Mist system advice? - Page 2 - Orchid Board

PlumCrazy · #1 08-01-2020, 11:29 AM

Hello Everyone,

I am planning on purchasing a misting system for my setup and would like some advice on exactly what I should purchase. I’m thinking a Mist King Starter or Ultimate.

About my tank:

Size: 40” W x 21” D x 40” H. Has plexiglass top.
Light: LEDs provide bright light at the top of the tank, and low light at the bottom
Ventilation: Two small computer fans kick on 3x a day for 30 mins. Small air holes drilled in sides throughout the tank.
Temp: Room temperature (around 72 in the day, 68 at night, cooler in winter, and we avoid A/C an heat when it is comfortable to do so. I may add a heat source to the tank in winter).
Tray: The bottom of the tank is filled with LECA. Currently, water doesn’t sit in the bottom because I haven’t need to have that much in there to keep the humidity where I want it, but the spray from the mister will have somewhere to go. It’s about 2” deep and I’m not opposed to drilling an overfill hole line into the side if too much water becomes an issue.
Humidity needs: I’ve been using a regular spray bottle daily or every other day, which keeps the humidity mainly between 70-80%, which is what my current orchids like, and of course I can add water to the LECA if it starts getting low. My orchids are all mounted, except for one in semi-hydro on the bottom.

Does it sound like a Mist King is the best option and which one (it’s already near the top of my budget)? If I go with a Mist King, what items do I need to make the system fully automated? I do go out of town for 1-2 weeks at a time at least several times per year. How many nozzles do I need? Should I purchase the hygrostat or will the basic timer suit my needs?

A couple other concerns I have are that my water has a lot of minerals in it and I am worried about the nozzles clogging. Also, our power goes maybe every two weeks or usually at least once a month. This happened when I was out of town for a few days a couple of weeks ago, and who knows how long my plants were without light since they didn’t come back on by themselves (they are automated), and my fans blew at odd hours since the timer is a basic $2 one that needs power to work, so if the power is off for 2 hours, it sets the timer back 2 hours. That being said, I do have someone that checks on my house at least every couple of days while I’m away.

Any information or suggestions would be much appreciated!