Dark Start Method

[fluxtor]

Hi All, I'm putting together a small tank (scaper 60) and am thinking of trying a dark start. Substrate is colombo nutri base capped with pool filter sand and there will be rocks and redmoore wood. I plan to use C02 when I plant and it will be massively over filtered with a biomaster 250 thermal. Anyone have any advice on the dark start method or point me in the direction of any previous posts. For instance will this work with my chosen substrates? I will have a fair bit of nutri base in the tank so concerned I will just end up with an algae infestation without any plants to use up the nutrients. Any success stories with dark start?

[Martinspuddle]

I will a fair bit of nutri base in the tank so concerned I will just end up with an algae infestation without any plants to use up the nutrients.

I've never done it but you realise the aquarium is blacked out during this phase.

The idea is the nitrogen cycle is fully completed when you plant the aquarium heavily, thus avoiding any unwanted algae outbreaks. This is done via waterchanges to bring the nutrient levels down during nitrogen cycle giving plants a better chance to grow without algae taking hold once the aquarium has been fully started.

[fluxtor]

I will a fair bit of nutri base in the tank so concerned I will just end up with an algae infestation without any plants to use up the nutrients.

I've never done it but you realise the aquarium is blacked out during this phase.

I do yes, the tank is in my koi pond filter house (the only place I was allowed) and I was planning on running it with no light for a few weeks and monitoring levels and water changing as appropriate. Was just concerned that with a fair amount of nutrient rich substrate I'd be wasting my time!

[Martinspuddle]

Personally I think there's little or anything to be gained by using this method.

OK, I see the point of lessening the chance of algae growth from the start but if your going do that, you might as well use a low nutrient aqua soil capped with a inert sand. There's always still a chance of algae taking hold once the aquarium is planted and fully running. Maybe I'm missing the point of this method.

To my mind your wasting money doing it this way, aqua soils are expensive as it is. According to some online, 50% water changes every other day or every day during the first week of this dark start method, so your wasting nutrients from the soil which was the whole point of buying the product in the first place and the nitrogen cycle still takes the same amount of time to develop of which some online admit the cycle can take longer using this method.

I can get the same results using high nutrient aqua soil capped with sand, heavily planted with fast growing species, daily fertiliser dosing, using high lighting and Co2 injection with weekly 50% water changes. Then either wait for nitrogen cycle to do it's thing with a short photo periods to start (this will be quicker as the fast growing stem plants will do most of the leg work for you) or add mature bio media and water from an established aquarium. After which keep the bioload small until the setup starts to mature and the plant growth will be further ahead than using this Dark start method.

This method I use was promoted by Takashi Amano.

[fluxtor]

@Martinspuddle, thank you as always for your valuable input. I think part of the reason for wanting to go dark start is I have the tank, filtration, substrate and hardscape and I'm bloody impatient. I have a co2art pro se regulator and inline difuser but haven't yet sourced my co2 bottle and chekcer etc. I guess I just wanted to get something running while I source the rest of the kit and of course the plants (to soften the financial blow). You're probably right and I should just bite the bullet and get everything I need and get on with it!

Out of curiosity do you have any knowledge or experience of the co2art kit? I was told the regulator I have only works with fire extinguishers but I've found a relatively local outfit that supplies refillable bottles with DIN477 / BS 341 No. 8 thread. Reading the blurb on the co2art website the regulator should be compatible but I'm unsure. Whilst the fire extinguisher route seems cheap I like the idea of a tested and certified bottle.

Link to bottle supplies https://www.adamsgas.co.uk/product/food ... th-3-15kg/
Link to Regulator https://co2art.co.uk/collections/co2-re ... -w21-8x14/

TIA

[Martinspuddle]

I'm afraid not, I used a Aqua Medic Co2 twin regulator and bottle setup originally from my reef aquarium calcium reactor on my planted aquariums.

Later I adapted the Aqua Medic regulator to fit Bar gas bottles, much cheaper, if somewhat large.

Plenty of people use fire extinguishers but refills I found cost more.