# My emersed setup



## Freemann (Mar 19, 2004)

Here is my year old emersed setup.
Setup stays in balcony with no artificial light from late spring till late autumn and is kept inhouse for the rest of the time.
I use for all the plants a formulation of soil that includes worm castings, laterite, peat, forest soil, old manure, vermiculite.

















Whole views









Lobelia dwarf









Unknow Crypt 1









Unknow Crypt 2 - Hemianthemoides









Unknow Crypt 3 - Cardamile









Cryptocoryne Spiralis









Cryptocoryne Unknown again









Cryptocoryne Walkeri









Cryptocoryne Wendtii Green









Cryptocoryne Wendtii Myoya









Cryptocoryne Wendtii 'Tropica'









Samolus-valerandi

















Misting system through a 20 euro ultrasonic mister from baby shop works through timer 3Xdaily like a dream for a year now









Other Tanks small on lower selves (2 T5 Osram HO lamps under stainless reflector









Eleocharis Accicularis Tank









HC Tank 1








Glosso tank

Can you maybe help me identify the unknown Crypts.
Why don't they flower (I really want to see a crypt flower)? 
It is thanks to Xema that I have some of this Crypts and I thank him dearly 
Freemann


----------



## Xema (Mar 24, 2004)

Really nice!! It´s quite similar to my set up... a lot of electric threads on the floor.
I am start to built some news terrarium with this porpouse (similar that you show in the first picture).


unknow crypt 1, looks like C. x willissi
unknow crypt 2 looks like C. wendtii
unknow crypt 3, looks a bit as wendtii but resembles a bit to pygmaea too.

Nice job!


----------



## Freemann (Mar 19, 2004)

Thanks Xema
I will include each one of the unknowns in the package so you can verify the crypts yourself.
What of the "unknown Crypt again" photo that is another one aswell
Also why this things don't flower? I expected them out in the sunshine this summer to flower but they didn't could it be that there are emersed partially in water (their roots I mean) can it be that their soil must drier to flower or what?
Thanks again
freemann


----------



## Skelley (Mar 4, 2006)

My god, I am so jealous. Do you use the plants for your own pleasure or do you sell also?


----------



## Freemann (Mar 19, 2004)

Well basically it all started from the need to stock grasses I always need some and why pay for this easiest thing to grow (it is really difficult to get what you want when you want in Greece as well). And you know how it is with this things they expand. I just do it for the fun of it no money or anything. There is basically nothing to it at least the way I do it, they just grow on their own, I am just around with minor to minimal care, some misting in the grass tanks and some replesishment of RO water in the mister of the big one. Big Tank has been more dense before the summer, care should be given, to give minimal direct sun to the tank cause an enclose area can suffer badly from dryness in very hot weather. Apart of that it is nothing to it just plant and they grow.


----------



## vaggulas (Nov 7, 2006)

AMAZING
NICE
my emersed setup is nothing from yors nice healthy PLANTS
i love your h.c you know .....


----------



## Freemann (Mar 19, 2004)

Thanks vaggulas
Well you know HC is very easy to grow and really nice emersed plant.


----------



## fish_4_all (Jun 3, 2006)

Very nice emersed setup. I have been trying to get HC to grow like that for months. I knew it needed nutrient rich substrate so I think that will be my next attemp is something like you are using. Can you give me anymore information on the amounts you used? I really want to grow HC and I will be getting a 5 gallon for it for more room and hopefully a more humid setup. I will also try to find one of those misters as it looks like exactly what I have been trying to find, never thought about looking in the baby section. DOOH. 

Any specific information would be greatly appreciated.


