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Basic Growing Enclosure

Discussion in 'Growing Areas' started by goods, Feb 19, 2011.

  1. Feb 19, 2011 #1
    goods

    goods Well-Known Member Supporting Member

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    I've decided to move some of my more sensitive plants to school with me. In order for me to have control of their conditions in a dorm room, I've gotten a basic ten gallon aquarium and covered the top with glass panels. I have a computer fan that I am going to install as well. I plan to mist the tank early in the morning and run the fan 24/7 so the plants will dry before night time. I have two main questions though:

    Will the fan provide enough air circulation or should I vent the tank some? The glass panels do not fit perfectly but it's a fairly tightly sealed.

    Also, will a 26W (100 W equivalent) daylight CFL bulb be enough light or should I add more? The light's about 2" off the top of the tank and the only plants I plan on putting in here are a few mini Angraecoid species.

    Thanks in advance for any advice!
     
  2. Feb 19, 2011 #2
    Ray

    Ray Orchid Iconoclast Supporting Member

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    I suspect you'll want to provide a bit more venting. Don't forget that the plants exchange gases with the atmosphere, and despite the circulation, it might get a bit stale.

    Your 26W bulb will have an output of about 2300 lumens, but considering the spiral nature of the bulb, unless you have a really good reflector, at the distance you're projecting, you'll probably get less than 500 foot candles at the plant level. I measured the output of a 24W 2' tube with a very good reflector, and measured about 425 fc at 9", and because of its linear shape, they direct far more of their light toward the plants than do the spiral bulbs.

    Also, try to get bulbs with color temperature near 6500K, as that most-closely matches the chlorophyll absorption spectrum.
     
  3. Feb 21, 2011 #3
    goods

    goods Well-Known Member Supporting Member

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    Ok this is the best I could do as of right now... I have the tank with a computer fan running 24/7, the top is a little vented (glass panes not completely touching each other), and I have two CFL 5000K bulbs. I'm still looking for 6500K but this was the closest I could find for the time being. At this point, I'm just trying to keep these plants alive. These conditions may not be optimal but I will have a better set up in a few months.
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