Reddit mentions of Hydrofarm Agrobrite FLT22 T5 Fluorescent Foot, 2 Tube Grow Light System, 2-Feet, Black

That looks awfully like a manganese or zinc deficiency, which shows up first in new leaves. It's not enough to spray the leaves; you have to water the roots with a complete fertilizer that has all the micronutrients and minerals.

And spraying the leaves does nothing to increase humidity. You'd do better with a humidity tray. For spraying to work, you need to do it constantly, like they do in supermarkets with their produce.

Some leaf loss is to be expected, but that box is just not bright enough. If I were growing citrus in a closet, I'd get something like this and mount it vertically on the wall.

No it doesnt, not yet. Its hard to tell really. All the traps are closed so I cant see the pigmentation color. However, the growth looks good. (New leaves popping from the center look good).

What area are you in? If you can grow outside in full sun, that would be a lot better. Inside, you need to simulate a dormancy period. Etc. Its doable, but excessively complicated in my mind.

Here is a good link for you to read up on dormancy:
http://www.flytrapcare.com/venus-fly-trap-dormancy


If you are truly hell bent on growing inside...You probably need one of these babies.
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0031CA3OM/ref=ox_sc_sfl_title_1?ie=UTF8&psc=1&smid=A1DXN92KCKEQV4

Keep it as close to the plant as possible for 12 hours a day and see how it does. Adjust as necessary. (if it looks starved for light, up the dosage).

This. And a fan

Microgreens don't need a ton of light. Two 2-foot T8 bulbs, 3 2-foot LED strip lights, or one of the cheaper LED panels per tray should suffice. Something like this 2-tube T5 fixture would be the high end.

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0031CA3OM/ref=asc_df_B0031CA3OM5190008/?tag=hyprod-20&creative=394997&creativeASIN=B0031CA3OM&linkCode=df0&hvadid=167123712426&hvpos=1o9&hvnetw=g&hvrand=16446119069533395384&hvpone=&hvptwo=&hvqmt=&hvdev=m&hvdvcmdl=&hvlocint=&hvlocphy=9028731&hvtargid=pla-274030433488

I use this plus two grow bulbs, in a lamp. My plants get no natural light and grow fine under this and my grow bulbs. Pic of brand of bulb https://i.imgur.com/t2GJ8vo.jpg

Hi there!

So I would really like to get into the art of Bonsai. I've been looking at getting a Ficus. The only problem is that it would have to permanently (at least for the foreseeable future) live indoors, as I live in a townhouse complex, without access to a balcony/private yard/fenced in area. I completely understand bonsai don't do well indoors, but with the proper lighting is it doable? I have been looking at lighting from local hydroponic shops and am having trouble picking a light. Would a basic 100 Watt-Equivalent CFL work? Or should I get something a bit fancier like one of these?

250 Watt, 6500K CFL with Reflector

2 Foot, 2 Tube, T5 Fluorescent

60 x 10 Watt LED Grow Light (600 Watt Equivalent)

60 x 10 Watt LED Grow Light (900 Watt Equivalent)

[CFL 13 Watt = 65 Watt Equivalent, 6500K] (https://www.homedepot.ca/en/home/p.cfl-13w--60w-mini-twister-daylight-6500k---case-of-12-bulbs.1000681198.html)

CFL 23 Watt = 100 Watt 2700K

CFL 23 Watt = 100 Watt 6500K

If I were to get Fluorescents I would need a stand of some sort. Would something like this work? Should I change the bulbs to something more powerful?

24 Watt, 6400K, 2 Feet T5

Any of the lights purchased would be kept on an automatic timer indoors. Should the length of the timer be affected by the power of the bulb? Less powerful = More time per day?

I have a system similar to what you're describing, I posted it a while back here.

