What's new
By:
Filters
TerraForums Venus Flytrap, Nepenthes, Drosera and more talk

Register a free account today to become a member! Once signed in, you'll be able to participate on this site by adding your own topics and posts, as well as connect with other members through your own private inbox!

You all NEED! mylar now!

Clint

Clint

Stay chooned in for more!
I could never find mylar, but by chance I found like, construction paper coated with mylar at Michaels today. It was 3.49 for a 2 foot by 19 inch sheet and it was worth EVERY penny for a couple of them. Unlike rolled mylar it's stiff so it's easy to install. I put them on the pack of my terrarium (I used to have foil) and WOW! MUCH BETTER! I can grow plants like utrics in places that used to not have enough light!

I'm going to buy a couple more sheets and cover the 2 ends of the terrarium now! WOW way better! It's SO much better than foil and white cardboard!
 
Weren't you the one saying utrics suck?
 
Still using foil myself, but I did upgrade from 3 18" 15w tubes to 4 4' 40w tubes today.
Still have the 18" tubes running, but they're only over the sarr seeds (and running 24 hrs). The 4' tubes are running 16 hrs and cover everything and then some :)
 
Utrics do suck for the most part, but something has to grow in the nether-reagions of the terrarium!

I would have bought a roll but couldn't find one lol. The two sheets were just as good for me, and stiff. I'm gonna get a couple more lol.
 
You should be able to buy rolls at most hydroponics supply stores. Snoop around in Michael's and see if they have rolls of "mylar" wrapping paper.
 
I did and couldn't fine anything besides cellophane. It was in the specialty paper section beside the drawing pads and stuff.
 
I installed Panda Film recently. Thick stuff, reflects nicely and it's not much $$.
Also it's white which I like cause it makes for a cleaner looking environment and it really seems to reflect the light nicely! Dews got dew-er in less than a week.
Google it and it will be found.
And for the record, I'm not a big fan of Ultrics neither, except the Aquatics...
 
If you're good at cutting glass, I suppose you could buy mirror tiles and cut them to fit and tack them on with silicone adhesive.

I don't know why the tank manufacturers don't make a line with mirrors. They could mirror all the sides or leave one with plain glass/acrylic for those who like to turn the tank on the side and sell mirrored sliding door for the opening. They could even use one-way mirrors so you could see the inside of the tank if you turned the outside lights off. Remember you saw the idea here first ;)

I have to admit that Utricularia do indeed suck. It's that pressure difference thing with the bladders/traps.
 
  • #10
negative pressure differential, pressure is inversely proportional to volume... the prey gets pushed in

hehehehe, sorry couldn't resist

(teaches a fluid power class, and my students say I'm kinda anal about pressure differential)

:)
Av
 
  • #11
When I get mine I'm just gonna tape it to poster board. Been procrastinating to do that though. :p
 
  • #12
Tried poster board once. Wasn't that good. At all.
Things that have worked well for me, mirrored aquarium backing which is kinda pricey and this stuff called Panda Film, which I already mentioned. Good stuff!
 
  • #13
I first got some cheap mirrors which fit exactly into my lowlandtank. So thats what I used for it. And for my highland tank I bought some crome foil which you can put on your car or for advertising boards.
It was really cheap (cheaper then mylar in sweden) just about 5€ for meter.
 
  • #14
What was wrong with the poster board that it didn't work out? It's just mylar.. taped to something hard..The properties of the mylar don't change.
 
  • #15
That should work quite well. I thought you meant just posterboard. I tried white posterboard for abit to see if it'd work. And it really didn't. At least not too well....
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top