Speed running setups. Settling in a planted tank fast.

[Dennis Wong]

In last couple of years I was testing aquasoil compositions (amongst other things) and wanted to grow in tanks as quickly as possible. This is the method I used which could be helpful for folks starting new tanks or for folks wanting to solve problems (principally algae as its the main thing that hits new tanks) quickly. Its an approach that can work for folks with more time on their hands and wonder if they can "massage" out results more quickly.

These are the tanks that I grew in less than 8 weeks, with the fastest being just 4 weeks. These tanks have multiple usages - product testing is one, but they are also used for images for articles, marketing etc. Mainly plant focused as I don't have much time to sit down and craft hardscape (kinda miss doing this).




Starting out:
I started all tanks with aquasoils, these are typically soils that leech a lot of ammonia - 10+ppm on the first couple of days. On the first day fill the tank, which has aquasoil but no plants, then squeeze old filter media directly into the tank. Let the filter run and circulate for 1 day. Then do 100% water change and remove excess detritus from aquasoil surface. Then I'll start planting. The only plants I would avoid planting immediately are particularly sensitive species such as Hygrophila chai, certain Erios and UG.
While more density is nice, I try to plant at least 50% of the substrate if I don't have enough of the types of plants that I want on hand. However, i propagate these quickly once the opportunity arises, to fill the substrate area quickly. I think having a portion of easier to grow species that fill out space helps to stabilize the tank rather than a tank with just 100% picky plants.

Starting parameters:
CO2 injected and calibrated to at least 30+ppm. While many species can grow at lower levels, the growth boost at higher CO2 levels bring faster results and allow plants to outgrow algae problems (that will come).
Start out with very high light 150-200 umols PAR, 7 to 8 hours light. Only strategy is to outgrow algae - so high light is used to speed up growth speeds.
Fertilize from day 1 - new plants that have no established root systems can draw from water column.
I use tap water, but I remineralize to 5 dGH. My KH is between 0 to 1.

Routine:
I do 100% water changes (or as close to) every day for the first 8 or 9 days. Then drop to twice a week for the next 2 to 3 weeks. After a month or so, I can usually drop to weekly water changes. After doing 100% water change, I'll demineralize and re-dose fertilizers.
This removes algae spores, and seems to prevent melting, exposure to air also gives plants a boost.
Siphon away detritus and dead leaves/melting growth if any. Siphon away algae if possible.
If there is present algae that looks serious, I will dose algicide before the 100% water change. As I am doing a very large water change, I can afford to dose a heavier dosage of algicide - this works for algicides that work on contact.

Cut away leaves that are badly affected by algae. Replant new growth if there is enough new growth to replace the plant. This usually only happens on week 2 or week 3. Cutting away deteriorating leaves that attracts algae is a major factor I think that newer folks ignore. Cutting them away and allowing the plant to grow new adapted leaves is a faster way to get an algae-free environment.

Melt seems to be something that spreads (hormonal signaling ? or just pathogenic microbes spreading?) so if there is melt or deteriorating leaves I'll remove them. These are the action points that are time consuming but I think makes an impact in quickening the rate that the tank settles in.

Applying the Routine to established tanks:
This is where I realize that when I face a tank that has very bad algae issues, I can do the same routine as above as a way to quickly resolve the issues. The difference is that in mature tanks, a lot of actions taken involve replanting new shoots, and throwing away large portions of old/deteriorated growth. In matured tanks, there is also the angle of clearing away old substrate detritus, and adding new aquasoil/root tabs if I was dependent on substrate enrichment.

I wrote an article sometime back on this approach, but I may have missed out some points here while elaborating on some others

How to stabilize a new planted tank

New planted aquariums that are not yet biologically matured present a volatile environment for plants and inhabitants. Accelerate the biological maturity of the tank by adding seed bacteria from matured filters or substrate. More large water changes remove organic detritus and algae spores.

www.2hraquarist.com

 

[HardeeParty]

 

[Art]

@Dennis Wong, thanks for posting this information-packed summary and the link to your article. The pictures are absolute eye-candy.

I don't know about anyone else, but this is the type of post that I go and bookmark by clicking on the icon to the left of the post number. I then come back to it when I have more time to re-read, digest and come up with thoughtful questions.

 

[Mr.Shenanagins]

Mainly plant focused as I don't have much time to sit down and craft hardscape (kinda miss doing this).

Your ability to shape plants negates the need for hardscape, you are truly talented in this respect. But I do understand the appeal of building the hardscape, I enjoy it myself.

Start out with very high light 150-200 umols PAR, 7 to 8 hours light. Only strategy is to outgrow algae - so high light is used to speed up growth speeds.

This is very interesting to read, as the typical answer is less light and less time. I see how this makes sense, but is this something you continue even when the plants are having significant algae issues?

Melt seems to be something that spreads (hormonal signaling ? or just pathogenic microbes spreading?) so if there is melt or deteriorating leaves I'll remove them. These are the action points that are time consuming but I think makes an impact in quickening the rate that the tank settles in.

This for sure is overlooked and I agree needs to be handled immediately when observed. I think the hard part is when your tank is a hobby and you expect a weekly or monthly routine and not a daily or every other day routine that requires meticulous care and observation to get the results we all desire. I dread my own maintence because I go so long without maintenance but I understand: mosses needs to the thinned and trimmed, stems need to be trimmed and topped, dead leaves or algae ridden leaves need to be removed, substrate needs to be vacuumed and use of baster to expose crevices and hard to reach areas is a must. It can be a lot and overwhelming for the average aquarist, it’s a love hate relationship.

