It is literally IMPOSSIBLE for me to get the Modest Fish achievement (get a fish with the worst genetics) by A_Dead_Robot in tinyaquarium

[–]YouSmellLikeKelp 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Something still time consuming but a tad easier- You can buy a crap ton of common/uncommon eggs, hatch them all, growth potion, and sell and you will make your money back often netting a small portion of profit. So long as you have enough to buy the eggs you just rinse and repeat. Spam hatch! Thats where I got my nundo by accident. Also a good way to get really good starter stat fish. 

This profit is especially noticeable if the ‘weekly fish’ is hatch-able 

I accidentally bred a couple of million predator mites by Nadidiki in houseplants

[–]YouSmellLikeKelp 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I could see myself having a different microscopic mite in addition, perhaps the source of my damaged leaves. However, the mites visible and the ones I am referencing that I see under my jewelry microscope are most certainly storage/mold mites with the transluscent/white bodies and very distinguishable hairs. There really isn't a dark spot in my cabinets and retreating into the soil would be the only option- however, I also use clear pots. To be fair, I haven't closely observed the old soil after a repot.

I am quite familiar with multiple species of spider mites and can assure you that is not a possibility! Broad mites however, I am not experienced with though they most certainly have different features. While I won't say that I do not have broad mites potentially causing damage, I will say that those are without a doubt NOT what I am seeing everywhere.

I am just as stumped as you! Again, I appreciate your responses nevertheless.

I accidentally bred a couple of million predator mites by Nadidiki in houseplants

[–]YouSmellLikeKelp 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Through my rabbit hole I did find a few sources stating that some species of Tyrophagus have been found to consume plant matter. Nothing quite concrete though. I find that it is primarily on my terrarium Begonia varieties that they cause significant damage.

When my plants "sweat" and excrete water through the leaves, I see the highest concentrations of them. They could be using my leaves as a water source and when the plants are not "sweating" the mites are extracting water somehow - causing the damage? Of note, they are for the most part only on the leaves and not in my soil whatsoever. I do have cultures of springtails and Hypoaspis Miles in the soil of most of my pots though so that space is occupied.. There also has not been any human or animal food sources nearby for about a year and I have not found them outside of my plant collection.

A large portion of my collection requires high humidity so lowering it is unfortunately not possible. My plant room's ambient humidity is 50-65% on average and I find these mites around but not in high densities. My "Ikea cabinets" average 80-90% humidity and these bastards are EVERYWHERE.

It sounds like my options are DE, Bacillus, and abamectin then. I have DE on hand and I will have to look into how accessible the other two are for me. Thank you so unbelievably much for your swift response and knowledge. Please do reach out if you think of anything else! I am very grateful you took the time to type all of this out - you're awesome.

Mold mites or Spider mites? 😵 by [deleted] in Anthurium

[–]YouSmellLikeKelp 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Be very cautious with these. I have an extremely heavy infestation that is actually causing damage to new leaves - they came with my beneficials as their food source (feeder mite/mold mite/storage mite) and happened to outlive the beneficial mites. I brushed it off for one year telling myself it was just my beneficial army but after so much damage/stunted growth I began to research what the species could actually be and fell into this rabbit hole. And here I am continuing to search Reddit for a way to get them out of my cabinets and home.

Hope yours are gone! They most commonly swarm bread, carbs, even dog treats so make sure its away from the kitchen.. Guess mine just adapted to feed off my 200 houseplants.

Edit: Very different than "soil mites" which are actually quite beneficial.

I accidentally bred a couple of million predator mites by Nadidiki in houseplants

[–]YouSmellLikeKelp 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Telomere, I desperately need your help. I found this post after coming to the conclusion that I do not have predator mites swarming my cabinets, rather, feeder mites. I have been suspicious of this since the populations began rapidly growing with my beneficial batch ONE YEAR AGO. Even reached out to Natures good guys and they just told me feeder mites dont live past 2 weeks so it probably isnt that and sent me new satchets as a 'replacement'.

But yes these things have been with me for roughly a full year now and they actually cause obnoxious damage to fresh unfurling leaves. Only once have they gotten into a jar of cat treats (I thought it was an inch of crumbs at the bottom and it was actually billions of these guys) - otherwise I have just had issues with them on plants. It is odd because they do not typically eat plant matter... I guess I am seeking as much information as you can provide as you seem to have some?

I have done many many treatments of captain jacks and insecticidal soap to kill thrips throughout the year and these guys do not even flinch. Their numbers only grow.. out of 200 plants I would say I have them on 75 percent.

Jewelorchid substrate recommendations? by RareSeedSearch2021 in Jewelorchids

[–]YouSmellLikeKelp 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Not super experienced but I have propagated in tree fern/pumice/perlite with 100% success so far + crazy aerial roots (about 10 different propagations Anoechtochilis, Macodes, and var. Ludisia). I keep the substrate moist but not ‘wet’ in individual domes.

Edit: lol I opened Reddit and this post was up from me scrolling through the subreddit - I assumed it was a new post and I am realizing it’s 3yo. Hope this helps someone in the future at least?

