md (May 23, 2008)

LordSul said:


> You make it sound really easy!.. Im interested to see what happens to this tank
> 
> Any ideas what would happen if you gave CO2 in daytime?


IME, it is! 
If you are having a hard time growing HC submersed _(like I do)_, you will find emersed propagation so much easier, needless to say.

I just hope my transition from emersed to submersed _(I'll add CO2 once submersed)_ will be a smooth one.


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## p3md (May 23, 2008)

Here is Week 5 _(+1 Day)_ Taken Today:


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## Augus (Apr 4, 2008)

Very nice growth from 4th to 5th week.


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## orion2001 (Mar 20, 2008)

That looks great! From various threads I have read, it seems like HC really lends itself to the emersed growth technique. I managed to grow a nice lawn of hairgrass using the emersed technique too, although it did not spread very fast while emersed. The advantage there was that the hairgrass got well established and when I submersed the tank it spread like crazy.


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## LordSul (Mar 17, 2006)

Hey, great going there. This will look great, it already does 
About the PPS pro dosing, how do you dose the soil? You said 5ml weekly, which is less than normal PPS-pro dosing right?
Are you going to trim them down so the HC wont build up in chunks and melt itself from bottom?


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## p3md (May 23, 2008)

*Augus*, *orion2001*, *LordSul*,
Thanks a lot guys.

*LordSul*,
This tank has a DIY under gravel filter made of 1/2" PVC pipes with holes drilled in a line. Pipes are positioned so that the Holes are facing down the bottom glass. I then attach a small power head on the intake pipe (this is where I dose) which goes up above the substrate.

Kinda like this but on a smaller scale _(picture taken from a fellow hobbyist)_:









Yes, I think it's under-dosed, albeit barely since it's still in the emersed stage (less dilution).
5th week onwards, I am increasing the dosage to double what I used to.

Yup, if it gets too clumpy, I will trim it down.

HTH


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## LordSul (Mar 17, 2006)

Cool, I really like the DIY filtering system, never seen a filter like this.
This maybe a whole different subject but do you know what pros and cons this filter has?
And one more thing, water circulation, how will you manage that?


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## p3md (May 23, 2008)

This is the first time I'll be using this type of DIY filter. So , I cannot give a first hand experience commentary on it's pros and cons yet. Although, many of my fellow hobbyist achieved a lot of success using this basic design.

Water circulation is handled by the power head.


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## p3md (May 23, 2008)

*Long Overdue Update*

Long Overdue Update

Taken 23 September 2008:









Thanks for Looking.


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