Hey all,
So when i first started out growing, I grabbed a "Small Because Nature" co2 bag and when I got my co2 meter, I found that it wasn't really putting out that much co2, I wrote them off as gimmicky.
For my new grow where I am doing a little bit of min/maxing with plants, I came across the WILD SPIRIT CO2 MYCELIUM BAG - It says on the package that only 1 bag is "needed" for a 1.8m³ space, I have a 1.2m x 1.2m x 2.0m (2.4m³) so I figured it might a bit low, but I would give it a try.
They arrived yesterday afternoon, the first thing I noticed is that they advertise 3 different versions of mycelium,
Grey Oyster - Quick release co2
King Oyster - Medium release co2
Shiitake - Slow release co2
The bags that were delivered happened to be the King Oyster variant, which I was super stoked about.
To activate the bag, you have to pull these orange clips that separate the two and then break up the mycelium and "massage" it down into the substrate. I do this at about 15:00 yesterday afternoon and go pop them into my tents (I have 3 tents, so one bag per tent). I figure they probably going to take a week or two to start colonizing the substrate, but I'm just curious, let me charge up my co2 meter and check it.
Now... Either I am losing my mind here or this shit is just straight up, fucked up.
I put my co2 meter into one of my tents at lunch time today and it reads 3000 ppm. "No ways... let me check the other tents....tent #2 - 2800ppm, tent #3 - 3500ppm... ".
So thinking this can't be right I take the co2 meter outside, it resumes back to around 450ppm, walk back into the grow room, 800ppm, into the tent, 3500ppm
I decide to fire up my extractors and just bring in some fresh air. Nothing like three 150mm extractors sucking harder than a hillbrow hooker.
I get the tents back down to 500ppm, turn off the extraction, zip up the tents, close the grow room and off I go to the shops.
19:00 tonight I decide to go "troubleshoot" this strangeness. On my walk there, I think that it's impossible that 24 hours after activating this mycelium bag that the ppm would be this high. I unlock the grow room, walk inside and the meter instantly clocks out at 5000ppm. After resetting the co2 meter outside the grow room, I go back in, clocks out again at 5000ppm. I instantly fire up the extractors, open the windows and turn all fans to flush the room. After about 5 minutes or so the levels have dropped to about 1500ppm.
I have removed these bags from the tents and put them on a table outside for now. I tested my meter in one of the tents after I have run the extractors and it stayed at around 750ppm, so it must be the bags.
I held the sensor again the facbric breathing hole of the bag and it immediately climbed over 4000ppm.
However, could 3 of these mycelium bags in a 34m³ be producing lethal amounts co2 24hours after activating it?
Is my co2 meter fucked? (its reading 450ppm for ambient air outside and if you breathe into the sensor, it climbs accordingly.
How can 1 bag be "needed" for a 1.8m³ space when in a 2.4m³ space it's already at 4000ppm within 24 hours?
Am I going crazy, or are these things really that ridiculously potent?