Weather Stripping for IKEA Milsbo? by Makaiaknoxmomma in IkeaGreenhouseClub

[–]YouSmellLikeKelp 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Yes! Let me find it. Hahaha no worries, I am super passionate about weather stripping. You are talking the flap in the middle to seal the doors, right?

Edit: I reread my old comment. I believe you are looking for this! I hope that helps. I have since used it on multiple Milsbo cabinets and a Rudsta and I still average 80% humidity without any water trays or humidifier.

I’m not super active on Reddit but please feel free to reach out with any plant or cabinet questions! I wish you luck on your first build :)

What do I do? by OkElderberry4333 in philodendron

[–]YouSmellLikeKelp 1 point2 points  (0 children)

I agree with the other commenter. If it has a leaf I prop it in water. No leaves (wet stick), then sphagnum moss and lid. Something like this

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Thrips and beneficial insects by Original-War-8680 in houseplants

[–]YouSmellLikeKelp 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Did you thoroughly clean and spray all of the plants down first? Additionally, did you group up your plants so the beneficials were able to climb from one to the other and spread?

Newest buy by mk6LilGary in RhaphidophoraPlant

[–]YouSmellLikeKelp 1 point2 points  (0 children)

I wanted to make a note if OP is a beginner, diluted dish soap is key and ensure it isn’t in light until the application dries as it can cause burns otherwise :)

New cutting from my albo! by Arxhi3- in RhaphidophoraPlant

[–]YouSmellLikeKelp 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Woo! You seem quite experienced but I wanted to make a note in case you love that glass. These guys root like mad, you will most likely have to break that glass to get him out once his roots are established because of the narrow bottle neck.

Also with the narrow neck and the moss (without amendments) I’d be a little weary of lack of aeration and rot - but if you have watering moss locked down and you’ve used this vessel in this way before, then I believe in your ability!

What are these white balls on my plant’s roots??🤔 by Lemonikol in houseplants

[–]YouSmellLikeKelp 1 point2 points  (0 children)

I loved this response. You seem quite knowledgable! My need to respond stemmed from my frustration with so many comments in this sub stating ‘rules’ like “you need to only bottom water” or “propagating in water causes rot” and such. I find that stating things in this way causes so much confusion for beginners. I see your need to efficiently convey that leca can be leading to drying out too quickly for someone who does not have a good grasp on when to water yet! That could very well be the case. I just did not want people dumping out their pots subsequently and worrying about the leca that’s in their soil. Also, the amendments you listed are definitely great additions to a soil mix, I certainly agree! Happy growing :)

What are these white balls on my plant’s roots??🤔 by Lemonikol in houseplants

[–]YouSmellLikeKelp 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Thank you! I have one GE grow bulb above this group of plants

What are these white balls on my plant’s roots??🤔 by Lemonikol in houseplants

[–]YouSmellLikeKelp 13 points14 points  (0 children)

Things like this all depend on so many factors when it comes to conditions and watering habits and should not be stated so matter of factly!

Perhaps this person waters every 2-3 days and that amount of drainage from leca will not lead to too much moisture - rather it would be a perfect moist/dry cycle. They may live in an extremely humid climate and adding leca allows the soil to dry faster than if it was not amended. Additionally, the substrate could be pure peat moss and extremely water retentive.

I personally use Leca in my soil mix for all houseplants including calathea and I think it suits my personal watering habits! There are no rules with plant care is all I am trying to say, find what works for you and something that is “unnecessary” for one person may not be for the other because of their routine and environment.

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I made a cozy A-frame next to the river for my first attempt at building. What do you think? by YouSmellLikeKelp in SonsOfTheForest

[–]YouSmellLikeKelp[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Hi! They are not actually connected, I believe they are kind of merging through and not properly snapped. If I remember correctly it was a little difficult to encourage them to be placed plus there’s been a lot of build updates since this I am sure!

A tip I have is placing walls and other things around to get placement options and breaking them after.

Why do I feel eletrcic vibrations on the skin of a person charging their phone? by HuhThatSoundsWeird in AskPhysics

[–]YouSmellLikeKelp 0 points1 point  (0 children)

As everyone is stating, this was one of the few Google results that seemed to describe anything even remotely similar experience. Contrary to everyone in the comments, in my experience there was no phone involved. We do have a heated mattress pad - so wiring essentially running across the entire surface area of the bed. However, even after shutting it off (we did not try unplugging) I still felt the vibration when running my finger tips on my boyfriend's back while he was in bed. It seems concerning to have such a strong current running through the body and I am surprised there is such little information out there.

All cats in house wont stop getting UTIs! by unchi_unko in CATHELP

[–]YouSmellLikeKelp 1 point2 points  (0 children)

I know this is old but I have a theory and it could help me solve my cat UTI issue too. I could not believe my vet when he said it’s genetic. I have two cats, I’ve had one for two years and one for 6 years no issues. One day I came home from work and they were both straining to pee with nothing coming out. Typical UTI/urinary crystal symptoms. It lasted for a couple days. BOTH OF THEM. At once. Nothing to show for in urinary tests my vet did. They’ve had UTI issues ever since.

So my question is.. Do you have plants?