Date: Fri, 25 Aug 2000 12:10:10 -0700 From: "dick c tran" <dick_tran@lycos.com> To: cp@opus.hpl.hp.com Message-Id: <aabcdefg2621$foo@default> Subject: growing highlands in southern CA
hi all,
just thought i put in my 2 cents worth about growing highland neps.
Well, I primarily grow highland neps simply
because I don't have a lot of room, there's just a lot more species diversification, and they are slow growers. The temp in my insulated 60 gal tank heats up to 95F during the day with the ambient temp in
the room where the tank is located sometimes getting to 100F during some of the very hot summer days. The temperature in the tank is regulated by 2 "cooling" thermostats, one for day (set to 90F), the
other for night (set to 55F) . Cold air from a refrigerator is used to keep the tank from getting above 95F during the day via a PVC pipe. In the evening, I have a stripped-down refrigerator where I place just the condenser inside the tank along with 2 thermoelectric cooling elements I got from 2 PLENTIKOOL coolers (igloo manufacturer) sitting on top of the tank. These three items helps to cool the tank down in the evenings to 55-60F, even during the hottest nights where the ambient temp is about 95F. The humidity in the tank is maintained at around 80-100% depending on the time of day and how often the "systems" come on by means of an ultra-sonic
fogger set to go off at 1 hour intervals/30 seconds cycle by means of a CYCLESTAT timer. I have been putting together this system since the beginning of this year and has evolved to what it is now where day and night temps are automatically controlled. The plants are in 4" square pots and are watered once a week. Here comes the best part, what kind of neps do I have in the tank.
just to name a few....
hamata (very good grower)
aristolochiodes (very difficult, very slow)
inermis (slow)
villosa (very, very slow, but goood)
macfarlanie
carunculata
rajah
lowii
cheers,
dick
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