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Jadis
..Just waituntil you seethe bats!

Registered: 08/19/04
Posts: 227
Last seen: 13 years, 8 months
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A question on how to make the terrarium
#8035803 - 02/17/08 10:22 PM (15 years, 11 months ago) |
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What is the general consensus on making a terrarium? I plan to (try) grow 10 cakes using the PF method. I work in a lab doing biomedical research, so I'm definitely not a stranger to sterile technique (though with my luck I'll contaminate all 10 ) But I am a stranger to the terrarium thing.
I wouldn't mind spending like 15-20 minutes/day on maintenance, but should I be expecting to spend a lot more? I will likely be ordering the ultra sonic humidifier or whatever it's called.
Thanks for any help. I've been reading about growing mushrooms for like 4-5 hours now, so I'm a little scatter brained
edit:
Also, once the cakes are fully formed/in the terrarium, is contamination no longer an issue?
-------------------- Do you realize that everyone you know someday will die? And instead of saying all of your goodbyes, Let them know you realize that life goes fast. It's hard to make the good things last. You realize the sun don't go down; It's just an illusion caused by the world spinnin' round.
Edited by Jadis (02/17/08 10:23 PM)
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Zen Lunatic
Puppet


Registered: 11/03/07
Posts: 32
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Re: A question on how to make the terrarium [Re: Jadis]
#8035909 - 02/17/08 10:49 PM (15 years, 11 months ago) |
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My terrarium is a 10 gal aquarium with a lid that was cut (or rather gouged, smashed, and scavenged) from plexiglass. Its Mostly air tight. I mist it then fan it at least 3 times a day. Total time consumed....about 1 min per spray/fanning or less. I've gotten nice results from it since I stopped using the spray shield and addad a pile-o-perlite to it. I could prolly get 10 cakes in it if I tried, I've not put more than 5 at once in it tho, thats all I really need.
And once a cake is colonized, it can still be contaminated, just much less easily. There are a few things that can grow on a colonized cake, but I don't imagine many of them would be hanging around in your house without good cause. I handle my cakes, smell them, put unsterile tap water on them, and haven't seen a cake go bad on me. Not like before they're colonized...they almost Want to get contaminated.
As far as an ultra sonic goes...I've no experience with them, nor have I even read much, seems to me and my wife a waste of cash since it can't do anything but mushroom cultivation, and a good quality spray bottle works just fine (and is also good for disciplining our cats!).
Hope I was some help =)
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Jadis
..Just waituntil you seethe bats!

Registered: 08/19/04
Posts: 227
Last seen: 13 years, 8 months
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Re: A question on how to make the terrarium [Re: Zen Lunatic]
#8035959 - 02/17/08 11:03 PM (15 years, 11 months ago) |
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Yeah man that is a ton of help.
With your sprayer, do you have to empty the tank of water (or do you have .. a 'water-exit' tube at the bottom)? I do agree the ultrasonic seems a waste of money if the spray bottle really isn't very labor-intensive.
Thanks
-------------------- Do you realize that everyone you know someday will die? And instead of saying all of your goodbyes, Let them know you realize that life goes fast. It's hard to make the good things last. You realize the sun don't go down; It's just an illusion caused by the world spinnin' round.
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miles420
Shrooms :)


Registered: 02/01/08
Posts: 39
Last seen: 9 years, 9 months
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Re: A question on how to make the terrarium [Re: Zen Lunatic]
#8035977 - 02/17/08 11:07 PM (15 years, 11 months ago) |
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just do it with a top gallon bucket but put plastic wrap on the top and for humidity just stick perlite in there bout an inch deep and soak it in water first and then lay that on the bottom and put your cakes on the lids and fan a few time a day
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Jadis
..Just waituntil you seethe bats!

Registered: 08/19/04
Posts: 227
Last seen: 13 years, 8 months
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Re: A question on how to make the terrarium [Re: miles420]
#8036009 - 02/17/08 11:14 PM (15 years, 11 months ago) |
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Just read all about the perlite and it sounds great, actually. I will probably use that. I'm assuming I will still need a "drop catcher" or whatever it's called, to catch water droplets from condensation...?
-------------------- Do you realize that everyone you know someday will die? And instead of saying all of your goodbyes, Let them know you realize that life goes fast. It's hard to make the good things last. You realize the sun don't go down; It's just an illusion caused by the world spinnin' round.
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Zen Lunatic
Puppet


Registered: 11/03/07
Posts: 32
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Re: A question on how to make the terrarium [Re: Jadis]
#8036063 - 02/17/08 11:26 PM (15 years, 11 months ago) |
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NO DROP CATCHER!!
Its actually a spray shield/drip guard, and no, you don't need it.
I've read and tried both ways, the best way I can explain it is that in the wild, shrooms get all kinda shit dripped on them. As long as they get enough FAE its fine. My first cake with a spray shield gave me exactly 2 shrooms on the first flush. And it turned bluer than a frostbite victim's toes. I took out the spray shield, 5th flush on that cake now has 3 good sized shrooms on it....if thats any use =)
I'm no voice of authority, by any means. This is just what I do and whats worked =)
Peace!
Edit: theres no water exit tube, and I'm far...FAR...too lazy to be cleaning out a 10 gal aquarium every few days. I leave it be. 10 sec spraying, 30 sec fanning, no funky smells, nothing bad happening (except for some damn itching, but that another story), all is well with my mushrooms I do got a good 4 inches of perlite tho. It works for me, might not for you =)
Edited by Zen Lunatic (02/17/08 11:31 PM)
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Jadis
..Just waituntil you seethe bats!

Registered: 08/19/04
Posts: 227
Last seen: 13 years, 8 months
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Re: A question on how to make the terrarium [Re: Zen Lunatic]
#8036214 - 02/18/08 12:15 AM (15 years, 11 months ago) |
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Ok and one more question before i finally crawl into bed (bout time!).
You mention you got 3 shrooms on your cake.
I'm confused here. A lot of guides/people say expect like 2-3 shrooms per cake, but then I see these pictures of people with cakes that have like 10 nicely sized shrooms growing off of then, reaching into the heavens!
Is it just because they've perfected the art and get great yields, have good equipment etc etc, or is it strain-specific? Or am I just imagining things that I didn't really see? 
Cheers
-------------------- Do you realize that everyone you know someday will die? And instead of saying all of your goodbyes, Let them know you realize that life goes fast. It's hard to make the good things last. You realize the sun don't go down; It's just an illusion caused by the world spinnin' round.
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Zen Lunatic
Puppet


Registered: 11/03/07
Posts: 32
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Re: A question on how to make the terrarium [Re: Jadis]
#8036228 - 02/18/08 12:23 AM (15 years, 11 months ago) |
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Its very late and I'm sure you're tired. If anybody ever talks about getting 3 shrooms total off of anything, they don't do it right. All told of this one cake, I've gotten nearly 6 grams dry, I think. My scale sucks, and I don't often measure. But 3 shrooms...unless they're 18 inch shrooms with 6 inch caps, total from a cake, is crap.
What I mentioned of "3 shrooms" was that I got 3 shrooms growing on this flush. Flush...each time the cake sprouts mushrooms. The first flush on this cake I got 2 shrooms, later flushes had 8+ medium shrooms. This is the 5th and prolly last flush on this cake, its almost dead, and I got 3 good lookin shrooms on it =)
10 good sized shroms is not that uncommon, if you do it right...which I don't =)
Peace !
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