Thank you Dennis, we always appreciate your insight here.

 

[HardeeParty]

Cutting away deteriorating leaves that attracts algae is a major factor I think that newer folks ignore. Cutting them away and allowing the plant to grow new adapted leaves is a faster way to get an algae-free environment.

Melt seems to be something that spreads (hormonal signaling ? or just pathogenic microbes spreading?) so if there is melt or deteriorating leaves I'll remove them.

Man, this sentiment is the undercurrent beneath every one of my failures. Melt and organics. Wether it’s in the skimmer, the substrate, the filters, etc.

 

[Naturescapes_Rocco]

@Dennis Wong , I cannot thank you enough for what you've done for this hobby. For many years (thanks to "advice" from aquarists online), I tried to start my tanks slowly, with little to no ferts, ramping light up over a month or so, and being "patient", to avoid algae. All I cared about was avoiding algae, but I didn't actually understand how to grow plants. I now know that I was creating nutrient-limited environments, and allowing algae to get a foothold in the tank before the plants ever had a chance.

Start out with very high light 150-200 umols PAR, 7 to 8 hours light. Only strategy is to outgrow algae - so high light is used to speed up growth speeds.
Fertilize from day 1 - new plants that have no established root systems can draw from water column.

This is just so spot on for me now. My mantra has become "Stop trying to avoid algae, focus on growing healthy plants".
PLANTS NEED LIGHT. Why was I told to "keep the light low" during the first phase of tank's life?? It makes no sense.

I was also told to not fertilize early on, aquasoil or no.
"ExCesS NuTrieNts CaUse AlGaE!! " says every 'planted tank owner' on reddit...

NO THEY DON'T. Unbalanced/nutrient-limiting-environments cause algae (along with poor/melting plants, waste organics, etc.) If your plants are literally STARVING for NPK/CaMgFe/Micros from the onset of your tank they will never outcompete algae.

Thank you again for this awesome information and for your inspirational tanks!

 

[Burr740]

Thats good stuff Dennis. Some key points that need to be hammered home for the hobby's collective misunderstanding of how to handle algae or plant troubles. Specifically how reducing light and dropping ferts is the worst move to make. Required reading imo

 

[Pneumonicsonic]

This is awesome @Dennis Wong. As someone who is about to move and then restart this process with a new/nice tank I’ll be trying this. That’s a LOT of water changes though for my 120U sized tank though.

It can be a lot and overwhelming for the average aquarist, it’s a love hate relationship.

That’s my biggest worry is not having enough or dedicating that much time will derail an accelerated plan like that. But the results are amazing

 

[Dennis Wong]

Thats good stuff Dennis. Some key points that need to be hammered home for the hobby's collective misunderstanding of how to handle algae or plant troubles. Specifically how reducing light and dropping ferts is the worst move to make. Required reading imo

This approach works for fully planted tanks, but the aquascaping world has evolved a lot. Hardscape focused tanks are becoming increasingly popular (because hardscape is easier to manage than plants lol), and loading ferts/lights on those setups gives very poor outcomes. If a tank that has at least 70%+ planted, one can rely on plant mass in the system alone to "inoculate" the tank against algae issues. In sparsely grown tanks this doesn't really work - the tendency is that the tank never reaches a stable state, or that algae gains momentum over plants. Light and nutrient control gives far more reliable outcomes in such setups. Folks that can only do 1 approach will forever be trapped doing 1 style of tank - hence most folks stay to the lane they know/practice; many of the hardscape competition folks find dutch tanks unmanageable, and I've seen plant focused folks find Iwagumi difficult (even though the Iwagumi plants are amongst the easiest things to grow) because they use the wrong approach.

Complex dioramas such as the last one in this note are actually easier to take care of than fully planted farm/dutch tanks, the one I show here is at the 2 plus year age mark when the picture was taken - but only if they ran lean on light and nutrients. I have given enough APT E bottles to competition aquascapers to know that it is counter-productive to run high growth parameters in such tanks. You can balance them around higher growth values (if they are fully planted enough), but its much more tedious, and lapses in CO2 and maintenance hits harder. The tanks below can have CO2 run out/stop for 3 to 4 days without algae spawning for example.

In truth any style can be made easy if an optimal approach was used for the particular tank style, but folks usually get married to the first style they master. You don't see dutch folks doing dioramas and IAPLC winners don't collect rare plants - humans tend to stick to what they are good at, even though doing cross-over styles is possibly the best learning experience one can actually have.

Social media advice tends to be divided when most folks give advice for tanks that are set up to run very differently from their own. Almost no one compares approaches across different styles - everyone just defends their own methods for their own tanks which to me isn't particularly helpful. (or rather I find it extremely myopic).

 

[Naturescapes_Rocco]

@Dennis Wong is that crypt parva in the last picture? gorgeous setup.

 

[Dennis Wong]

@Dennis Wong is that crypt parva in the last picture? gorgeous setup.

heh thanks, yea the crypt at the bottom is crypt parva. There is actually soil (garden soil) below the sand substrate and I really didn't want to do replanting if I could avoid it - crypt parva came in super useful. I only cut portions of it away a couple of times across a 2 year span