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Plan for getting highlanders new lighting

vraev

Carnivorous plant enthusiast
Admin
Hi guys,

Well...Its been nearly 4 moths since I expanded my nep setup to my new enclousure. Well... The neps have now all acclaimatised. However, as expected the rajah is the issue here now. Growth is fine...its nice and green. BUT... the tendrils don't even extend more than 1 inch. I have talked to Rob Cantley and he suggested that I have tremendously low light.

I noticed that myself as a new bical pitcher since adding extra light is nearly around 30% larger than the old ones.

This is the dimension of my enclosure: (NOTE: 3 month old pic)

DSC01209.jpg


Now as you can see there is a single light source to illuminate the plant. Its this simple GE Gro & SHo light bulb.

0524066_450_CC_1b4a7.jpg


Now, I guess I plan to step up the lighting for the highlanders. I plan on using this:

3823643d-0b53-4c2e-97a5-600a43fa88a.jpg


each is 27 watt.

Now my concern is the heat that is released. Being winter...the temp here is like 70F or max 72 during the day. Interestingly...My bical seems to appreciate only mid 70's and not too high temps. GRowth is bigger under these medium temps and as temps go higher it was slower in growth. my temps used to go to 90 for the bical.

Well...this is my plan for a light setup:

A wooden box 24 inches in length or maybe whatever is available. I am thinking CFL's are the best considering I do not need to bother about ballast etc. I think I just need that BULB connector, wires, wall outlet and bulbs ... thats it.

here is my plan:

Untitled-1-1.jpg


Seperate plugs to modulate light amount. I can probably also use a shade cloth if required.

Also do u think I need holes in the setup to ensure the heat rises up and keeps the lowest highland shelf cooler. I notice that CFL's run hotter than a TUBE. In case of too much heat..I can probably USE the 2 x 15 watt CFL's instead of 2 x 27 watt.

any comments and advice would be appreciated.

thanks,

vraev
 
Vraev, is there a lumen reading on the CFLs? I grow lowland Neps like rafflesiana, ampullaria under 2 x 39W T5 FL with 3325 lumens output. So for you 2 x 27W CFLs, the light intensity would still be quite low.
 
well....considering that the gro light tube gave me just 300 lumens,

each is 1660 Lumens, CrI is 81, temp is 6500K

so basically net is 3320 Lumens which is like ten times more than the light I had before anyways. I think that still helps doesn't it?

I guess if anything, I can try and see if I can get a change.\

ALSO cindy, how high are your lights from your plants, this setup will be like 5-8 inches away from the nep...taht means lower lumen loss as well.
 
ooh btw... any other lighting source suggestions...as long as they are easy enough and cheap enough are welcome. I am limited by space, heat level and concern of safety due to that high moisture in the enclousure.

Please tell me if I need to take special precautions with the wirig and the bulbs to ensure that nothing can go wrong with the bulbs exploding or something. :(
 
I can't recommend anything other than a 4 lamp (or two 2-lamp) 24 inch shoplight. That grow and show lamp isn't worth buying. It's no secret that I don't like spiral energy savers.


Save your money and get real PC lighting.
 
The spiral bulbs are fine, and plenty cheap. Go ahead and use them. Your challenge is to provide night cooling anyway, rajah's can thrive in 80 degree daytime temps. It's getting it down significantly overnight that you have to deal with.

Max
 
Heya Vraev. I picked up a 3 compact-bulb fluorescent canopy (Exo-Terra) a while ago for around 25$. It currently has 3 27W daylight spiral bulbs in it. The color is very similar to my T5s, but the bulbs are much cheaper (I use "nVisions" bulbs from Home Depot). It does provide light to a smaller area, but it also provides much less heat than my T5's. It has two switches to control either the outer two bulbs, or the inner one, or all three at once. I'm not sure how much your wooden fixture would cost you (in time and money), but this seems like a pretty good alternative. I should mention I do not use this to grow any CP's anymore, but I have used it in the past for some (Neps, Cephs, and Drosera).

The fixture does look pretty cheap, and is cheaply made, but I have dropped mine a few times onto my metal weights without so much as a bulb breaking. It is 24" in length, and fits perfect atop my 20 Gallon High. Anyway hope this helps.
ExoTerraCanopy.jpg
 
YOU ARE MY SAVIOUR. OMG! thats perfect for my shelf. The right size...the slope so that the light can be reflected down. OMG! thats wicked. And 25$?? thats insane?? that will be the cost of the materials itself. That is magnificent. Exactly waht I want. :D

OMG! I am searching for this and buying it right now. HOLY COW! :D

thank you thank you thank youthank youthank youthank youthank you! :D

@Capslock,

My current day temps: 70-75
Night temps: 60-65

:D . I have the confidence that my respected king is getting good night temps. Everynight the temps here are like 59F. All I need to do is decrease the thermostat on my window fan and thats it...viola....I freeze and I drop the temps in the entire room. I am prepared to do that though....and I have done it quite a few times since I got this plant. :D

@ JLP,

I know dude. I like the tubes as well. I notice that tubes give less heat than CFL. But, I have no room and the fixtures are expensive. I cannot find the 10$ fixture that people talk about and the only 2 foot fixtures I find require some wiring to make it ready for wall outlet thingy.

