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hamie
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What's wrong with this monotub???
#26843236 - 07/24/20 06:12 PM (3 years, 6 months ago) |
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Hi everybody. I'm a complete noob and this is my first post here, I would really appreciate some advice on this monotub I have going:




I have been waiting for this monotub to be fully colonized for almost a month now, and the top layer seems like its stopped colonizing, It has been looking patchy like this for a week now. I had the whole tub in a complete dark environment first with polly-filled holes and taped off FAE holes at the bottom. I also used to have a layer of aluminum foil on top of my substrate (I saw someone on youtube doing it like that) but now I have the foil removed and put the tub in my room where it gets good ambient light. My substrate: manure, verm, gypsum, worm casting
Am I doing something wrong? Should I just be patient and wait longer? Should I put the tub back in a dark place?
Help a brother out, Thanks!
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Fellasuave
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Re: What's wrong with this monotub??? [Re: hamie]
#26843341 - 07/24/20 06:57 PM (3 years, 6 months ago) |
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also a first-time monotub bulk grow attempt. I had the same issue. I was expecting a fully white substrate layer before initiating fruiting conditions. Not sure if this was the culprit, but I removed it from the colonizing stage and mixed spawn bags with my sub the very day it turned white. I have read others wait a few days afterwards before doing so. I'm not very familiar with the aluminum foil staff but I have seen people use it and not use it.my next attempt I am going to try and replicate Frank's tek. he seems to have it down to a science with good results. He does make mention about having a blanket over the top during colonization of the sub which I'm assuming is just a different variation and placing foil over the top. I understand the frustration and sure we have all been there or am still at that point.but I feel this hobby is one that after you master it, it is pretty much just second nature with many less hickups. I'll also be doing a more thorough journal next time around. Best of luck psychonaut.
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Lush4Mush
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Re: What's wrong with this monotub??? [Re: Fellasuave]
#26843567 - 07/24/20 08:50 PM (3 years, 6 months ago) |
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Oh no brother! you definetly need to take out the polyfil and duct tape those big holes til it fully colonizes, think when they're in the jars and they only get a minimal amount of air when colonizing. I could be wrong but when you colonize you need the cO2 to build up with a tiny bit of FAE. you basically put your tub into fruiting conditions right away. You can put the tin foil back on too!
One of my first tubs I tapped up all the holes except for one(unkowingly). The tub was colonizing very very slow until I realized one hole was open, I duct taped the hole and 7 days later it was colonized.
Edited by Lush4Mush (07/24/20 08:54 PM)
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Phrontist
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Re: What's wrong with this monotub??? [Re: Lush4Mush]
#26843649 - 07/24/20 09:36 PM (3 years, 6 months ago) |
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I’d like to clear up a few things:
1. Darkness is not a requirement at any point.
2. It’s fine to introduce fruiting conditions as soon as you start your tub.
3. CO2 build up is not necessary to colonize substrate.
Here’s one of my current tubs. Grains were colonized in full sunlight every day, then mixed with coir and added to tubs in fruiting conditions (holes never closed up, covered, or filtered). This is 5 days in... no blankets, no foil, no misting, no fanning, no tape, no words of encouragement.
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DonkDonk
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Re: What's wrong with this monotub??? [Re: Phrontist]
#26843663 - 07/24/20 09:44 PM (3 years, 6 months ago) |
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That looks fantastic. Do you do unmodified tubs?
-------------------- "Your future hasn’t been written yet. No one’s has. Your future is whatever you make it. So make it a good one."   
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Phrontist
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Re: What's wrong with this monotub??? [Re: DonkDonk]
#26843667 - 07/24/20 09:48 PM (3 years, 6 months ago) |
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Quote:
DonkDonk said: That looks fantastic. Do you do unmodified tubs?
I use Pastywhyte’s EZ Dial design. Minimal modification required, proven results.
