Keeping cakes fully loaded?

Nan's Nook : Archives : Cakes : Misting : Importance of a drip shield? : Keeping cakes fully loaded?
  Subtopic Posts Updated Creator

By jared (Jared112) on Thursday, December 13, 2001 - 09:39 pm: The Nook

I just wanted to know if my cakes could rot from the inside from me filling the inner resivor with too much water. The last few days that I've had the holes in the cakes I have been filling them to the top with water. Is this bad? Should I let them go for a few days and only fill them up every other day or something? I just don't want to have to dunk at the end of each flush. Since they are PFCs I know that they don't have REAL flushes like say hawaians.

What I was wanting to do was always keep the cakes fully hydrated and never have any flushes. I was thinking that maybe I would be able to just pick them as they grow. Or does that not sound like a very good idea?
cake

By jared (Jared112) on Thursday, December 13, 2001 - 09:42 pm: The Nook

Ohh ya, I almost forgot too. See all the white in the picture, and how it looks like crystals. That is due to tiny water droplets on the mycelium. I mist my cakes about 3 times a day. I am always tending to their needs. Is this bad also, or is it a good sign that I have a nice humid terrarium?

By jared (Jared112) on Friday, December 14, 2001 - 01:58 am: The Nook

Is this thread invisible? Because I've been waiting to hear from somebody all day.

By Brettiejams (Brettiejams) on Friday, December 14, 2001 - 02:38 am: The Nook

Dude, I would say that you are getting too much over-spray on those cakes. And I have heard of problems with rotting from the inside with the inner resevior. Next time, make the hole in the middle of the cake go all the way through so that the excess can be soaked into the lower verm layer, instead of pooling up in the center.

If you are having trouble getting it right with the hand spraying, I'd try some perlite for humidification, and just use the sprayer to wet the walls of the terrarium down after fanning.

Even if you don't dunk, your cake will need some maintenence, so after each flush, you need to clean the cake and re-apply fresh verm, a-la the double ended casing tek.

Hope that helps.

By jared (Jared112) on Friday, December 14, 2001 - 04:30 am: The Nook

Ok sounds good to me. but didn't you notice, that I am using perlite from the picture?

By Brettiejams (Brettiejams) on Friday, December 14, 2001 - 05:41 am: The Nook

No, sorry I didn't, but there is definately too much water beading up on those babies, just try lightly misting the sides(of the terrarium) after a fanning..... and if that is all you are already doing, maybee you are just spraying it too hard and the larger droplets are bouncing back onto your cakes.

By jared (Jared112) on Friday, December 14, 2001 - 07:27 am: The Nook

Ok, I'll cool down with the sprayer. I have been spraying everything. I have heard people say they spray everything, and others say they don't. So I just figured that I might as well spray everything.

By Brettiejams (Brettiejams) on Friday, December 14, 2001 - 07:53 am: The Nook

LOL... have you been spraying down your cakes too?

Never spray your cakes directly... you can drown 'em.

Also, water damage can occour from drops of water on your cakes.

I'd dry 'em off a bit with a paper towel or some cotton.

By quote: (Quote) on Friday, December 14, 2001 - 06:45 pm: The Nook

yeah, don't spray your cakes.
you're just supposed to mist the terrarium itself, walls,lid, not the cakes.
i think most accounts of problems with rot and the inner reservoir are caused by the verm., not the water itself.
but you don't want to over-water either, so i would skip filling those holes every now and then, for a couple days, to let it drain out and dry out, before refilling.

By jared (Jared112) on Saturday, December 15, 2001 - 02:26 am: The Nook

I read you loud and clear master. I think that verm would cause rotting far more than just the standard drill bit hole, because it's always in there and it's always wet, at least with just the hole the mycelium can soak up every last drop and then "dry itself off again". I'm learning fast. Like you guys said, the best way to learn is to get a few flushes of experience uder your belt.

By Brad (Raze) on Saturday, December 15, 2001 - 02:42 am: The Nook

Wont the mycillium grow thru the verm and basically make a colonized hole?

By jared (Jared112) on Saturday, December 15, 2001 - 02:23 pm: The Nook

No Brad the mycelium won't grow through the verm because there is no food source in the verm. It is a pretty smart dude. Little strands might dig their way though, but it won't be enough to stop the water.

By quote: (Quote) on Saturday, December 15, 2001 - 02:29 pm: The Nook

it will eventually colonize the hole, to get water if not food.
of course, you can just re-drill it as needed.

By jared (Jared112) on Sunday, December 16, 2001 - 12:28 am: The Nook

Quote, I can never be right with you around you know that? must get rid of quote, find a way to get rid of quote, you will always be right without him around.