Setting Up Shop

[Dankmeleon]

Setting up shop , indoors and outdoors will be documenting it and adding a lot of pictures so people can see just what I have been up to and hopefully give new users some good ideas. I hope to also learn something myself as I document this, because approaching things like there is much to learn will get you a lot further than approaching it like you know everything!

Topics:

1. Enclosures - instrumentation. - drainage - mist setup ( depending on which company I decide to go with like i actually have to think about it, herp mist (going to be setting up the most complex we have seen thus far run on an auto float shut off valve) -waterproofing with panda/poly film
2. Plants - Cocomat - Netpot stands - repotting, soiless mixes,
3. fine tuning , timers, enviroment,

etc

Will add more soon look out

 

[lbesok]

Sounds exciting ...and time consuming. Have fun.

 

[Dankmeleon]

here we go

moving slowly but surely

mapping my misting needs and getting my areas cleaned up , sorry for the mess

1. Panda Poly Film tacked to wall with Hydroponic floodtable with drainage

perfect for indoor misting waterproofing - cheap - effective, can easily cut costs by switching from flood table to Maccourts' SuperTub for 10 dollars available at lowes(which doesn't have raised floors must use small bricks or the like to elevate cage.

*raised floor tubs are great, the platform in which the cage sits has canal drainage rows which flow on sllight tilt to the drain, which keeps everything dry until your next misting cycle hits, playyyyyyyyyya playaaaaaa

2. Quick shots of my outdoor setup, coming together little by little, recently got all my big plants on wheels, wow time/energy saver

3. current outdoor misting system tell your friends

consists of hose y adapter, eggshell hose timer, dual 5/8 to 1/4 to triple 1/8 quick connect fittings from there i go back to 1/4 with 360 misting nozzles



they quick connect so each cage currently gets a line run into it and then when i want to mist a different cage, i unconnect, and pull my triple connect to my next group of 3 cages and insert those lines into my triple splitter, don't ask me where i got these if i could get more i would , they came with my misting umbrellas

pearl

cloud


pearl and cloud

reggie cage he will have more palm trees soon when i wheel them around from the front

 

[Dankmeleon]

use plant stakes on higher plant buckets to aim them down on your cages, or buy a pro setup which i am doing this week stay tuned for review thread

check out my wagon. so playa playa from way back
more to come soon check back for irrigation construction, and indoor setup as well as outdoor final copy

 

[bluegeorge]

I am liking Reggie's cage. What size is it and where did you order it from?

Thanks

 

[Dankmeleon]

i have no idea i think its like 16depthx36widthx36height


i got it on craigslist with beat up screens and screened it myself, it took an hour only because i was getting my technique down, most of that hour was spent on the first couple large panels and the rest i just breezed through, having the right spline works great, and also stretching the spline out when you put it in helps it go in smoothly

 

[Marty]

Nice setup! Looks like there's a spider in the pool

 

[Dankmeleon]

yea i'm just a bit behind in cleaning lol it will be cleaned before its green though

 

[Glittergloomgirl]

wow i wish i knew what you were doing i have the gift of taking life.... I kill all my plants

 

[lbesok]

Yeah man, everything looks beautiful. I love your outdoor setting, and you have to give me tips later on how you rigged up that stuff behind your indoor cages.

 

[Dankmeleon]

yea let me know the dimensions you need covered and i'll cut you a few feet for free, i have a bulk roll

 

[lbesok]

Awesome, I appreciate it man, I'll go home tomorrow and measure. The only problem is that my ladies reside in front of a window I'll have to figure something out.

 

[Dankmeleon]

wow i wish i knew what you were doing i have the gift of taking life.... I kill all my plants

gardening is really easy with a few basic principals, each one of my large buckets is a mini hydro setup because its constantly being flushed with water from either my hose or misters, a very small amount of time release fertilizor is in with my plants

the bottom of each large bucket has a mixture of rocks, mulch, and hydroton, i would just use all hydroton but thats really pricey

this helps the roots drain


if you've ever filled a planter up with water, you know that as water goes in old oxygen gets pushed out....when the water drains, new oxygen gets sucked back in giving your root bio new and refreshed and ready to go to work, as well as flushing it of built up salts and alkalines that cause ph fluctuation


i could go on forever


in my cages as long as you keep repotting into new pots you will never need to fertilize, as with the new soil they will get all the nurishment they need under those lighting conditions.

all the ones around my cage either get dynamite, palm fertilizor, 8 10 10 , or fox farm

 

[lbesok]

What do all the indoor plants get? Is all that safe? I'll have to get you to show me some of that stuff to get for my indoor plants too. Some of them don't like to live inside.
How bout all these FL fires?? They SUCK, I might have a hard time getting home tomorrow....

 

[Dankmeleon]

we need some freaking rain

the indoor plants get good soil and thats it

and i will ocasionally cycle them outdoors and add a lil bit of nutes if they aren't looking fresh, and then flush and reintroduce

yes its all safe

an OMRI listed organic fertilizor is best

as a rule of thumb i don't like to do it in the cage because theres no need even though it probably wouldn't hurt

but then you feed the plant and flush with just fair amount of water a couple days later and you'll be good

as for putting plants with a touch of time release ferts in a cage, i would say the run off of that wouldn't be enough to cause a problem, once again why risk it


the solution is periodically repotting your plants in a rich soil/soiless mix with good drainage

 

[Vibrant Chameleons]

Dude, that back yard totally rules! Is that screen surrounding your yard, to keep things out of the pool?

 

[Dankmeleon]

lol its suppose to be ! but all the top screens are out so my pool gets super dirty

i was suppose to have it rescreened but its really challenging to time it good, because you have to have the deck completely pressure washed and spotless, because once they put the screens up, except for the doors, all the dirt gets trapped in

 

[Glittergloomgirl]

Wow, Thanks for all the info... I think when we hang at the reptile show....I'll pick your brain some more about the plants in the cages. Ill try what you said and replant every and get some of the things you suggested

 

[Dankmeleon]

for sure people approach planting like its a hassle but really its unorganization

its a lot easier to send out multiple invitations than it is just one

thats my analogy

you stream line the process for youself and do all your planting at once and its a snap, relaxing, peaceful and fun

 

[Dankmeleon]

Back then nothing really mattered I loved life back then, still do but that was a special time in my life that's made me into the man I am today