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Cephalotus cube display piece

  • #41
It is really interesting that most of the Cephs I've seen being grown under high R/B LED lighting are coloring up more pink compaired to the white LEDs being more red/purple. Still too small a sample size to say that is the cause but it might be something.

If you wanted to get really crazy you could get one of these Amazon.com: Intelligent Plant Light - Indoor Grow Light: Home Improvement and remove the silly 9W bulb and wire in your LEDs. It would be an expensive cosmetic upgrade but it does adjust for day length throughout the year :-D

Like the bonsai pot, never tried that. I have grown them on just driftwood before. They never really rotted into anything just attached to the contantly moist driftwood with just a handful of roots.

410 by randallsimpson, on Flickr

006 by randallsimpson, on Flickr

189 by randallsimpson, on Flickr
 
  • #42
It's easy enough to do that manually. I set up a schedule for myself to adjust my light timers (15 minute increments) to match the natural changes in day length.
 
  • #43
RSS said:
Like the bonsai pot, never tried that. I have grown them on just driftwood before. They never really rotted into anything just attached to the contantly moist driftwood with just a handful of roots.
Click to expand...

That's interesting that you've grown them on those media. Does that mean they're more tolerant of other compounds in their growing substrate, such as minerals that might leach from the bonsai pot? Or are you using a fully glazed pot or treating it in some other way? Similarly, would driftwood be pretty neutral, expecting that most of the "stuff" that would mess with a CP has been degraded and leached out through sun/water exposure?

I think those offer up some really neat planting ideas...I have pings in a bonsai pot with an un-glazed interior, but that's because I knew they could tolerate some slightly higher mineral content.
 
  • #44
Cephs are alot more tolerant than people given them credit for, check out http://www.terraforums.com/forums/p...halotus-/123205-finicky-cephs.html?highlight=, I've tried the cheapest Miracle Grow garden soil I could find and have grown a few plants in it. Nothing close to Av8tor1's results but they grew just fine.

I don't think anything would leach out of a bonsai pot that would bother a Ceph, but have never personally tried it.

I bet most of the Ceph deaths are more an issue of watering inconsistencies than a medium problem, I've used alot of really odd stuff over the years :)
 
  • #45
RSS said:
It is really interesting that most of the Cephs I've seen being grown under high R/B LED lighting are coloring up more pink compaired to the white LEDs being more red/purple. Still too small a sample size to say that is the cause but it might be something.

If you wanted to get really crazy you could get one of these Amazon.com: Intelligent Plant Light - Indoor Grow Light: Home Improvement and remove the silly 9W bulb and wire in your LEDs. It would be an expensive cosmetic upgrade but it does adjust for day length throughout the year :-D

Like the bonsai pot, never tried that. I have grown them on just driftwood before. They never really rotted into anything just attached to the contantly moist driftwood with just a handful of roots.

410 by randallsimpson, on Flickr

006 by randallsimpson, on Flickr

189 by randallsimpson, on Flickr
Click to expand...

Yea Randall. Although, I need to post up a picture of them under white light to properly show the colour. Under the purple (red+UV) leds, it tends to fluoresce a bit more...hence I enjoy this combo. The plants look very cool. Same with the inside of the VFT. It looks like it is glowing.

That is pretty cool fixture .. but as you said $50USD is too much for it. Mine ended up being $20 with all the materials and some experience on what I should do next time. I think I can avoid the heatsink altogether and glue the LED to the aluminium bar. I should have thought of it in the past. haha. My ultimate idea is to perhaps do some 3D printing and make a nice housing for the heatsink. But all things considered, I am happy how it looks .. the matte black paint really makes it look nice. If only I could get those wires holding up the heatsink to be straight and clean....haha

Rabna said:
That's interesting that you've grown them on those media. Does that mean they're more tolerant of other compounds in their growing substrate, such as minerals that might leach from the bonsai pot? Or are you using a fully glazed pot or treating it in some other way? Similarly, would driftwood be pretty neutral, expecting that most of the "stuff" that would mess with a CP has been degraded and leached out through sun/water exposure?

I think those offer up some really neat planting ideas...I have pings in a bonsai pot with an un-glazed interior, but that's because I knew they could tolerate some slightly higher mineral content.
Click to expand...


RSS said:
Cephs are alot more tolerant than people given them credit for, check out http://www.terraforums.com/forums/p...halotus-/123205-finicky-cephs.html?highlight=, I've tried the cheapest Miracle Grow garden soil I could find and have grown a few plants in it. Nothing close to Av8tor1's results but they grew just fine.

I don't think anything would leach out of a bonsai pot that would bother a Ceph, but have never personally tried it.

I bet most of the Ceph deaths are more an issue of watering inconsistencies than a medium problem, I've used alot of really odd stuff over the years :)
Click to expand...

