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Post by vraev on Jul 6, 2007 7:56:50 GMT -5
Hi guys, I was thinking: - Rajah in its habitat gets a lot of fresh air - It has tough leaves to cope with this air. - It likes nice cool air on it All the good rajahs in cultivation are growing in nice greenhouses and not in a stuffy little indoor one like mine. I was thinking of making more holes in the enclousure and maybe fitting fans to allow movement. But, I realised how badly it would affect humidity as i currently face a bad situation with the harsh move I took of cutting off the top of this enclousure. SUddenly, I realised this: - A bottle on the window side, holes above the water level. - A computer fan which can blow air out - A pipe from the mouth to OVER the rajah - the fan should basically suck in air from the outside...but, vapour pressure of water in the bottle will cause humid air to be sucked in..and then pushed on the rajah leaves - At night, I could just cool the water and it "would" and "should" be sufficient cheers, varun
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Post by sdeering on Jul 6, 2007 10:37:39 GMT -5
You are on the right track Varun. You need a lot more surface area for water evaporation to get more cooling effect. Look up swamp coolers they are just large humidifyers.
For a small indoor greenhouse you can modify a vaporizer. They use a mechanical means of more surface area by breaking the water up into fine droplets.
They can be found at used stores for a couple of dollars. They are a round thing about 8" tall. they have an electric motor that runs a fan and a cone funel type thing that draws up water when it spins. The water drawn up gets flung out hitting fine fingers breaking the water up into a fine mist inside. A fan pulls this mist out of the vaporizer and blows it into the room.
What you can do is block off the outlet and connect a pipe/hose duct instead. Run the hose on an upward slope with a few bends in it so water droplets can stick to the inside of the pipe and run back down to the vaporizer.
This would cost a minimum and they do blow 100% RH air that will be as cool as you will get.
Side note. These do discharge a fine mist. You need a pipe that willl remove all of the mist otherwise you will get mineral dust on your plants.
I have biult these for keeping mushroom cultures happy and they do work. You can run them on a timer/ himidistat/thermostat/ or constant with a restrictor on the outlet ect.
Yes fresh air will make your plants thrive.
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Post by vraev on Jul 6, 2007 14:17:42 GMT -5
Thanks for the feedback stephen. The reason I can't get a swamp cooler is its tooo big. Its unfortunate that there aren't any portable air conditioning units or else.. I would have already got it. hmm...this si the first I am hearing anything about vaporizers. I have never seen anything like that in walmart and all. SO u mean I should try it at some pawn shops? lol!....I don't even know if a pawn shop exists in mississauaga I was also thinking of having a frame with like some lFS layer and then using it to increase surface area and then blow that onto the plants.... but...I am firstly..unsure of: 1) It would require 2 motors: 1 for running water on the frame to get the moss wet. 2) The fan For the fan, even now I need to waste some money and risk loosing it all by cutting up a adapter and then stick in the fan terminals. I am still kinda unsure of how to do this.....but I think I will try to figure it out.
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Post by Rug on Jul 6, 2007 14:38:29 GMT -5
No man u can get a vaporisor in walmart, canadaian tire, anywhere!!! They are all sizes but they put out a ton of vapor!!! U better have a way to collect the condensation! LOL just ask someone in the store for them! They are used when a room is dry or if you get sick and want to increase the humidity for your lungs or something like that. It gets a dry cough working better. Crappy tire had a ton of different brands when I was there the otehr day. Maybe like 6 or 7. Go check it out. You will probably never find one at a pawn shop as they are way to cheap! Trust us it would be a way better Idea than a bunch of fans! Wow I can't believe I never thought of one of those! My wife actually suggested it yesterday! Now I may have to once again modify my greenhouse and use one and make some way of funneling the condensation back into the vaporisor. You wont be dissappointed!!!!!!!
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Post by vraev on Jul 6, 2007 14:44:24 GMT -5
hmm...I never saw anything portable apart from a mini heater. :S
If they do put out a ton of vapor...I am still stuck getting air from outside to inside and out. :S I will check it out next weekend when I head home though.
thanks!
bUt, what other cooling methods + air circulation methods can be used for neps?
thanks,
varun
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Post by jay on Jul 6, 2007 15:05:16 GMT -5
do you have central air or ac at the place your living at?
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Post by vraev on Jul 6, 2007 15:48:16 GMT -5
Nope! That is the biggest problem. Even in uni...my res doesn't have central air. Only heaters. :S
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Post by insectivore on Jul 6, 2007 16:13:58 GMT -5
Vraev... A plant goes into shock when you change their conditions... so if your trying to get even better conditions you'le probably make it go into shock again... Thats my point of view you have an extremely slow growing plant... other people might have one that recuperates faster some slower thus I ould tell you to let it be... Cya
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Post by vraev on Jul 6, 2007 16:47:51 GMT -5
That is true though. Just a testiment for the slowness... the ramispina made two leaves, the bical a pitcher + a leaf and the rajah has just increased its growth tip from 1 inch to like 2 inches in the past 3 weeks. :S
MY problem is not about waiting. I can wait all the time for the rajah. I don't mind waiting for months to see new growth + pitchers....My only concern is that I want to do this waiting once I know that its good conditions for the rajah. Becos I do not want the plant to perish. Along with the ceph...this plant is the crown jewel of my collection.
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Post by eql on Jul 6, 2007 20:29:32 GMT -5
would u recommend a warm or cool mist vaporizer?
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Post by lloyd on Jul 6, 2007 20:39:42 GMT -5
I think you can go a bit crazy with all the mechanics.
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Post by vraev on Jul 6, 2007 20:44:37 GMT -5
what do u mean crazy? with making this thing?? I was think of cutting off one of the 4L bottles into half...putting water in it. Making holes above the water level...pretty large ones...BUT still decent enough that its a closed area. Then a fan to suck up all the vapour throw it into ones of the pipies u sent .. and over the rajah. Based on how it goes..I will hook it up to one of the 2 timers I have.
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Post by Rug on Jul 6, 2007 20:48:02 GMT -5
Agreed. Every time I turn around I have a new idea. But if all is going ok, then I think I wll stick to teh basics. In a few years when I'm rich LOL I guess I'll make some big changes. Oh who am I kidding. I have the CP itch! Is there a pill u can take for that?
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Post by lloyd on Jul 6, 2007 20:49:43 GMT -5
I meant that sometimes you just provide the best conditions you can where you live and let the plants do their thing. At the meeting last week-end I saw the best ceph I have ever seen at Mabudon's. It had big, robust pitchers and leaves and he just had it in his house. Also Jay's collection of North American CP's was fantastic and he grows them outside au natural.
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Post by Rug on Jul 6, 2007 20:53:16 GMT -5
Yeah I guess yer right its funny how plants seem to adjust to conditions that we may think are way off but yet they thrive. I wouldn't worry too much about the Rajah as long as its green! Or blue just not brown!!!
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