Topic: home made propagator

[alan42]

i have a 4 foot long old fish tank complete with lid and thought if i suspend a light bulb inside it then it would give me light and heat for my seeds to germinate much like a propagator. Does this sound like a good idea or bad what can go wrong?
i will keep an eye on the watering and will put nothing directly below the bulb.
many thanks
Alan

[davee52uk]

1. It might be an idea to have some sort of thermostat.

2. You would need to ensure that condensation does not get into lighting circuit.

Good luck!

[OllieC]

A normal bulb would give the wrong frequency light - you need to get one designed for growing, or a sodium discharge type, most of which would be too hot if kept inside the tank, although there are some nice little fluorescent ones that don't get so hot...  I would get a glass lid & keep the light outside. Or I'd get a fish!

[alan42]

no fish tank is cracked.
many thanks for the advice.
alan

[OllieC]

I should've said - when I was a kid, I kept some Giant African snails in an old fish tank - using a fish tank thermostat & a screw-fit light bulb (probably 60W) as the heater. It kept a steady 25 degrees C, in a very cold house, being on about quarter of the time, I think - hence observations on heat!
When I accidentally left the thermostat out of the tank, they got cooked as the bulb stayed on continuously. That was the end of my snail-keeping!

[davee52uk]

There are perfectly legal garden supplies that will do this kind of thing. They may be supplying the equipment for people to grow cannabis at home in tanks etc but the suppliers are completly above board. Have a look out for home growing supplies that may have lights thermostats etc.

[alan42]

i had onion seeds in it but they started to look unhealthy so they are back on the windowsill and look much better. idea is now binned but thanks for the advice.
alan

[kenkew]

Glad you binned it Alan42. Sounded a bit dodgy to me. Electricity and damp earth have to be brought together in a very, very safe fashion.
 Think about good insulation and ventilation for seedlings, but for seeds, think more about excluding light until they show and keeping a lid on to preserve warmth and moisture.
 (People on here are more than willing to help with advice on almost all types of propogation and cultivation. Don't shy away with even the very basic questions....we all learn when others ask!)
Ken.

[Plot69]

idea is now binned but thanks for the advice.

How about soil warming cables? I've been using one for years and they work a treat.

http://www.garden4less.co.uk/soil-warming-cable.asp

The one right at the bottom of the page is the one I use.

http://www.garden4less.co.uk/proddetail.asp?prod=210