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Grow Chamber Decisions.

  • #21
any of you guys have fungus problems from having wood in a high humidity area? just yesterday actually i had to remove all the wood from my tent, im on an all metal/plastic setup now
 
  • #22
any of you guys have fungus problems from having wood in a high humidity area? just yesterday actually i had to remove all the wood from my tent, im on an all metal/plastic setup now

I have the moisture in my chamber such that there is very little condensation on the inside. There is a LITTLE condensation build up on the foam panels mainly when the lights and fan are off for several hours, but none when they are on; and all the surfaces completely dry each day. I hope that is enough to discourage fungus, but time will tell...
 
  • #24
No offense, but that N. lowii looks.... not so great. It looks humidity and light deprived. Is recovering from a recent shipping?
 
  • #25
No offense, but that N. lowii looks.... not so great. It looks humidity and light deprived. Is recovering from a recent shipping?
Yes it had a bit of a tough shipping experience. The post office messed up, but I think it will be Ok
 
  • #26
Well that's good to know. Was getting a little scared.... sorry.
 
  • #27
No big deal...although I was pretty mad about the post office:headwall:
 
  • #28
I took a home depot trip today with mah camera to price stuff out and see what materials to use.

lets start with the base structure

PVC:
DSC00509_zpse7aae8ae.jpg


or 2x4's:
DSC00515_zps98dedbc8.jpg


as for the reflective paneling(or whatever you want to call it) I didn't find the reflective bubble wrap or mylar, but I did find this:
DSC00524_zps6ee97239.jpg

Its basically an insulation board with a reflective coating on one side, but for ten apiece, I think I will look into some of the other options.

Any other suggestions for reflective panels let me know. I couldn't find the reflective bubble wrap...As for the lights they had a good selection, but I am not sure how to go about buying these. I know that its best to get T models and that t5s are best, but why? and what would be the cheapest, most effective fixture?

price estimate:
wood:$20
reflection panels: $40 (unless other suggestions change material choice)
lights:$40?
total:$100
 
  • #29
BioZest, I don't know if you've check yet, but Walmart has Kevlar in the form of Blankets in their camping section (come in like a 2 inch box, super thin stuff) for just a few bucks each, I glue it to posterboard and am good to go.
 
  • #30
ryan
lights cost more that $40 unless you want a small one that has one bulb how big will this area be?
 
  • #31
I would also factor in things like a humidifier and fan for circulating air. The larger your space the more expensive this is going to be, especially with lights. A 4-8 bulb t5 fixture can run up to $200 or beyond. If you keep this small, you could use t8s that would end up costing like $40 total. Plus they use less energy. Consider your electric bill, 54 watts per hour per t5 bulb, and you'll have them on for around 14 hours per day. t8s use 32 watts per bulb. If you're going for a big space and want the best possible lighting (and healthiest plants), go for t5s. If you want something smaller and don't want to spend a ton of money, use t8s.
 
  • #32
BioZest, I don't know if you've check yet, but Walmart has Kevlar in the form of Blankets in their camping section (come in like a 2 inch box, super thin stuff) for just a few bucks each, I glue it to posterboard and am good to go.

Nice! I'll have to check this out.

ryan
lights cost more that $40 unless you want a small one that has one bulb how big will this area be?

I am planning 4x4x6, and I make no moneys...so I want to get it cheap.
 
  • #33
I only paid $80 for mine, but I did have the shelf and the humidifier, so you could have my set up for ~$130.
 
  • #34
seriously?
 
  • #35
Yep.
 
  • #38
We thought about doing that, but the bubble wrap stuff is a lot sturdier and tougher. BTW Bio, you can find the bubble wrap in the insulation aisle, or ask for "mylar double layer bubble wrap."
 
  • #39
BioZest, I don't know if you've check yet, but Walmart has Kevlar in the form of Blankets in their camping section (come in like a 2 inch box, super thin stuff) for just a few bucks each, I glue it to posterboard and am good to go.



Wow thanks guys I think you just chopped like $40 bucks off my costs. Thanks!

edit:
cool api, I'll check it out!
 
  • #40
You can get t8 shop lights for 18 dollars. 10 for the shop light fixture at walmart. 8 for 6500k bulbs at lowes. I have 3 of those atop my chamber and all of my plants have reddish leaves proving the light quite sufficient.
 
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