Yes, you can dry start Phoenix moss. It is a straightforward process which provides them many advantages too.
Phoenix Moss is naturally found growing in swampy areas throughout the world.
It is a popular decoration for aquariums because when the plants are fully grown, they retain a cool fern-like texture which helps create interest for both people and fish.
Table of Contents
- Can I Dry Start Phoenix Moss?
- Method Of Dry Start Phoenix Moss
- How Long It Takes To Successfully Dry Start Phoenix Moss?
- Why Is My Month Old Dry Start Phoenix Moss Not Growing Yet?
- Advantages & Disadvantages Of Dry Starting Phoenix Moss
- Dry Start Vs Wet Start
- Is Dry Start Method Quick Than Wet Start Method?
Can I Dry Start Phoenix Moss?
The dry start method is very beneficial for the plants, which helps them to grow faster. The main aim of the dry start for Phoenix moss is to keep them out of water and aquarium for some time to let them spread quickly at the very initial phase.
Dry start methods allow the Phoenix moss to use all the unlimited CO2 in the air, which plants don’t get enough while submerged in water in your tank. It has its advantages , and that’s why people are going for it.
It makes a great addition to your aquascape, and you will surely get compliments for your aquarium once you go for Phoenix moss. They also give a good contrast against hardstones and driftwoods and help create depth detail in your aquarium.
Method Of Dry Start Phoenix Moss
You will need some things before beginning with the dry start process with phoenix moss. A Rock of your choice to grow on, phoenix moss, plastic container, and plastic to cover the lid from the top. The steps to dry start phoenix moss are:
- Wash the rock to remove sand and loosen dirt. Next, prepare the surface of the rock. Finally, you need to scratch it with a sharp object to get some natural substances out and prepare it for contact with moss.
- Now, prepare phoenix moss by pulling out a few strands to make it shorter.
- Place the phoenix moss on top of the rock, and apply pressure to make them stick onto the rocks.
- Put them in a plastic container and spray some water to make them misty.
- Now cover the lid with plastic properly to retain the humidity inside the lid.
- Place this container with moss and rock in a sunny place out of windy areas. Water it only when you see that water is getting dry after 4-5 days of growth and leave it for a week or two like this. Now all you have to do is place the rock with Phoenix moss in your aquarium. But test your rock by submerging it into the dechlorinated water to check whether the moss is properly stuck to the rock before introducing it to the water flow of the aquarium.
That is it with the steps of giving your Phoenix moss a dry start and growing it on the rock. Now just after a week, only you would start seeing the results in the form of green and vibrant leaves coming out of Phoenix moss.
But you should take care of the plant getting overdry, so you have to check your plant to keep spraying water on it regularly.
How Long It Takes To Successfully Dry Start Phoenix Moss?
It can take a month or two before you see the roots growing out of your phoenix moss in the dry state method. Thus you have to wait for five to six weeks before keeping your moss growing on the rock in the filled water tank.
So it depends upon the person if he wants to grow the moss into his tank directly or has the patience to grow them via the dry start method.
Why Is My Month Old Dry Start Phoenix Moss Not Growing Yet?
There are several reasons why your Phoenix Moss may not be growing yet. First, Phoenix thrives in moist soil, so that it might need water to re-hydrate. Sometimes people forget to spray water on the plant to provide its water needs.
Another reason is that Phoenix Moss needs high-intensity light. It requires 12 hours of sunlight per day and prefers indirect light if you keep it indoors.
If the plant was recently bought from the store or if you have been neglecting the care of your moss, there is a chance that the leaves may have dried out and died because of low humidity levels.
Thus it is advised that while dry starting the phoenix moss, you should keep moss misting and prevent it from getting dry.
Advantages & Disadvantages Of Dry Starting Phoenix Moss
There are many advantages of dry starting your Phoenix moss for your aquarium. First, the dry starting of Phoenix moss ensures that the roots of the moss grow healthily, and you do not have to stress about replanting them.
Some of the other advantages of dry starting Phoenix moss are :
- If you start with your Phoenix moss by dry starting, then there is no need to worry about it dying because of a lack of light, water, or nutrients. If you start your Phoenix moss by normal means, it gets all the water, nutrients, and light needed to survive. The leaf tips are still small and healthy when the plant grows from its root instead of from its leaf tips.
- You do not have to replant or trim your dead or sickly Phoenix moss for them to grow again as well as trimming them up can be difficult and messy depending on the type of moss you have planted.
- If you grow phoenix moss with the dry start method, it is less likely that your phoenix moss will be prone to algae. The dry start method prevents the growth of algae on Phoenix moss.
- Dry start also prevent phoenix moss from floating all around the tank, and make sure their roots are properly attached to the bottom. If you correctly carry out the dry starting method on moss, you would not see problems of unrooting of moss by water flow.
Disadvantages
- The method may take a lot of time than the normal growing procedure; thus, you have to be patient while dry starting phoenix moss.
- Likely to get dry due to exposure to too much sunlight and lack of water.
Overall, due to the more benefits it provides to the moss, it is not wrong to say that the Dry start method is a pretty effective, easy, and cost-effective way to grow your moss into the aquarium quickly.
Dry Start Vs Wet Start
Selecting the method to grow your aquatic plant via dry start or wet start depends upon several factors, such as types of plants. But the overall dry start is followed to give the moss plants a head start before finally letting them grow on their own in your aquarium tank.
It also provides them access to an unlimited supply of CO2. The only con to this process is the time as it is considered to belong method, which takes more time than the natural and wet start method.
However, the benefits of the dry and wet start process aren’t limited to that only. It also gives plants the ability to withstand and adapt to changing conditions.
The wet start is a natural and most efficient method without harming or affecting aquatic plants. This method makes the most suitable for the healthy growth of aquatic plants.
In this process, CO2 is dissolved directly in water and injected into the aquarium tank through an air pump, bubbler, or powerhead.
Then it activates a portion of nitrate which will be the main source of nitrogen. If nitrogen is not available, algae will take over. Also, the water flow will be slow in this case.
But there are several disadvantages to using the wet start method. The aquarium tank would have an algae problem afterward due to an excessive amount of CO2 being introduced into the aquarium.
The dry start is a simple method that doesn’t harm plants, but it takes time. Thus, most people prefer the dry state method when they want to have a moss carpet in their aquarium.
Is Dry Start Method Quick Than Wet Start Method?
There are two ways to grow plants in an aquarium. One is the wet start method, and the other is the dry start method. So the dry start method is not as quick as the wet start method, but it has its cons that make the plant grow healthier.
The dry start method makes sure that the moss gets an abundance of CO2 for its requirement. The dry method is also used to make plants’ roots stronger and create the moss carpet in the aquarium.
This gives your aquarium an enhanced look and increases its beauty by adding some natural plants and contrast to your tank.
Also, If you put your plants in water from day one, they will take longer to grow, but some may die if their roots run out of oxygen before they can get going because they have been sitting in water all along.
But with the dry start, you have to be patient and careful to prevent your plant from drying. Also, do not hurry in putting your phoenix moss into the tank.
