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San Rainbow
Joined : 21 Apr 2008
Posts : 181
Location : south of the border
|  Subject: Fluro's whats your pick  Mon Jun 02, 2008 8:55 pm | |
| | what fluorescent tubes do you use, and for what purpose? |
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slim6y
 
Age : 35
Joined : 26 Apr 2008
Posts : 181
Location : Cairns
| | Subject: Re: Fluro's whats your pick Mon Jun 02, 2008 9:49 pm | |
| I have a growlux above a tank with several cacti of varying sizes... it's an experiment to see if they can be successfully grown and reach flowering capacity indoors under a growlux tube.
From what I hear the red spectrum in the tube wears out in about a year - therefore flowering may not be possible after one year using the same tube.
However vegetative growth seems much quicker under the tube than outside.
Tank temperatures drop to 17'C over night and raise to 33'C during the day - very hot and dry conditions. Suits them just fine I think!
Don't forget UV emitted from these tubes is ineffective past 15cm - so the distance to cacti is very important.. my closest is around 8cm and furthest around 13cm... both seem to be doing well. |
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San Rainbow
Joined : 21 Apr 2008
Posts : 181
Location : south of the border
| | Subject: Re: Fluro's whats your pick Wed Jun 04, 2008 7:23 pm | |
| cool... I got a cool white and a aqua glow over my seedlings, just curious of what others are using...
Cheers |
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calycium
Moderator
Joined : 06 Apr 2008
Posts : 354
Location : oz
| | Subject: Re: Fluro's whats your pick Wed Jun 04, 2008 8:32 pm | |
| Going to sound a bit bizzare, but...
I have a quartz halogen lamp from BIG W and have it over my seed tray at about 4 inches. In 3 days I had two punnets of ariocarpus and lithops (optica rubra) germinate.
Wasn't expecting that sort of result - but not going to complain. |
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lewis
Joined : 07 May 2008
Posts : 341
Location : Melbourne
| | Subject: Re: Fluro's whats your pick Wed Jun 04, 2008 9:06 pm | |
| | i use two cool whites. works fine. can grow small trichocereus (10cms), pereskiopsis and subulata under there with no etiolation. no need to get fancy. |
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San Rainbow
Joined : 21 Apr 2008
Posts : 181
Location : south of the border
| | Subject: Re: Fluro's whats your pick Thu Jun 05, 2008 6:40 am | |
| I think my aqua glow could be burning my seedlings (slightly) I was recommended this by a hydro shop... I had the light's sitting 15 cm up from soil level and on a timer for 13 hours, I raised the lights to 20 cm and backed the timer off by an hour.
sweet? |
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slim6y
Age : 35
Joined : 26 Apr 2008
Posts : 181
Location : Cairns
| | Subject: Re: Fluro's whats your pick Thu Jun 05, 2008 7:39 am | |
| How many watts is the aqua glow?
Are you checking the temperature?
My growlux is 18W and the temperature is measured every second of the day 
Max temperature reached was 34'C and minimum has been 17.4'C.
All plants are healthy and all range in size from pup to semi adult.
I am even considering doubling the growlux and putting an extra tube on. |
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San Rainbow
Joined : 21 Apr 2008
Posts : 181
Location : south of the border
| | Subject: Re: Fluro's whats your pick Thu Jun 05, 2008 5:35 pm | |
| | temp is around 25'C to 28'C during day and 10'C to 15'C during the evening, the aqua glow is 20W |
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San Rainbow
Joined : 21 Apr 2008
Posts : 181
Location : south of the border
| | Subject: Re: Fluro's whats your pick Thu Jun 05, 2008 5:37 pm | |
| | calycium wrote: | Going to sound a bit bizzare, but...
I have a quartz halogen lamp from BIG W and have it over my seed tray at about 4 inches. In 3 days I had two punnets of ariocarpus and lithops (optica rubra) germinate.
Wasn't expecting that sort of result - but not going to complain.
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nice work calycium! DIY at its best... |
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lewis
Joined : 07 May 2008
Posts : 341
Location : Melbourne
| | Subject: Re: Fluro's whats your pick Thu Jun 05, 2008 6:19 pm | |
| | San Rainbow wrote: | I think my aqua glow could be burning my seedlings (slightly) I was recommended this by a hydro shop... I had the light's sitting 15 cm up from soil level and on a timer for 13 hours, I raised the lights to 20 cm and backed the timer off by an hour.
sweet? |
i was advised against using a aqua glo tube when i was setting up my propagator, reason being that it produces almost entirely blue light, it is expensive, not very bright, and it doesn't last very long. i have one on a tropical fish aquarium and it results in really great aquarium plant growth. but not for cactus seedlings. rather than reducing light hours, i would replace it with a basic cool white or even better a daylight. both can be found easily, particularly by businesses throwing them out. after this i would increase the daylight hours to something like 15 hours. seedlings like these long hours conditions.
my entire propagator did not cost a cent to set up. i am using an old fish aquarium with foil covering the inside walls to reflect light, 2 cool white tubes and a light holder which fits perfectly over the top which i found being thrown out (score, never been used before). the lights are on for 15 hours daily (16 is also supposed to be fine) and a heat mat which is an old reptile one. it is not on a thermostat, instead it is under the bottom glass and the seedlings are about 5cms above the inside floor in individual 2in pots on a tray suspended by two pieces of polystyrene. nice 'n cheap.  |
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sacred pedro
 
Age : 31
Joined : 30 Apr 2008
Posts : 56
Location : melbourne
| | Subject: Re: Fluro's whats your pick Thu Jun 05, 2008 7:14 pm | |
| | should the heat mat be turned off with the light? or is it best to keep it on all the time? |
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parrotsheaven
Joined : 14 May 2008
Posts : 396
Location : Red Cliffs, Victoria
| | Subject: Re: Fluro's whats your pick Thu Jun 05, 2008 7:19 pm | |
| Heat mat on all the time for me
I have on aqua fluro 37W and one normal fluro. Will see of there is any difference in a couple of months.
_________________
Betty
http://community.webshots.com/user/parrotsheaven |
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San Rainbow
Joined : 21 Apr 2008
Posts : 181
Location : south of the border
| | Subject: Re: Fluro's whats your pick Thu Jun 05, 2008 7:21 pm | |
| cheers Lewis
on it tomorrow... |
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lewis
Joined : 07 May 2008
Posts : 341
Location : Melbourne
| | Subject: Re: Fluro's whats your pick Thu Jun 05, 2008 7:34 pm | |
| heat mat 24/7 for me too.
can't really live without one in Mel at this time of year, 2C nights do little for seedling growth and germination. |
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sacred pedro
Age : 31
Joined : 30 Apr 2008
Posts : 56
Location : melbourne
| | Subject: Re: Fluro's whats your pick Thu Jun 05, 2008 7:40 pm | |
| cheers, just took mine off the light cycle now 24/7 for bottom heat.
thanks for that guys |
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