Thoughts On Growing With CO2 Supplementation?

[RUFUS HOUND]

2 hours ago, MindSoup said:

Fungus gnats or fruit flies? They look pretty similar. 

fungus gnais - no fruit flies

 

probably down to the decomposing juice mix

 

just did a quick search and fungus gnats are attracted to carbon dioxide 

Edited September 23, 2022 by RUFUS HOUND

[RUFUS HOUND]

On 22/09/2022 at 4:46 PM, MindSoup said:

 

Yes but even so, unless their is zero air movement then it will all get mixed up as its released, that's just basic fluid dynamics. Oil is heavier than water, but when you shake up your salad dressing it all mixes together.  Even if that wasn't the case, a lot of growers extract from the bottom of the space to avoid heat loss, especially when using LEDs. 

you might need to read up on fluid dynamics again, as oil weighs less (is lighter) than an equal volume of water. plus adding the vinegar and shaking vigorously causes the mixture to emulsify but it will separate eventually back to its different parts, so not a good example.

Edited September 23, 2022 by RUFUS HOUND

[mysticriver]

18 hours ago, RUFUS HOUND said:

how did you measure the CO2 at 900ppm ?

extech co2 meter

 

 

mystic

Edited September 24, 2022 by mysticriver

[mysticriver]

20 hours ago, ControlLED said:

beneficial to let your ph swing between 5.8-6.2

yes I think so too but its a pita in RO water bro - the slightest pH up or down moves it drastic, so I tend not to bother

 

 

 

mystic

[Keye]

Lots of people are using the Inkbird systems to turn things on and off; I've got their CO2 monitor. 

 

I bought it for something else, but I plugged it in last night after reading this thread and revisiting the idea. It was reading about 850ppm or around 5-6pm. I went to bed last night and it was reading about 520ppm. 

 

Does CO2 decrease at night, normally? I will monitor it for swings and try to get a grasp on what my normal is.

[sweettooth]

growroom co2 will increase at lights out due to the plants uptaking oxygen and relasing co2. as for co2 levels over the day, you may find some swings, I bought some other cheaper monitors to measure round the house and it would go up when ever I was cooking or hoovering.

 

I'd love that high ppm naturally but it ain't happening without possible new ducting and duct heaters and drawing in from outside or another room in the house but cutting holes is a no no so supplementation it is. they do grow enough in veg with doors closed and extraction off or low but they can slow right down sometimes. a tank can last 3 weeks in veg providing a guaranteed minimun ppm level

[MindSoup]

17 hours ago, RUFUS HOUND said:

you might need to read up on fluid dynamics again, as oil weighs less (is lighter) than an equal volume of water. plus adding the vinegar and shaking vigorously causes the mixture to emulsify but it will separate eventually back to its different parts, so not a good example.

 

Well I got the densities the wrong way round but that's exactly the point I'm making. If there was no air movement the CO2 would drop to the floor just like the oil and water separating when left to sit but there is air movement so it will mix in with the other air, same as if you kept the dressing agitated. 

 

E2A the difference is that the oil and water don't want to stay mixed, so you'd need a lot need less agitation/circulation to get the CO2 to mix in with the air. 

Edited September 24, 2022 by MindSoup

[Owderb]

It may be a factor that if you live close to water (rivers, streams etc) you will have more co2 naturally in the air. Also rivers and streams emit as much as 35% more co2 at night compared to the day which would impact your grow all depending on when your cycle is

 

Owd 

[Keye]

1 hour ago, Owderb said:

.... live close to water (rivers, streams etc)....

 

I don't, but it sounds nice! Never considered it in this way, interesting.

 

My lights are off during the day and CO2 has risen to just over 600ppm. My lights go on at 9pm so I'll see what happens then. If it's the same as yesterday, I'll put the sensor outside, in the general area of the house and see what my levels are like then.

 

I've never really looked at this but I suppose I really should have done. I've always been about extraction first, then lights and nutrients all the way down to genetics. I'm surprised I've never 

[Keye]

Just tipped over 800ppm now. 

 

My fan is on the same speed all the time.

[Keye]

Readings climbed above 1100ppm just before lights off and now they're headed down a bit; I'm going to monitor for a day or so and then test my ambients.

 

 

Edited September 24, 2022 by Keye

[Lux_Interior]

2 hours ago, Keye said:

Readings climbed above 1100ppm just before lights off and now they're headed down a bit; I'm going to monitor for a day or so and then test my ambients.

 

 

Hi @Keye

 

There has been a lot of discussion in this thread that I agrree with. I have considered using C02 in a grow before. But after researching I decided not to bother.

 

It appears to me that unless you have your environment absolutely nailed (which you may have) and a lot of excess light it doesn't seem (£££) worth it. i know growers who have use CO2 and the  results were ... meh!

 

 

[Keye]

@Lux_Interior Yeah, I'd agree. I can't see how putting CO2 into a normal grow would do anything at all that could be noticed. It's a lot of setup and cost for exponentially less return. Nailing the environment, which I don't have, but which you have to do first, I think would create more output than adding the CO2 on top.

 

My CO2 dropped to just over 800ppm at around midnight last night and now they're still around 800ppm but falling, with just one hour of lights off so far.

 

 

I may have gotten my post wrong, above, because my lights go ON at 9pm and OFF at 9am. I'm not writing anything down outside of this post, which I should really.... I think I will from now and keep an eye on it for a week and then move the monitor out of the grow room; that'll show me if it's the best I can do.

 

 

 

[ControlLED]

On 9/23/2022 at 3:35 PM, Shumroom said:

 

a reliable/affordable possibly wifi enabled CO2 monitor 

 

 

 

have you considered an ink bird matey? brilliant value for money 

[Shumroom]

I hadn't seen them before, 

I wasn't really looking

 

Who knows maybe one late night I'll spend the £90 on one 

 

Mind you I've been having problems with the WiFi connection on my Inkbird app, 

I'll need to look into sorting them out before I give inkbird any more of my hard earned. 

 

Thanks for the response

 

Atb