However, this CFL thingy (the exoterra one) looks perfect. I can have 3 bulbs giving a nice whopping ~ 5000 lumens. I can modulate the light amount...especially considering I am also getting a talangensis soon and I read that they like bright light.
 
Np Vraev, hope it works out. It gives off quite a good amount of light for its size, and exo-terra sells a humidity and temp gauge with probes separately that slide into the rail on top of the fixture. Overall it looks very clean. Some sell them (lighting fixtures) for around 28$, but I cannot recall where exactly i got mine. Either way, a 3$ difference is not bad. Due to the offset placement of the bulbs you might even be able to have a brighter half of the tank and adjust your plants accordingly. Good luck, let us know how it works/looks.

-Daniel

Edit: The dimensions can also be found on some dart frog vivarium supply website. I know they sell plants and i'm not trying to bend any rules or anything, but I am referring to their lights anyway. Besides I just ordered some plants from our sponsor (flytraps) and theyre the healthiest looking of the 6 other online shops i've tried.
 
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  • #10
Vraev, my plants are 4"-6" away from the lights. Looks like Sehtnepen saved your day.

All the best to your new set-up and update us on how your highland Neps fare. :-D
 
  • #11
Hmm....there is one issue. The setup here is 27$ or so online...but shipping from US is even more expensive. I cannot see any canadian online stores selling this. I will check out my local pet store and see if they carry it and weigh the price.

I will debate it and compare it with making my own hood with regular home depot materials. I'll keep you guys posted.
 
  • #12
GUYS...UPDATE::

I finally did it. I bought a new lighting. Its interesting to see how I can PUT the fixture inside...but:

its lithiona lighting: 2 x 2' flouroscent lighting.

I am using 2 x philips natural sunshine 20 T12 bulbs in it

217_ns.jpg


its 20 watts each....but you gotta agree. waaay better than a single gro and sho. And since its 2 of these which can clearly make my VFT's blood red...the highlanders should love em ;)

what do you think??? ;)
 
  • #13
guys would placing the 2 foot lights like a foot or two above the plants be fine??
 
  • #14
On my experience with flourescents I will say 1 foot will be the best...

I use to grow some plants on interior and I will say foot and a half will be the maximun distance to get the most of the lamps... but the kind of plants that I use to grow really need a lot of light.
 
  • #15
great...that should be enough distance to hang the fixture properly. :)
 
  • #16
SO MUCH DISAPPOINTMENT :(

I got a new fixture:

t12 2 x 20 watt philips Natural sunshine

for the highlanders...and

it seems even duller than the single gro and sho :( I don't know if I am just being paranoid though. :(

In other news...the miranda has been thrown out of the enclousure. With the new fixture hanging and all...there is no room anymore. :(

1466102517_bb3f56c3e2_o.jpg


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well....this plant had no pitchers when I got it. Now... sheesh! after all this...I am throwing it out. :(

and after all the money on the lights....expecting atleast a bit better and happy plants...I am not too optimistic...but thats it...yeah..I know I keep saying this over and over. But this is it...this setup is complete. I had enough of spending hundreds of dollars on a couple of plants. :( (Sorry guys...I am just pissed off to see how weak the T12 20 watts are). :(

If there si any suggestions you could give me..it would be welcome.

thanks

vraev
 
  • #17
the most suprising thing is how much different are my 4 foot T8's in comparision with this. Firstly these are 20 watt = 900 lumens each compared to the earlier 1 x 33 watt = 800 lumen gro and sho.

Its just how much the intensity decreases even at just a foot from the plant. Very shocking and very disappointing after 68$ spent in making this thing. I should have rather spent 80 and got an high intensity aquarium lighting thingy.
 
  • #18
All I have to say is: three 4' fixtures with different bulbs of varying spectra hung vertically inside the chamber. Of course hanging one fixture inside thats only 2' is going to be weak. In that first pic, it looks like the only light on is the light in the room. When the lights in my grow chamber turn on, even with the door closed, the room its in looks like it has reached critical mass if you get my drift. 800-900 lumens per fixture is also pretty bad, and you should rethink your bulb choice. I get approx. 4000 lumens per fixture, if not a little more since my plants are usually about 3" from the lights, and lumens are measured at 1'. For my setup, 3 fixtures with 2 bulbs a piece, I think my total cost was $42.

Also, as has been said many times, gro and sho's are crap. I have 2 of them, because I think they can work well in conjunction with other lighs (4 more in my case), but solely relying on gro and sho's is a bad idea
 
  • #19
well..its 2 x 900 lumens each so technically it should be still better than the gro and sho single one.

well...I guess I can't return this sucker so that means I am probably stuck with it. :(
 
  • #20
Is that aluminum foil? I can promise if you switch to mylar you'll see a difference that's like night and day.
 
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