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hamie
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Re: What's wrong with this monotub??? [Re: Fellasuave]
#26844108 - 07/25/20 07:15 AM (3 years, 6 months ago) |
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Thanks man, yes this hobby is incredibly rewarding and fun and gets easier each time you do it, I'm gonna look up Frank's tek and see what's up. Apparently the reason for the foil or blanket on top of substrate is to mimic nature, since mycelium grows inside the soil and gets very little light if any, and only gets exposed to sunlight after pinning.
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hamie
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Re: What's wrong with this monotub??? [Re: Lush4Mush]
#26844112 - 07/25/20 07:23 AM (3 years, 6 months ago) |
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I suspected that that was the problem but didn't wanna risk contamination. I'll tape up the holes and put a clean foil back on top, Thanks brother!!
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A.k.a
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Re: What's wrong with this monotub??? [Re: Phrontist]
#26844153 - 07/25/20 08:00 AM (3 years, 6 months ago) |
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Quote:
Phrontist said: I’d like to clear up a few things:
1. Darkness is not a requirement at any point.
2. It’s fine to introduce fruiting conditions as soon as you start your tub.
3. CO2 build up is not necessary to colonize substrate.
Here’s one of my current tubs. Grains were colonized in full sunlight every day, then mixed with coir and added to tubs in fruiting conditions (holes never closed up, covered, or filtered). This is 5 days in... no blankets, no foil, no misting, no fanning, no tape, no words of encouragement.

Yep. 
I’d guess your spawn was bacterial and that’s why it hasn’t colonized.
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LAGM2020     
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jcm4620
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Re: What's wrong with this monotub??? [Re: Phrontist]
#26844160 - 07/25/20 08:11 AM (3 years, 6 months ago) |
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Quote:
Phrontist said: I’d like to clear up a few things:
1. Darkness is not a requirement at any point.
2. It’s fine to introduce fruiting conditions as soon as you start your tub.
3. CO2 build up is not necessary to colonize substrate.
Here’s one of my current tubs. Grains were colonized in full sunlight every day, then mixed with coir and added to tubs in fruiting conditions (holes never closed up, covered, or filtered). This is 5 days in... no blankets, no foil, no misting, no fanning, no tape, no words of encouragement.

nice pic😃
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LadysKnight
Hello Ladies


Registered: 10/09/15
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Re: What's wrong with this monotub??? [Re: jcm4620]
#26844212 - 07/25/20 08:46 AM (3 years, 6 months ago) |
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Yeah the sun rising over those mountains in the background through the clouds is beautiful.
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Gan
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Re: What's wrong with this monotub??? [Re: LadysKnight]
#26844217 - 07/25/20 08:48 AM (3 years, 6 months ago) |
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Dont tape the holes up. Dont put the foil back on
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Phrontist
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Re: What's wrong with this monotub??? [Re: Gan]
#26844329 - 07/25/20 09:53 AM (3 years, 6 months ago) |
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Quote:
Gan said: Dont tape the holes up. Dont put the foil back on
I tried. Some people need to learn the hard way.
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Gan
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Re: What's wrong with this monotub??? [Re: Phrontist]
#26844433 - 07/25/20 11:12 AM (3 years, 6 months ago) |
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Haha I know. I was hoping a second person giving the same advice may do something
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hamie
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Re: What's wrong with this monotub??? [Re: Gan]
#26844519 - 07/25/20 12:03 PM (3 years, 6 months ago) |
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If it's not because of the untaped holes then what do you think the problem might be? Contamination? I don't see any mold or anything. Could it be that it's too dry? if so should I just mist the walls and put the lid back on or something?
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Roger Clemency
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Re: What's wrong with this monotub??? [Re: hamie]
#26844551 - 07/25/20 12:16 PM (3 years, 6 months ago) |
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I wish I could find the source of the "mist the walls" phenomenon.
I guess it could actually help a little with general humidity, the little droplets evaporating from the sides, but with a properly made tub humidity should never really be a problem for cubes. Misting is supposed to land on the substrate and give you a little coat of droplets than then evaporate and trigger pinning while giving you a nice little humid area right where the pins will be.
