New setup problems

Hi all,

I could really do with some help please, I'm trying to get my set-up running but having some problems with mould. I'm currently using an old fish tank for a grow room thats foiled over all the sides. I have a vent running out passed the bulb to keep the tank ventilated plus, later on today I will be putting in another fan for circulation. The problem I have though is, once I get the seeds ready to go into the soil, I put them in a propagator, the humidity seems to build up quite high, but all I know is, within a couple of days I start to get mould... i've tryed raising the lid of the propagator and all but nothing works, I now have removed the lid so it's just in the tank.. but it worries me because i think the temp is a bit low for the seeds... I did have a digi themometre/hydromiter but its packed up on me now and i haven't got the money at the moment to replace it. Also I have the slight problem of no matter whether the soil is in the propagator or not, the soil does not dry out properly.. I did wonder if it was, I was over watering them but i have now started watering by spraying the soil's surface but it still hangs and I do not know why nor how to deal with it... I keep trying to get things started but seems the same problem over and over, but i dunno what to do. Any idea's would be grately appriciated. Thanks in advance.

Kind regards,

Rob
 
Are you getting the mould on the soil or all over the tank? If you get mould in the soil, i tend to find covering the soil with tinfoil, dull side up (with a space for the plant) reduces the mould very quickly. I would also suggest that you improve airflow to reduce the humidity. If the seed is at seedling stage then it can take a small drop in the humidity. Without seeing a picture of the setup, i cant really suggest anything else.
 
Here's some pics for you, I've raised the plants now to nearer the light and the lid is now not on the propagator so I'm only using the tray... I've got a good air flow going through the tank to ventilate it but I do feel I need get a fan in to circulate the air. by the look of things, the humidity has gone down and is drying out a lot better now the top of the propagator is off. This is a lot better as before, the soil just wasn't drying out at all which is where I think the mould was coming from (although, that is a very aprox guess).

I do need to get a better light in there but due to owing money and the misses handling all the cash I have no money, especially to spend on the grow room. I am working on that factor though so I can get one, and I have some idea what I'm looking for, for a light, but hence why I'm using that ponsey one at the moment, although, for a 40W, it's bloody bright and heats up the tank nicely, although still on the chilly side...

after all this though I'm at a stuck point, I've had a few people say to me to loose the fish tank, but it's not a bad size, I've seen someone use one before and, the setup is in a room that does get used a bit, not a huge amount but does get used still and thus I can't just have a system set up out and open, I do plan to in the near future build something bigger for them to go in untill I can afford to buy a grow tent, but at this time I just can't afford that kind of money and I have a lot higher priority stuff to save up for, for the set up.

Thanks for the quick reply,

Rob
 

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