Mono-Tub Design
I'll Show you how to make Ohmatic's monos w/ my own twist & some tips/tricks/secrets on how to make them ONE FLUSH WONDERS W/ COIR!Link to My Journal PageTub Choice:
-The first thing when considering doing monos is the Latching of the lids.
oYou want Stackable + Latching Lids W/ Handles to help Secure the Seal.
•I am aware of the Completely Air-Tight Lids on certain Tubs, but those are expensive &, normally, not locally found.
-The Second is the Color of the Lid, Clear is Ideal, but I will show you later how to change a colored lid to a clear lid w/ Saran Wrap + Clear Packing Tape.
-Also, keep in mind the dimensions of your tub as an ideal substrate depth is 3.5” to 4”.
oThe Dimensions of tubs can be tricky, as they may give dimensions, but which side of the tub are they referring to?
•The Best way to test your depth is pouring quarts of water into your un altered tub & seeing where that will bring you. Considering that Damion5050’s tek Recommends 1 Brick of coir (9 quarts) + 2 Quarts Large Verm (2-1/2 for Medium & 3 for Fine) + 5 quarts of Spawn. Totaling 16 quarts.
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The tubs I use are the center tubs that are 66 quarts. 16.8”L x 24”W x 13.1”H. They give me right around 3.5-4” of substrate depth @ 7-10 quarts of spawn. (I prefer slightly higher spawn ratios due to colonization time & flush results)
Notice all the differences I had pointed out above in these 3 tubs. All of which I’ve used:Supplies Needed:
-(1) Drill
-(1) Spade Bit or Holesaw between 1-2” (I use 1-1/8” Spade Bit)
-(1) Roll of Gorilla Tape (for bottom of tubs)
-(1) Roll of Weather Rated Duct Tape (covering for holes during colonization)
-(1) Tote
-(1) Measuring Tape
-(1) Piece of Medium Grit Sand Paper (Optional)
-(1) Marker (Not Pictured)
-(1) Sterilized Polyfill for Fruiting Conditions (Not Pictured)
IF You have Solid Lids, you’ll need the following Supplies in Addition to the above.-(1) Dremel Tool W/ Cutting Head
oYou can substitute this for as stiff knife or Boxer cutter to cut your Lids
-(1) Roll of Crystal Clear Packing Tape (Top Right of Photo)
-(1) Box of Crystal Clear Saran Wrap
-(1) Sharp Knife or Box Cutter (Not Pictured)
Pre-Construction:
1.Smoke a Bowl &/or Drink a Beer (If you don’t smoke nor drink, skip this step).
2.Measure & Mark where your holes are going on your tub.
a.Remember you want your lower Holes @ substrate depth. So if you have a 1” bit & want the hole bottom to be @ 4” you should mark @ 4.5”.
b.Also, I place my holes 5-6” from the sides of the tub.
c.The End holes Don’t matter that much, you just want them as High as you possibly can get them.
Construction:1.Drill your holes.
2.If using an ALL clear tub, Wrap the bottom of the tub w/ Gorilla tape.
a.I start W/ the Long side of the tub just under the Lower Holes.
b.Next I move to short side, making sure to cover the End of the other part of the Gorilla tape.
c.Once done w/ the first layer, I move to the bottom of the tub making sure to slightly overlap the lower layer w/ the top. It may take 2-3 Layers of the tape to fully cover the bottom.
d.When the bottom is fully covered, I take a small piece of Gorilla tape & run it over the corners to help seal the tape around the bottom better.
3.Cover the holes in your tub w/ The All Weather Duct Tape.
a.TAPE NOTE:
i.I use the Gorilla tape for the bottoms, because it is stronger/adheres better. The Duct Tape comes off the tub a bit easier, so you don’t damage the Substrate when moving it into Fruiting Conditions.
4.Wipe out all the stuff in your tub that may have accumulated over Construction. No reason to go anal on it, as you should wipe down the tub just before spawning to bulk. Just get out the nasty large pieces of plastic or whatever else.
5.Put on the lid & put away until you’re ready to spawn to bulk.
How to Change a Colored Lid to a Clear Lid w/ Saran Wrap:1.Trace Out where you’re going to make your cut w/ a Straight Edge & Marker.
a.You want to make sure to NOT to hit any of the supports for the tub’s Lid, as this will negatively affect the seal of the lid to the tub.
2.Cut your lid.
3.Put the Open lid on your Monotub and stretch the Saran Wrap over the lid to the exterior of the tote & lay the Saran Wrap inside the tub.
4.Tape the Saran Wrap to the exterior side of the tub.
a.Make sure to get the Saran centered & free of any wrinkles.
5.Stretch the Saran Wrap over the entire lid & set on the side of the tub.
6.Pull the Saran Taut towards the Sides of the tote that is NOT taped & tape down the sides of the Saran to the Corner of the Lid w/ Clear Packing Tape.
7.Now do the same to the Other side of the tub.
8.Cut off the Excess Saran wrap w/ a Sharp Knife or Box Cutter.
9.Now working on the center sides of the Lid, pull off little strips of the Clear Packing Tape & work from one side to the other, just to get the Saran Wrap Tight w/out ANY wrinkles.
a.Be careful when stretching, as it will tear easily, which we don’t want. It’s happened to me several times. Usually, I just toss the Saran Wrap & start over, but you probably could just put a little piece of tape over it.
10.Tape the Ends of the Saran Wrap to the End of the lid using long strips of Tape.
a.Be sure not to Over Tape the Ends, as this will negatively affect the Latching Mechanisms of the Lid. Just be careful around the Latching Handles & Underside of the Lid.
