Turbo Charged Phototrons / Journal

wb456

Hey chiefa, a CFL/HID hybrid project. Years ago I had one of these units. It takes longer but I have plenty of time now. I'm starting with two Phototrons that I picked up from the web. I got one from ebay and one from craigslist. These came with straight pin biax CFL's with around 2700K output. So here is what I am doing. And where I got the idea
The idea: My brother and my sister are both into saltwater aquariums and grow type lighting is necessary to maintain and promote reef and plant growth.

I am using aquarium lighting to replace the standard biax tubes. The white light in the units are 5700K to 6500K range with one 100 watt, 8000 lumen HPS bulb to give me my red spectrum and the blue spectrum, called actnic by fish lovers, emits growth. I have a couple of red LEDs coming that will only be on when the others are off. I do not know what this will do but what the hell, I don't know what I'm doin half the time anyway. My timers have outlets that come on when the timed outlets go off. These timers/power strips also have outlets that are hot always. I purchased most of my supplies from Drs. Foster & Smith but recently found much better tube pricing and selection from servicelighting.com

The growing medium is sterilized sphagnum moss. I usually use the nutes from Pyraponics Industries (phototron site) but this grow will be done using Schultz brand fertilizers, Superthrive and Humic acid. Maybe some molasses when flowering.


The tall unit gives out 360 CFL watts and 100 watts of HPS
The shorter unit gives out 254 CFL watts and 100 watts of HPS

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jangel

WOW!

I did see these in your grow journal but I really like this idea, wb. Nice. Looking foreward to watching this one, sweetie.

VERY different. You are a genius.

...I am so glad you are here, wb.

Peace.

__________________
Life,
j-angel


My Little Grow LST'ing w/Hardware

My Outdoor Odyssey 2008 BONSAI MUMS

Cloning a Flowering Plant My Little Grow Blueberry

GSR

How cool is that, that setup would look great outside, and at night, just for a pic or two.

jangel

Wouldn't it though? Make a great lawn ornament!
ROTFLMAO!!! Subtle? Not.

__________________
Life,
j-angel


My Little Grow LST'ing w/Hardware

My Outdoor Odyssey 2008 BONSAI MUMS

Cloning a Flowering Plant My Little Grow Blueberry

wb456

In your den or in the corner of your living room with an orchid in it or a perpetually bloomin rose, saw a WATERMELON grown out of one the size of the smaller one I have. The melon was on the outside and the greenery on the inside. LOL. It is not nearly this bright from the factory.

anyway it works on a damp life cycle kinda hydro and kinda soil. There's a sensor that detects a lack of water in a little foot in the bottom at which time a small aquarium pump comes on and pressurizes a gallon bottle of aqua and fills the little foot shorting out the sensor stopping the pump. The sphagnum moss is partially ground up and acts like a big sponge absorbing and transferring moisture rapidly. The extra timer on the timer is for the water supply. The pump must be turned off 1 hour a day.It will run itself as long as there is water.

4kaan4

Hey wb,

Just a stray thought: if you were to wrap those with some kind of reflector you might be able to get the little ones to grow faster by giving them more light. Of course, heat might then become an issue, making the whole idea useless. What think you?

Later,
4kaan4

__________________
I am an incorrigible, pathological fantasizer fabricating illusionary amusements for various individuals. In other words I lie like a politician. I refuse to break the law because I intend to live my life till the day I die!

wb456

It is reflective inside and out. When you turn it off you cannot see inside or out. It is completely dark in there. With the panels raised the intensity of the light will leave spots in front of your eyes.

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wb456

Pyraponic Industries -- Still the Original. Still the Best.


Link to website for info on these units. Remember I changed all of the tubes. The ballasts etc were all ok, just the tubes so buying a new unit is kind of spendy.

4kaan4

Couldn't tell that from the photos. Just kick me and tell me to get with the program!

Later,
4kaan4

__________________
I am an incorrigible, pathological fantasizer fabricating illusionary amusements for various individuals. In other words I lie like a politician. I refuse to break the law because I intend to live my life till the day I die!

wb456

Well since my outside grow is doing so well I have chosen my two mothers from those in the "Circle of Honor"
Mom #1 was supposed to be MTF as all on the outside ring of my garden are. Something was wrong with this plant from the beginning. She was germinated at the same time as were the rest including that tiny plant next to her and struggled to stay alive the leaves were 3 fronds and very skinny and gnarly looking. I just wanted to see how they turned out. I actually stabbed the seedling into the ground in the end of Feb. outside with only a transparent paint mixing bucket as shelter figuring if it lived it had to be tough. Yep

Mom #2 was from the same bunch of seeds as mom #1 but turned out very differently. She grew rapidly and has the toughest stalks / stems of all of them. This plant is the only plant of the bunch that has sported leaf stems of a deep red color since germination.

The clonemeister came by today and collected cuttings which he will root for me. (I suck at it).

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