I think you probably have some bacteria in there. You have manure and worm castings in that sub so it needs to be properly pasteurized, which can be done incorrectly and cause problems. It could also have been in your grain spawn from the start.
-------------------- Sour grapes, sweet revenge Heaven starts right where hell ends
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Phrontist
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Quote:
Roger Clemency said: I wish I could find the source of the "mist the walls" phenomenon.
I guess it could actually help a little with general humidity, the little droplets evaporating from the sides, but with a properly made tub humidity should never really be a problem for cubes. Misting is supposed to land on the substrate and give you a little coat of droplets than then evaporate and trigger pinning while giving you a nice little humid area right where the pins will be.
You know, I actually had a chance to discuss this with my brother-in-law recently, who happens to be a PhD microbiologist and done research studies in mycology. He was actually quite puzzled by the idea of “direct evaporation triggers pinning” that seems to be generally accepted around here. Of course he wouldn’t say for certain without knowing all of the specifics, but he said it makes far more sense that evaporation is indicative of pinning conditions rather than being a direct cause of pinning.
In other words, if you’ve got evaporation happening inside the tub, you’ve got moisture in the air, which means it’s safe for the mycelium to send fruits up (they won’t dry out in the air). If you’ve got proper field capacity and your tub dialed in, it’ll work out that evaporation happens at the surface mycelium. But if you’re slightly below field capacity and you spray the inner walls rather than the surface, it shouldn’t make a difference as long as it evaporates and gets into the air.
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A.k.a
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Re: What's wrong with this monotub??? [Re: Phrontist]
#26844764 - 07/25/20 02:48 PM (3 years, 6 months ago) |
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I think the biggest support for evaporation causing pinning is that in a well made tub you’ll only get surface pins. If it’s just humid they’ll pin all over. At least that’s the only thing I can think of for why good surface conditions cut down on side pins.
For sure full colonization is the main thing, then it seems like evaporation is next.
The longer I’ve been here and the more I learn, the more shocked I am at how little is known about mushrooms. Especially since the internet’s been around you can think up any random thing and it’ll have been dissected and broken down every way possible.
But not shrooms for some reason.
When I signed up shroomery wasn’t somewhere I expected to be supporting and fostering cutting edge mushroom research.
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LAGM2020     
Edited by A.k.a (07/25/20 02:49 PM)
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Phrontist
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Re: What's wrong with this monotub??? [Re: hamie]
#26844765 - 07/25/20 02:48 PM (3 years, 6 months ago) |
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Quote:
hamie said: If it's not because of the untaped holes then what do you think the problem might be? Contamination? I don't see any mold or anything. Could it be that it's too dry? if so should I just mist the walls and put the lid back on or something?
My guess would be bacteria, as well. You’ve made the process more complicated than you need to and added a handful of steps that are at best unnecessary, at worst harmful to your grow. I would HIGHLY recommend starting off as simply as possible, with a 100% coco coir substrate and a Pastywhyte EZ Dial monotub. Every time you add a variable (e.g. manure, poly, foil), you’re creating another potential point of failure.
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Phrontist
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Re: What's wrong with this monotub??? [Re: A.k.a]
#26844795 - 07/25/20 03:09 PM (3 years, 6 months ago) |
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Quote:
A.k.a said: I think the biggest support for evaporation causing pinning is that in a well made tub you’ll only get surface pins. If it’s just humid they’ll pin all over. At least that’s the only thing I can think of for why good surface conditions cut down on side pins.
Mushrooms tend to grow where it makes sense to, right? If conditions on the surface will support healthy growth and conditions on the side will not, you’ll get pins on top and not on the side. Flip those circumstances and you’ll get flipped results.
Think of it this way: no one works on creating a great side surface for pins, but side pins still happen. If tiny water beads evaporating directly from the surface mycelium was needed to trigger pinning, side pins wouldn’t happen, right?
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