Terrarium

[shokuchuu]

Hello everyone
Inspired by homer's post on his ventilation setup, I decided it was time my plants received better treatment. This idea also comes from when I grew [legal] mushrooms in a terrarium. It's amazing how you can apply bits and pieces from here and there.
I realise I could just buy a cool mist humidifier, but the idea has never tempted me.
I primarily grow highland Nepenthes - the terrarium used to sit on the windowsill infront of a window, which I'd crack open in the evening to cool the plants all throught the night. This method yielded satisfactory results (54F - 62F), but sleeping in the 50Fs wasn't always comfortable, and the humidity in the tank used to drop instead of rise. Also, the terrarium didn't look particularly good on that narrow windowsill.

I'll let the pics do most of the explaining.

Here we see the fan (cheap clip-on), the front wrapped in clear plastic, which narrows down to the 32mm "waste" pipe. The other end of the pipe is inserted in a practically airtight polystyrene box (in which a plant arrived, hence the tape and tatty appearance) which houses the mini fogger and of course the water that feeds it. The outlet pipe then leads into the terrarium.

At night the fan sits face up on the open window.

I was afraid the fan wouldn't have the umph but it manages well for the moment.

...and this is what the terrarium looks like 20 seconds after my ghetto cooling humidifier turns on.

So far so good, but the fan makes a racket. There's lots of room for improvement, and the first is to cut the pipe leading from the fan alot shorter (which will be done in about 10 minutes). Eventually buying a more efficient fan is next, to increase cooling and sleep quality

I'm thinking along the lines of a bathroom extractor fan. After that would be the reservoir and the overall appearance of the setup.
I'm sure I forgot to mention a few things, but I can say the plants have shown noticeable improvements, and to me this is the most important factor. Please do comment if you have any ideas for improvement!

Cheers,

Amori

 

[Nickz123]

I have a similar setup but use a computer fan. You might want to try that, It is quiet and moves alot of air.
-Nick

 

[Brian_W]

Get a 4" CPU fan from radioshack. It can be wired to a standard two-prong cord. You can leave the fan run all the time and it's very quiet. Hook the fan up to a 4" diameter flexible aluminum duct (hardware store). It works like a charm.

Brian

 

[Outsiders71]

I need to get some better ventilation in my growspace. Currently I have 2 PC fans dangling from the shoplights that blow towards the middle. I really want to have some in/out airflow setup. My problem is this:

I have a 5 tier utility shelf. It is wrapped with reflective mylar on the sides and the back. I also got some taped down on the bottom of the shelf. On the front I use a tarp that I cut to enclose the shelves. I stapled reflective mylar on the other side of the tarp. This way the lights aren't too noticeable when on (I have this in my room so it would be annoying to have all that light everywhere). So how do I get ventilation in and out of this? The only thing I can think of is to cut holes into the wood that creates the shelf. I'm not sure I want to do this though because this would be permanently altering the shelves and I wouldn't be able to change that. So I'm stumped for the time being. If I did cut a hole through the side of the mylar, and used some PVC, what would I use to support it there? If anyone has any suggestions I would be interested!

 

[losfreddy]

computer fans are cheap.  like 4 bucks, 5 bucks..   never have used one becasue of the fear of running up an electric bill.  if i set up the fan i have to go the whole nine yards

    i wonder, sense plants exchange CO2 for O2, if you could get dry ice and let it gas out over the terrarium and fill it up with benefictal CO2 for the plants.

how did you make the mini fogger as described in your post? is it just water with a air stone or somthing?

 

[losfreddy]

Quote[/b] (shokuchuu @ Oct. 25 2005,4:05)]This idea also comes from when I grew [legal] mushrooms in a terrarium.  

hey! ive grown those too..(Shagy Mane- edible) how did you do it? i used coconut fiber. but i find it hard to keep the pins alive.

