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  #161  
Old 06-22-2021, 10:51 PM
Draikan Draikan is offline
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Join Date: Jul 2020
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Well summer is here and it is absolutely steamy in the terrarium. When I stick my head in it really feels like a jungle. Average conditions are about 80F days and 65F nights, at >90% humidity.

The plants are responding well, lots of new growth and there are different things blooming than during winter. I'll try to remember to post pictures as they open.




The humidifying mister went off just as I took this picture so it even looks steamy.



Lths. telipogoniflora is continuing its recovery. It finished the first new leaf it was working on and immediately started a second. I was worried I was losing this one, but now I feel very confident it was just too cold. The monitoring system lets me be pretty sure that the only change it has experienced is the temperature increase. You probably can't see the new leaf but I'll post another once it's bigger.




The clear response I'm getting to increased temperatures is making me reconsider my plans not to heat the tanks. I'm still testing the heat cable in this tank, and I think the few degrees it contributes during the day do help the plants that like the warmth. I'm leaning toward building my next couple tanks with slightly better insulation and adding temperature control to them. The current terrarium would be for intermediate plants, and the new one for warm growers. That will even let me experiment with growing divisions in each climate to see what they like best.

I'm still making progress on the electronics. The waterproofing material finally shipped today, so hopefully I can get the new version coated and into the tank for testing soon. While I wait I've been working on a new module that will let me add more fans and valves to the control system as I need them.

Last edited by Draikan; 06-22-2021 at 11:52 PM..
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  #162  
Old 07-17-2021, 09:12 AM
SADE2020 SADE2020 is offline
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@draikan....please could you tell me your light measurement for your lower plants. I can read Lux or Footcandle.
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  #163  
Old 07-17-2021, 04:18 PM
Draikan Draikan is offline
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Around the bottom level of plants the light is usually about 2000 lux on my meter. Sometimes 2500 in a brighter spot or 1500 if there is some shade from above.
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  #164  
Old 07-17-2021, 08:19 PM
SADE2020 SADE2020 is offline
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Draikan View Post
Around the bottom level of plants the light is usually about 2000 lux on my meter. Sometimes 2500 in a brighter spot or 1500 if there is some shade from above.
Thank you so much
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  #165  
Old 09-01-2021, 09:21 PM
Draikan Draikan is offline
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Temperatures have been all over the place here recently. First we had a heatwave, then it was cold, etc. Most of the plants are fine. Some really like the heat but others don't. I have AC in my office where the terrariums are, but it can't always keep up.

This Stelis sp is blooming again but this time the buds are finally opening! It has bloomed 3 or 4 times in the past, but it always dropped the buds before they opened. I suspected the humidity was always too low for, but couldn't do anything. This is the first bloom in the controlled humidity environment and the blooms are just starting to open!




Trisetella hoeijeri has given up on life and dropped all of its leaves. I think the warm weather killed it. Pretty frustrating since this one had been making a slow recovery all last winter. I am learning to have more respect for the plant's recommended temperature ranges.


The same Trisetella hoeijeri just four months ago:


This Lepanthopsis astrophora keiki is doing great, and even blooming despite being so small. I'd really prefer this plant not spend energy on blooms and send it all to foliage and roots. Can you snip off spikes to encourage this?



Pleurothallis picta is just finishing up its bloom.



Pleurothallis grobyi is still doing amazing, but doesn't bloom. I'm not quite sure what it needs, because it appears to be very happy. I will probably be dividing this up in a few months and was hoping to see some flowers first.


Lepanthes telipogoniflora is still holding on. The two leaves in the image below are both new, and it dropped its old foliage, but it hasn't grown anymore since the heatwave ended. I'm not sure if this one will survive until I can get it into a hotter tank.


Bulbophyllum pardalotum is doing ok. This has always grown slower for me. I think it probably wants to be warmer, and maybe be watered less frequently?




I divided a section of it off a few months ago and it is just starting its first new growth.



My control system is still working fine. The sensor had another corrosion issue about two months ago. There was an unused connector that I didn't coat completely, and it developed some corrosion. Once I cleaned it up and recoated it, it went back to working. I've had no problems since then.

The new sensors still haven't been tested in the terrarium. The software work is progressing and hopefully I can get them in the tank soon. I have spent most of my hobby time on the new fan and valve controllers. They just finished assembly and should be arriving any day. Hopefully I will be able to share them soon.

CAD view of the fan/valve controller:


And here is the first completed circuit board just before shipment:
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  #166  
Old 09-02-2021, 03:46 AM
SADE2020 SADE2020 is offline
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I want to see a pic of the entire set up, the entire box ...please!!
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  #167  
Old 11-21-2021, 08:26 PM
Draikan Draikan is offline
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Some new blooms and a whole lot of foliage in the last few months.

Lepanthopsis astrophora is always blooming:


Scaphosepalum microdactylum has given me spikes before but never made it all the way to full blooms:


A few plants seem to love the conditions in the terrarium because they are starting to put out foliage that is just huge.

Pleurothallis niveoglobula:





old foliage:


new foliage:


Pleurothallis eumecocaulon:


old:


new:
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