I agree with RSS here.. Cephs are way more tougher than what we assume. My only ceph death was due to water logging/lack of air circulation/heat in the plant tray. That caused them to suddenly decline while the growth above soil stayed good...underneath, the plant died. In terms of media, they are pretty tolerant. Regarding mineral leeching.. most of these pots are unglazed on the inside yes...but considering the amount of water that will be running through the pot, I don't think it will be much of an issue. BTW..the idea for bonsai pot is from Martin Hingst a german grower. If you see his flickr account..you can see some spectacular shots of what he has achieved with a bonsai pot.

THis is his plant:

https://flic.kr/p/MLjbgw
 
  • #46
Pretty awsome project you have going guys, just learned a few things i didn't know about cephs.
Ive only had mine a couple of weeks and they are still tiny, but are puting out new growth. I would like your permission to use some of your ideas in the future if you dont mind. Nice cephs by the way.

Just Fuzzy
 
  • #47
I just read through this whole thread, and I'm thinking of ways to do something similar already.

First off, I like your scissors too. Also, I'm a pretty good welder. So if you are interested in changing your stand up still let me know. I'm always up for helping people out. I'm thinking you could run a "v" channel from the top of the stand down to where ever the wires exit out. It's hard to see how the lights are attached too to figure that part out.

Most of the first attempt inside the box was trying to get humidity up. Then you went to open air, may I ask why? If I overlooked it somewhere I apologize. Or was that solely done because of the reflection of the light being too intense, and causing burning?

Both setups are beautiful! I seem to have got stuck on the display case idea though. And out comes the stubborn side of me. Lol.



Boarderlib's grow list : Grow Lists
Boarderlib's Fly trap photos : Photos of Venus Fly Traps
 
  • #48
It is a pity that you live so far away.
I need something like this light setup for my ceramic landscapes. Humidity might be a problem too with my setup. It stays easily in one inch of water all the time. No problem on my window sill with the radiator underneath in the winter for my Drosera. It might be tricky with my Cephalotus.
Here are the existing pieces out of ceramic. Some are now in the third year.
http://www.terraforums.com/forums/g...-ceramic-environments-carnivorous-plants.html

Here is the oldest one some month ago.
 
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  • #49
yimmy87 said:
Pretty awsome project you have going guys, just learned a few things i didn't know about cephs.
Ive only had mine a couple of weeks and they are still tiny, but are puting out new growth. I would like your permission to use some of your ideas in the future if you dont mind. Nice cephs by the way.

Just Fuzzy
Click to expand...

Of course. No need to ask. What I learnt myself is from people here in the community.

boarderlib said:
I just read through this whole thread, and I'm thinking of ways to do something similar already.

First off, I like your scissors too.
Click to expand...

Haha! yea. You can find it in Michael's (arts & crafts store). My mom bought it for me when I asked her for sharp scissors.

Also, I'm a pretty good welder. So if you are interested in changing your stand up still let me know. I'm always up for helping people out. I'm thinking you could run a "v" channel from the top of the stand down to where ever the wires exit out. It's hard to see how the lights are attached too to figure that part out.

Most of the first attempt inside the box was trying to get humidity up. Then you went to open air, may I ask why? If I overlooked it somewhere I apologize. Or was that solely done because of the reflection of the light being too intense, and causing burning?

Both setups are beautiful! I seem to have got stuck on the display case idea though. And out comes the stubborn side of me. Lol.



Boarderlib's grow list : Grow Lists
Boarderlib's Fly trap photos : Photos of Venus Fly Traps
Click to expand...

I was trying to see if I can weld those aluminium profiles together rather than the screws. As you can see, the L pieces do not make for a clean joint at the back. If I had my way, I would weld the two pieces at 90 deg and then I would weld the L piece underneath so that it is out of the way. I remember reading that weld steel and aluminium is super hard. All things considered...its not too bad. I think the matte black paint just makes it look slick. :p

Regarding the wires, I just had yimmy message me about a way to straighten the wires. Thanks Yimmy87. :) . Once that is done, I plan on mounting the LED driver to the stand and then cleaning up the wire. The V channel you mention is a good idea. I have some spare ones in the garage somewhere. They have sticky tape on one side. Although I am trying to figure out a way such that the top surface of the stand is clean and without any further clutter.

axel said:
It is a pity that you live so far away.
I need something like this light setup for my ceramic landscapes. Humidity might be a problem too with my setup. It stays easily in one inch of water all the time. No problem on my window sill with the radiator underneath in the winter for my Drosera. It might be tricky with my Cephalotus.
Here are the existing pieces out of ceramic. Some are now in the third year.
http://www.terraforums.com/forums/g...-ceramic-environments-carnivorous-plants.html

Here is the oldest one some month ago.
Click to expand...

Well... humidity clearly isnt much of a problem...as u can see...your plants are growing great. You have a large surface area of evaporation/transpiration that might help just keep the microclimate ideal for those cephs and drosera. Regd the light...as u can see...its really simple. The hanging arms were made of a big piece from home depot. I just cut it into pieces. drilled holes and screwed it in with my standard machine screws and nuts. The led itself is a moonlight LED kit from rapidled with 2 white , 1 blue , 1 red.
 