I have changed things recently, and maybe I can share with you some of the mistakes I made so you can avoid them. Firstly, you want a way to divide your flow and control it with ball valves. This is a great cheap pump on amazon. I know it seems like the gallons per hour are high, and with a small system that becomes an issue. If flow is too disruptive in your tank, your fish aren't happy. If flow is too high in your tiny grow bed, your plants aren't happy. I split the flow from my pump to divert some of it to two media beds and a third directly back into my tank. The splitting system was made of PVC and ball valves. It was the only way to reduce the flow rate so it wasn't crazy disruptive. A timer only costs about 10 USD and 15 min intervals really do help, even for an ornamental tank. I'd also recommend a bell siphon just because they're cool and can be made small. It helps your roots breathe.


I have aggressive filtration; small systems are very delicate and temperamental. Having lots of physical and biological filtration helps with this. I have an under gravel filter and also made a small canister filter that I run the water through before the media bed; you can make one out of anything water-tight. This provides a bit more water for your system and more aggressive filtration. Mine is full of filter mesh and bucky balls. I found that without this pre-filter, my media was getting disgusting within a few months.


My cheap fluorescent light worked like crap. You just can't grow things with anything but a good window or a good grow light. Amazon occasionally has great deals on lights, like this one. The T5's are great for little indoor systems.


Using clear acrylic tubing was stupid. It ended up with so much growth it gummed up everything. It also leaked like crazy everywhere even with hose clamps because it wasn't really made for any pressure. Use cheap black vinyl pond tubing like this. It's made specifically for this purpose and doesn't cost much more.


Heating a small system like this is a pain in the ass. I had a heater that was rated for 30 gallons, a heater in my canister, and it still couldn't keep up. Because there's so little water, as your water recirculates, it cools to room temp quickly. This makes your fish have to deal with constant temp fluctuations, which is stressful for them. You can get expensive line heaters on top of a heater for each tank, keep the room your tank is in at 24 degrees C, or just use cold water fish. I'd recommend the latter unless you have a good budget.


Finally, you still want to follow the general rules of aquarium keeping. Cichlids have no business in a 10 gallon tank, its way too small for them. Also an ideal pH for plants is ~6.8, so you need fish that are pH tolerant. I'm a little more lenient about goldfish and personally feel you can put 1-2 in a 10 gallon if you know how to keep your water chemistry happy. Goldfish police in this sub will tell you otherwise. That's up to your own opinion and research. Many people like to plant their ornamental AP tank, which is fine as long as they don't suck up all the nutrients and leave your herbs with nothing. I got rid of that second tank up top because I was naively hoping to use it as a little DWC area, but it became more hassle than it was worth for 4 net cups. I now have a 10 gallon tote, which is about the size you would want for your growbed as well. Fill it as high as you can to give your plants maximum root space.

Would this work? I have to see if it would fit in my greenhouse setup though.

Agrobrite T5, 2 Foot, 2-Tube Fixture with Included Fluorescent Grow Lights https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0031CA3OM/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_awd_Oo.9wbTTKC0CZ

I'd recommend a simple T5 light. Here's one that's almost identical to the one in the product picture.

https://www.amazon.com/Agrobrite-FLT22-Fluorescent-Light-System/dp/B0031CA3OM/ref=sr_1_4?ie=UTF8&qid=1517789148&sr=8-4&keywords=2ft+t5

Im sure im not the only one that has thought about this.

http://www.amazon.com/EnviroGro-2Ft-Tube-Fixture-Bulbs-FLT22/dp/B0031CA3OM/ref=cm_cd_al_qh_dp_t[1]

What would it take to run two of these lights and a couple of fans. One for circulation and one for exhaust.

I have a shed, I cant really run power to it. I have no outlets outside my house. When the house was built they just didn't put any outside.

I have a decent sized shed out back I'd like to turn into a grow room.
These lights dont put out much wattage. Because of that I was thinking this maybe possible. Problem is I know nothing about Solar Energy. Thought you guys could help.

And yes, its what you think its for. Tomatoes.