Fish tanks for seed starting?

[ninny]

Has anyone used fish tanks for seed starting or growing year round? I don't have a greenhouse but i have tons of fish tanks. Id love to find a way to grow veggies and fruit year round. I also have heat lamps that i used for my chicks.

 

[injunjoe]

Why yes,yes I do here is a link to a picture of my setup.
There is pictures else were also.

http://www.theeasygarden.com/forum/viewtopic.php?id=27029&p=2

Joe

 

[patandchickens]

They are ok I guess but there are a lot better setups IMHO.

The main problem is that it's real hard to rig up lights to get close enough to the newly-sprouted plants -- you need the bulb to be literally 2" or so above the plant, and fishtanks do not lend themselves well to this. Also, plants need air circulation all around them, and even with no lid on the fishtank it is possible to run into rot/mold/damping-off problems that become hard to fix without either losing the fishtank or running a fan.

IMHO the best setup I know of for easily starting seeds at home is just to rig up several 4' shoplights over a table, each individually adjustable in height, and put yer flats underneath them, and put a strip of white cardboard all around the edges to reflect back light to the edge rows of flats. Between the cardboard around the edge, and the shoplights hovering over the flats, it keeps its humidity pretty well IME without much if any damping off or other fungal problems. And is very easy to inspect, tend, adjust, reconfigure as plants grow, etc.

(e.t.a. - joe's setup works fine b/c he has plenty of natural light and a naturally-correct temperature, but if you live further north that's not going to be the case)

A fishtank *can* be useful for rooting cuttings, though. And of course you can always make terrariums, which are fun

(edited to also add: you DO NOT want to use heatlamps for seeds. They will cost you *way way* too much money, not put out really all that much light for all that many plants, and will cook your seedlings. The fixtures themselves are not even that useful, because really what you want is fluorescent bulbs, either the oldfashioned long type or a whole row of CFLs. Save the brooder lights for the brooder )

Good luck, have fun,

Pat

 

[injunjoe]

Good point Pat , but the tank would only be left on the seeded pots until the seedling emerge. Then you would of course want to take them out!

Joe

 

[patandchickens]

Good point Pat , but the tank would only be left on the seeded pots until the seedling emerge. Then you would of course want to take them out!

Ok, but what would be the advantage, then, of doing that as opposed to just putting a piece of clear plexiglass (or etc) over top of the flat...?

Pat

 

[injunjoe]

It would be about the same except for the dead air space.
As we all know one of the best insulators is air!
This would make the temp. more controllable.

I do use the Tanks for cutting mostly but they can do two jobs.

I use the plastic bag deal also. I put the whole tray in the bag and seal it!

Some I don't cover at all! Like these here;
http://www.theeasygarden.com/forum/viewtopic.php?id=26551&p=1

I now have those ready for 5 gallon pots to over winter.

Joe

 

[Greensage45]

I just keep wondering how you get in there with the roto-tiller! LOL

I guess you could use a pizza cutter!

Ron

 

[injunjoe]

I just keep wondering how you get in there with the roto-tiller! LOL

I guess you could use a pizza cutter!

Ron

Why yes Ron, how did you know?

Here is mine, she's a bit tweaked out!

Joe

 

[Greensage45]

Yikes-oh-la!

Keep that thing away from any important body parts! LOL

 

[injunjoe]

A Bar-missing-what party?

It is a mean looking tool!

Joe