howdy from the uk - day one

[Ace25]

I used the "cricket sounds" back in the 80's when I was into growing other types of plants. It seemed to be the most logical 'sound' method for increasing crop growth from my research.

http://www.relfe.com/sonic_bloom.html

[Garf]

Anyone interested in growing a load of bacteria ? The co2 injection appears to have induced a load of bacteria ( I assume that's what it is [clear slime]) on the unlit area of the screen and the small screen in the slot pipe.

http://www.bioconlabs.com/nitribactfacts.html

[Garf]

Gonna have to tip your head to the side on the third pic !

Side with cfl's and blue tube;



Just cfl's;



Harvest nearly 800 grms;



End on;

[kotlec]

I believe my best harvest was 10 gram

[Garf]

This time (after messing about with screen cleaning techniques) I have decided to clean one side of my screen every seven days, alternating it obviously. I can see several benefits to this;
1) the seven day algae is now lit from both sides, reducing light limitation
2) the seven day algae is supplied with more flow, co2 and gas exchange
3) the bare screen can repopulate faster as it grows through the screen from the other side

This is a pic of a 2 day old screen (this side anyway)


Pathetic yellow patches show how must light is being blocked from the nine day algae on the other side (that is actually how much light is passing through the algae [2 x 23w cfls])

[Garf]

This is the same screen but with the front lights turned off. Doubt much photosynthesis would be happening on a 14 day screen (at the screen surface) considering this is a 9 dayer.

[Garf]

"Grow It Through Screen" after 4 days;


Normal 4 day screen;

[Garf]

6 day growth on left, 13 days on right. Scraped edge of screen to define left from right.

[kotlec]

2x time , but 5x growth ! How thick it is ?
Do you notice any dye off at all ?

[Garf]

Kotlec - its about 20mm thick on the 13 day screen. No indications of die off previously, except when I used to clean it, the screen would turn brown initially. The last two times (cleaning just one side),no brown, just lots of green.

Wierdly - the brown patches I used to get we're in exactly the same pattern as the pic from 4 days ago which shows the area of highest intensity of light penetrating the screen. This leads me to believe the the higher light intensity combined with lower flow, deep in the mat, are contriving together to reduce filtering capacity.