  • #50
I'm sorry. I had a draft started with the multiple quotes all nice and neat, and lost it. I'm not the best with technology, so I'm just going to do it this way.

My wife loves Michael's, she drags me in there about once a month and I mean drags. Lol

Steel welding is easy, it just takes some patience to learn to do it properly. Aluminum is a whole different animal. I could, but I couldn't be no where near as generous as I could with steel. Just based on the fact I would have to get special gas. I would have to get wire too, but that's only about 10 bucks. Like you said though the paint makes it look slick. If you wanted to convert to a steel stand pm me, but sticking with the aluminum it wouldn't be worth it for you. I could make a steel one cheap cheap. Lol. That applies to anyone on here looking for some custom stuff.

Just my opinion, I would run the v channel on the plant side starting at the light, and then down to the base. Then you could drill a small hole to run the wires through and out the back. And of course lay some more paint.

On the light part itself you could just make a small box, drill a few holes to mount the lights flush. Essentially it would just be a cover box for the electrical. Hopefully that makes sense.

Best of luck!

Boarderlib's grow list : Grow Lists
Boarderlib's Fly trap photos : Photos of Venus Fly Traps
 
  • #51
And i was content useing a 20 dollar 1.5 gallon aquarium from walmart for mine and just upgrading the lights and adding a small computer fan for airflow and to help with heat build up make my idea seem not important now lol

Just Fuzzy
 
  • #52
boarderlib said:
I'm sorry. I had a draft started with the multiple quotes all nice and neat, and lost it. I'm not the best with technology, so I'm just going to do it this way.
Click to expand...

haha! Np.

My wife loves Michael's, she drags me in there about once a month and I mean drags. Lol

Steel welding is easy, it just takes some patience to learn to do it properly. Aluminum is a whole different animal. I could, but I couldn't be no where near as generous as I could with steel. Just based on the fact I would have to get special gas. I would have to get wire too, but that's only about 10 bucks. Like you said though the paint makes it look slick. If you wanted to convert to a steel stand pm me, but sticking with the aluminum it wouldn't be worth it for you. I could make a steel one cheap cheap. Lol. That applies to anyone on here looking for some custom stuff.
Click to expand...

Thanks for the offer man. I plan on buying some stuff for black friday to make some more fixtures. Will keep you posted. That would be awesome. :)

Just my opinion, I would run the v channel on the plant side starting at the light, and then down to the base. Then you could drill a small hole to run the wires through and out the back. And of course lay some more paint.

On the light part itself you could just make a small box, drill a few holes to mount the lights flush. Essentially it would just be a cover box for the electrical. Hopefully that makes sense.

Best of luck!

Boarderlib's grow list : Grow Lists
Boarderlib's Fly trap photos : Photos of Venus Fly Traps
Click to expand...

I like your idea. I have a couple more of these heatsinks. The next time, I will definitely go that way.. 100% all way. haha. But for now...as you guys will see below...the plants are not liking the humidity change. I have to get the plexiglass to raise surrounding humidity. So lets see how this endeavour goes. ;)


yimmy87 said:
And i was content useing a 20 dollar 1.5 gallon aquarium from walmart for mine and just upgrading the lights and adding a small computer fan for airflow and to help with heat build up make my idea seem not important now lol

Just Fuzzy
Click to expand...

Hey Yimmy,

Check this out. Thanks for the advice. :) Guys...yimmy gave me this advice.. this really works to straighten wire: Vaping Tips: How To Straighten Kanthal Wire - YouTube I am using 19G wire. Pretty good results.

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  • #53
Looking good buddy if you want cleaner angles you can make a jig for them or most bait and tackle shops sell them they are used for making spiner baits and umbrella rigs in case you want to know also you can get stainless wire from them lol sorry wire is my life 12 hours a day and at least 70 hours a week

Just Fuzzy
 
  • #54
yimmy87 said:
Looking good buddy if you want cleaner angles you can make a jig for them or most bait and tackle shops sell them they are used for making spiner baits and umbrella rigs in case you want to know also you can get stainless wire from them lol sorry wire is my life 12 hours a day and at least 70 hours a week

Just Fuzzy
Click to expand...

Haha! Thanks for your expertise man.

Will check it out. :bigthumpup:
 
  • #55
Just glat to help

Just Fuzzy
 
  • #56
So when are we getting an update?

Just Fuzzy
 
  • #57
yimmy87 said:
So when are we getting an update?

Just Fuzzy
Click to expand...

Its been a while since I have been on TF. Here is an update. My first focus stacked macro of this baby. I think this attempt is way better than my cubed display
piece. haha

will take more pics tonight

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  • #58
I like the rocks you added. Makes it look more interesting.
 
  • #60
Absolutely Gorgeous

Sent from my SM-G955U using Tapatalk
 
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