11.Now I move onto the sides. I pull Long strips of the Clear tape (just about half the length of the side of the Tote).
a.Be sure to Pull the Saran Wrap Tight using the Tape to adhere it Lengths wise With the Tote.
b.I move from One side of the Tote to the other as to help w/ everything being clear.
12.Lastly, I go around the end of the tote checking all the seals of the Tape. If I think a spot isn’t taped well enough, I’ll take a little extra Tape & tape that down.
Bulk Coir Recipe:I use Damion5050’s Tek to the “T”, but add ¼ cup of gypsum to my boiling water Before dumping it into my Bucket.
Spawning to Bulk:1.Break up Your Spawn Jars by Banging them on a Stack of Phone Books or a Bike tire like RR uses.
2.Sterile Procedure:
a.Turn off Heat/AC, Shut all windows & turn off all Fans.
b.Oust Room
c.Shower, wash hands, glove hands & wear a surgical mask.
d.Oust once more
e.Clean the inside of the tubs (make sure it dries before proceeding)
i.I normally Unscrew the lids on my Spawn jars @ this time.
3.Dump the ENTIRE Bucket of Bulk Substrate into the Tub.
4.Dump in your Spawn Jars
a.I try to evenly distribute where I dump the jars during this step. It helps w/ the next step.
5.Wipe down gloves w/ Iso, let dry & get your hands in the spawn + bulk & mix it up.
a.You want to ensure an even mix throughout the substrate.
b.Make sure it's as even as you can get it; I smooth it out w/ my Gloved hand & then tap the corners & sides down to keep it even. (You'll see where I messed up on the below tubs later).
6.Clean your hands w/ an iso soaked towel.
7.Wipe down the Underside of your Lid & Rim of your Lid.
a.I use the Un-altered lids for colonization.
8.Put the Lid on & leave for as long as it takes.
a.I just use my lid as my AE limiter, which is why I do NOT wrap them in Saran Wrap.
b.Mine take between 12-18 days w/ consolidation depending on spawn ratio.
Introducing to Fruiting Conditions:Once the tubs are fully colonized & consolidated for 3-4 days, you:
1.Take off the Unaltered Lid & switch it for the Saran Wrapped Lid
a.Make sure to not let too much water fromt the colonization lid drip on your substrate.
b.Also, I give it a nice good fan while switching the lids.
2.Remove the tape & insert the Sterilized Polyfill (At whatever density you’d like; it all depends on how much fanning/misting you’d like to do).
3.Place under a 6500K bulb in temps from 68-74 F.
4.Fan & Mist as needed.
The Small Things that Make One Flush Wonders:Now that I’ve shown you how I make my tubs, spawn to bulk & Introduce to Fruiting Conditions, I’ll share a few Tips/Tricks/Secrets I’ve picked up to make Coir into a One Flush Wonder!
1.Spawn Ratios:
a.I use 1:1 to ensure that I get quick colonization & a large amount of viable nutrients for my mushis. We all know that Coir has nothing on Manure. Therefore, we need to add some nutrients, & I’ve found more grain = more fruit weight on the first flush
2.CO2 During Colonization:
a. I keep CO2 during colonization as High as I can when colonizing my tubs. This allows for an Amazing Pinset, which results in a great flush, once introduced into Fruiting Conditions
i. This is why I don't wrap my tub lid w/ Saran Wrap during colonization. I allow for the tub to push out the hotter humid air through the lid, keeping the CO2 levels high.
3.Timing of Introducing to Fruiting:
a.I introduce my tubs into Fruiting Conditions when I see around 12 large pins forming in my consolidating tubs. Pin size is about .5-1”.
4.Temperature:
a.Keep Temps in the room around 72-74 F. The tubs will be slightly warmer. Oil-Filled Space Heaters work great for this, as they don’t significantly reduce Relative Humidity(RH).
5.Intense Lighting:
a.I use a Shop Light w/ (2) 4’ 1.5” About 2’ from the Tub.
6.Air Exchange:
a.TONS! Extremely Loose Polyfill
I've Had Extreme Success W/ This style for Two different Types of Grows:
GreenHouse Grow:
Mono-Tubs:
**Dancing Tiger GrowLog Using One Flush Wonders & COMPLETE NegletctON Fully Automating Mono-Tubs:I use a fully automated set-up. A small fan sitting on LOW in the Grow Room on 24/7 w/ Extremely loose Polyfill (almost falling out). Lights on a 12/12 Schedule on a Cheap Timer. I have an oil-filled space heater, which I switch the temperature setting on depending on season, running 24/7.
No Need to Dunk for Second Flush Tips/Tricks*If you feel the need to dunk for 4 hours, check out Total's tek here.*I like my One Flush Wonders, but Some Others may Like a few Tips on how to get a decent second Flush w/out Fully dunking a mono for 4 Hours.
- Picking: Be Extremely careful when picking your First Flush, as to not Tear up the Substrate too much (cutting @ the base of the Stem is great procedure for this part)
- Water Absorption: Carefully dump a small pitcher/quart/pint of water around the edge of the tub where the substrate has pulled away
NOTE: Be Extremely careful here w/ your water content as you don't want ANY standing water in the tub.
- Mist: (This is How you can go a little lighter on the above step) You mist the hell outta the surface of the Substrate & sides of the tub 2-3 times a day immediately after the First Flush. Make sure to FAN a bit after the misting!!
I do all of the above steps while keeping my tubs in Fruiting Conditions. You should see some results in 1-2 weeks.
10 Days after first Flush:
**NOTE: I did not pour any water into this tub. I only misted the hell outta it & gave it plenty of FAE (lid cracked w/ extremely loose poly.)
Between 2-3 oz left for the Second Flush. IMHO, anything after that is pointless.
***As Always W/ My Teks, Please Feel Free to Post Questions/Comments.