# Dry start or not?



## Tiwaz (May 5, 2011)

I have a few questions regarding the Dry start method.
So I am going to pick up the plants for a 5g planted tank tonight. Should I start them dry or submersed? What are the benefits to the dry start?
The plants that I am getting are 

Eleocharis parvula Dwarf Hair Grass 
Hemianthus callitrichoides 'Cuba' 'HC' 
Pogostemon helferi Downoi 
Rotala rotundifolia 

They will be planted in a DIY mineralized top soil
Once submersed there will be CO2 and I haven't figured out the lighting or timing for such yet.

Thanks,


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## DR1V3N (Apr 22, 2010)

Hi Tiwaz

In my opinion:

Figure out your lighting situation first. All those plants will do well with 3 WPG or the LED equivalent, but will grow rapidly with a little higher.

I found most people that go DSM usually have larger tanks that want to carpet quicker. That said, a 5G should be managable with any start method.

With submersed, take the top three benefits, listed below, away. You're risk of algae outbreak is increased.

Benefits of DSM:

No algae
No water changes/loose pieces floating around/being pulled up
No replanting
No cycling the aquarium
No dosing
No fiddling with CO2
No having to buy a lot of plant material initially
No transition from emergent to submersed states(some plants will, but with good CO2, this is greatly minimized)
No extra electrical cost running other equipment during the dry phase.
No labor

Per Tom Barr's DSM journal: DSM, Dry start method for starting a new planted tank.


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## Tiwaz (May 5, 2011)

martialid10,
Thanks for the link. I think I am going to give the dry start a go.


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## Tiwaz (May 5, 2011)

Alright in an attempt to sort the lighting what is better 6500K or 10000K with Actinic 460nm both are 18w total systems?


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## 2wheelsx2 (Apr 21, 2010)

10000K with actinic will give you an unnatural blue hue in a planted tank. One of the main reasons I went from a Beamswork to an AquaRay tile, which is 6500K.

IMO, the dry start only makes a difference for the HC. For the rest, if you're injecting CO2, it's no big deal. Just remember to do the extra maintenance in the beginning and you'll have no problems. The main issue with the HC is the rooting. You'll be continuously replanting without a dry start. I aborted my DSM after 3 weeks and it was replanting purgatory, as only half rooted and I hadn't planted my HC deep enough. That's one of the main things, make sure you get the HC nice and deep and just slightly pull up and you won't have any problems, dry start or no.


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## Tiwaz (May 5, 2011)

Its funny you mention that as both units I am looking at are from Beamswork.


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## 2wheelsx2 (Apr 21, 2010)

Beamswork 12"










Aquaray 6500K


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## Tiwaz (May 5, 2011)

Thanks for the pics 6500K it is.


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