----------



## Freemann (Mar 19, 2004)

fish_4_all
Well there is nothing into growing HC, it needs no ultrasonic misters or anything just a small tank with a lid (no holes in it). I have used normal poting soil with a bit of in it with exactly the same results, this soil combination I did for fun and mainly for the crypts. Just keep the soil with a thin film of water on top 0.5 - 1mm I would say just to make sure soil is saturated. Plant very small bunches of it in as many places on the soil as possible this will help it to spread fast. Mist evey 3-4 days in hot summer outside conditions much less in winter indoors (sometime I go with no watering for 2 weeks). During summer keep outside in shaded place with maybe a bit of afternoon sun. In winter take in house otherwise when it gets cold it will flower and die, put under bright light. Under this conditions it grows like mad. Lots of light it will keep low, less light grows upright. One small detail when first adding soil, water well then leave for 2 days to get the soil fully soaked then add a bit more water and plant.


----------



## fish_4_all (Jun 3, 2006)

Well I have tried keeping water that high and it always gets mold/algae and rots. That is wher eI have lost a majority of it. The best luck I have had so far is the one I just looked at in my bedroom. I took the same soil that was moist like you said and drained the water so the soil was damp but no standing water on top. It has started to really show some nice signs of growth but tis has been the case so many other times that I am expecting this one to do the same thing. I guess it would help to have a 5 gallon tank or a 2.5 because I have it in a shallow dish so the humidity probably isn't that high and it isn't sealed very well. 

Will have to try a couple other things to see what works and I also need to seperate the clusters like you said and disperse it as much as possible.

What plants do you have the mister for?


----------



## Freemann (Mar 19, 2004)

The tank must be "tightly" sealed, HC needs humidity. Drain the water initialy don't leave the 1 mm above the soil after sometime there will be a crust on top of the soil and the HC will be already growing then you can add the 1mm with np at all. Trust me it grows wild.


----------



## fish_4_all (Jun 3, 2006)

Will do and thank you. I will post my progress assuming I get any. I am getting some clear vinyl to completely seal the top so there is a lot more humidity, hopefully that will be the trick that I need. 

Thanks again.


----------



## Costanza (Feb 1, 2006)

awesome set up you have rayer:


----------



## Freemann (Mar 19, 2004)

Costanza
Thank you very much
There is nothing really into it, just some time to set it up then hope for the best.
But still crypts don't flower for me .


----------



## fish newb (May 10, 2006)

I have a question on dwarf hair grass and HC tanks... How deep is the substrate and if you where to do the substrate over would you change anything? I just got a free tank that was once a terrarium and it can only take like 3-4 inches of water and as soon as I saw it I thought of your set up and decided I wanted to try and do that! The tank is around 3feet long by 1foot deep and about 10-12 inches tall. 

Do you think if I put a glass divider in the middle I could make it half HG half HC?

Really Really nice setup!

-Andrew


----------



## Freemann (Mar 19, 2004)

The substrate for HG, HC needs to be just an inch deep this wiil sufice (potting soil will be fine) just make sure it is wet enough but not mud when you plant small clumbs of you plants all around and of course a divider will do the job fine, a cover must be provided to keep the humidity in and some source of light must be above the tank. Be prepared to grow tons of HG, HC. I am currently growing Japanese hairgrass here aswell with very nice results.
Freemann


----------



## fish newb (May 10, 2006)

Freemann said:


> The substrate for HG, HC needs to be just an inch deep this wiil sufice (potting soil will be fine) just make sure it is wet enogh but not mud when you plant small clumbs of you plants all around and of course a divider will do the job fine, a cover must be provided to keep the humidity in and some source of light must be above the tank. Be prepared to grow tons of HG, HC. I am currently growing Japanese hairgrass here aswell with very nice results.
> Freemann


Thanks for the advice it sounds like this should be a nice easy tank, really low maintenance! What's the Japanese HG?

Thanks!
-Andrew


----------



## Freemann (Mar 19, 2004)

Look here:
Japanese Hairgrass


----------



## Freemann (Mar 19, 2004)

At last C. wendtii "green" flowered for me after almost a year.








Soil used no additional ferts were added through water.


----------

