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Villosa chamber

Thought I would share my latest contraption with you guys.
New home for my villosa, macrophylla, ect. ect.
It's a new 4' x 2' x 4' freezer with a custom window in the lid, to see your precious beauties through.
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uht2.jpg


I think I'll start @ 48 degrees for a low, and go from there. Now I just need to fill it up! (Tony see's $$ signs
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 )
Of course I want to thank Jeff, and Jeremiah for the tips, and inspiration. Thanks Guys!
Robin
 
ooh Looks very nice! Did you cut a section from the existing lid and replace it with a glass pane?

T
 
I have a request for instructions on how to build this. So.
Let's see.
1. Get a freezer

2. CAREFULLY drill hole in side, with a hole saw. There are tubes running along the sides, front, and back. Puncture them, and it's over.

3. Measure top of freezer lid. Subtract about 10" from length, and width. Order twin pane window with a flashing on one side to fit measurements.

4. Cut hole in lid (with a jig saw) to fit window. There are no tubes running thru the lid so no problem there. Drop window in with some polyurethane or other glue.

5. get a prewired thermostat, and  humidistat (farmtek), one power strip, one timer, one humidifier, two flourex lights for top. Eggcrate, and pvc pipe for stand.

6. Run thermostast, and humidistat wires thru hole in side of freezer. Plug thermostat into timer, set to come on at night. plug that timer into power strip, as well as humidistat.

I think thats about it. Temps appear to stay below 70 during the day with the lights on, so nothing needs to be on during the day except the lights.

Anymore questions? Ask away.
Hope that helps!!
Robin
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Yeah Tony. Cut a hole right in the top. Use a bimetal jigsaw blade.
Thanks for the compliment.
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Thanks Kirk. Cost....hmmm.

Around $700. Not cheap, but well worth it.
 
wow! nevermind, i dont think i can afford that, but maybe my greenhouse could grow them
 
Well done! I'm pleased to see that you've decided to try this!
Since I set mine up in 2001, the plants I've grown in it are
doing quite well. Please keep me posted on your results!!
 
  • #10
Ah thermopane window.. I see.

Kirk if you scrounged around for a used freezer and went with less expensive parts such as shoplights and plexiglass in place of the lid, you could reduce the cost significantly.

I like how the fluorex lets you see in to view the plants though without having to move stuff around to open it up.

T
 
  • #11
Uh, you know that you can grow macrophylla, rajah and lowii on a windowsill right? I grew a macrophylla on mine for a time and i have a friend that grew rajah and lowii on his for a while also. Though i can understand you wanting good housing for your Neps. I'd get one for myself, but i already have a warmhouse that gets in to the fifties at night, which is good enough nocturnal cooling.
 
  • #12
wouldnt a refriderator of the same size provide you with the same temperatures you are trying to get?
 
  • #13
Are you talking to me, or the other guy? Anway, my warmhouse is pretty large (8' by 8' and 6'10" tall). I think a refrigerator would be more expensive to operate. Besides, i would think it would be more complicated to get the nocturnal cooling (or daytime warming, depending on how you look at it) in a refrigerator.
I only replied since it was unclear whether you were talking to me or the starter of this thread.
 
  • #14
Yeah rlhirst, please clarify why a freezer and not just a fridge.
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Won’t a fridge be able to reach 5 degree Celsius?

I’m going to create something similar myself next year but I don’t plan to grow Villosa’s and will already be happy with night temperatures around 10-15 degree Celsius.

Oh and how much lighting (wattage) do you have on top?
 
  • #15
A refridgerator removes humidity, even if you DID humidify it, it wouldn't be worth the electrical costs. Freezers just cool things down with no airflow in or out of the freezer body.
 
  • #16
Now that i think about it, your right gracilis. Air conditioners do the same thing.
 
  • #17
so if i just got a smaller freezer, plexiglass instead, and a regualr shoplight how much would it be?
 
  • #18
I dunno.. If you get a cheap used freezer it might be 50-$100 plus the other stuff.  btw you would still need some sort of thermostat and a timer so you can set the night temperature correctly.  I think if you shopped around and were not as interested in asthetics and precision performance you could probably put together something for 150-$200 but alot would depend on the freezer cost and thermostat which are the more expensive components.

I know people that have used those small thermoelectic coolers and made small grow chambers with them by replacing the lid and using a simple timer. They just set it to run for a set period of time each night. Kinda risky if you ask me though. I would prefer using a thermostat.

Tony
 
  • #19
as far as a controller use a Ranco dual stage... It will control heating and cooling. Its about 150 bux...

EDIT: combining posts:

heres a link to a place that sells them....

You can get them cheaper if you look around I just happened to have this link handy...

http://www.reefgeek.com/product....91.html
 
  • #20
alrigth i think ill shop around for a thermoelectric cooler, but once i get it, what times would i set it to?
 
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