 

[CP30]

I like the set up Amori. I agree that a CPU fan is a very good option - quiet and efficient. Jim, I also use a utility shelf for wintering my plants in the garage - mine is wire. I wrapped the back and sides with mylar and then draped the whole thing in clear painter's plastic. I fashioned a flap on the front for access. The 4' fixtures hanging from each shelf create a lot of heat - especially when the weather couldn't make up its mind what to do and would go from 80F one day to 60F the next and back and forth....Anyways, I added a cool mist humidifier ($19) to the set up on the bottom shelf for humidity and then added a CPU fan ($6) to the top. I cut a whole in the plastic and tied the fan to the wire shelf so it would blow out, sucking air from the bottom of the unit thru the top, assisting the movement of the moist air.
If your shelves are wood, the air flow will be greatly reduced.

 

[Outsiders71]

I was kinda hoping to get a wire-shelfed setup but the lowes at my house didn't have any. They just had the thin plywood ones, all the other utility shelves weren't 4 feet long so they wouldn't fit the shoplights.

I wonder if I can buy wire shelves that will fit the slots?

 

[shokuchuu]

Quote[/b] ]how did you make the mini fogger as described in your post? is it just water with a air stone or somthing?

Nope, it's this.

Cheap and quite efficient if I may say so myself.

For the mushrooms, I used what small-time Psilocybe growers use: one part brown rice flour, one part vermiculite, and water. This worked nicely for some but not so much for others. It was all more experimental than anything else, but constant ciculating mist from the aforementioned gadget kept the pins nice and healthy, but not soaking wet.
Phew, a little off-topic there

Thanks for the recommendations everyone, I'll visit Maplin's tomorrow (a slightly larger equivalent of RadioShack here in the UK) to see what they offer in terms a CPU fan. As for the aluminium ducting, boy is it expensive here (like most things other than baked beans and fish & chips)! It was the first item on my shopping list but the price helped me reconsider.
Payday tomorrow so I'll hopefully acquire a CPU fan and a good timer.

Cheers everyone!

 

[losfreddy]

where can i buy one of those mist makers locally. did you get your online?

 

[shokuchuu]

Quote[/b] (losfreddy @ Oct. 27 2005,7:19)]where can i buy one of those mist makers locally. did you get your online?

Hi losfreddy
Yes, I did buy mine online when living in the US, and coincidentally they sell the same exact model at that garden centre I work at (different transformer) here in the UK, in the aquatics department. You may try a store that sells "water features" (water garden furniture etc.).

Cheers

 

[shokuchuu]

Hey folks
After following Brian_W's recommendation, I bought a length of alumini(u)m ducting to provide better airflow. Well, it works, but some minor changes have to be made to maintain higher humidity at night, which might call for a technique I used in the past (secret

!)
Below is a pic I took tonight of my new setup. Previously I had all my plants in a 19 gallon tank under less than 200W of compact fluorescents - they are now in a 63 gallon tank under a 400W high pressure sodium Grolux (which arrived today) and a single 42W cool white compact fluoro. I received approximately 15 plants the past week so the change was necessary to say the least! I took this as an opportunity to place my cacti/phorbs under the "sun" as well. Just as a sidenote, that is my desk they are all sitting on. Oh well - anything for plants!

Cheers!

 

[chloroplast]

Very nice setup!

I like the mixing of CPs and cacti/succulents. You might want to place the cacti/succulents very close to the lights or you'll find they'll become severely etiolated. I love the lithops and pleiospilos....they're my favorite mesembs.

 

[CopcarFC]

How much was the light?

-Rail

 

[shokuchuu]

Quote[/b] (CopcarFC @ Nov. 10 2005,2:12)]How much was the light?

-Rail

Hi Rail
If my memory serves me well, I bought it, including the bulb, at about $190. This was a deal I couldn't pass up on a 400W growlight. The Grolux that arrived was a new bulb, which cost 25 pounds sterling (excluding shipping).

Cheers