Advice for a general terrarium

[Nepfreak]

Time to stop growing all my plants in 12% humidity!
I'm aiming for a nice, well-rounded CP terrarium to grow drosera, Nepenthes, and maybe a few Helis. Here's what I have now (pics coming):

- a crappy 30 gallon tank with a crack in it. 14 inches high, 12 inches deep, and 3 feet long. I have it turned on its side at the present
- a crappy, black light hood that I'll probably end up throwing away.
- a LOT of NZ sphagnum. too much.
- A fan
- packing tape!
- aluminum foil... but I'll probably get some mylar.

Time to start machine-gunning questions. My last terrarium was a total joke. I obviously need some kind of cover for the back (or front) of the terrarium. And will I need a thermostat? Also, lighting has proved to be a pain. They just don't make 3 foot shop light fixtures. Should I go with 4 foot bulbs, or 2 foot bulbs but a lot of them? Ahhh, so many questions!

Sorry, its late and I'm really hyper. I'll edit this thread in the morning to make it more coherent...
-Ben

 

[jm82792]

I'd go with a 4 foot 2 40 watt bulb wallmart cheap fixture,(works great makes my nepenthes colorfull) then you get 6 inches hanging off of each side,,
I would hang the fixture above it that works well for me,no need for a fan (since your humidity is soo low and you should keep the tank open)if you leave the top open I grow nepenthes,urtics,drosera and pings without a fan in my open 55 gallon tank. I think you could do 2 foot fixtures but that is more cash being spent,other than that I'd love to see it mine is (sorta) nice but my camera is shot.

 

[obregon562]

you seem to have my problems!

I had those exact same terra dimensions on my latest one. Well, minus the crack.

Go to PetCo and get a big ExoTerra lamp fixture with the lights that come in green boxes.. It worked really well for me on top of a glass lid. I then wrapped the entire thing in foil. I would recommend against a classic terrarium though-they get really nasty and ugly and hard to maintain. Try a potted landscape style...i.e. put pots in and fill space with sphagnum. Fans can be tricky as they drastically reduce humidity, but you'll get it.

Good luck and godspeed!

 

[glider14]

i have a terrarium with plants as easy as singalana and as diffucult/ tricky as lowii and aristo. everything is pitchering too! there are also 2 helis inside. anywho. its a tiny 10gal tank. there is chilean LFS on the bottom of the tank both to profide plant moisture, decoration, and humidity. as lights go its under like half of 2 2 fixture lights. the humidity is always high. above 70% and the temps have a very big fluctuation. 75-80 during the day...and down to 55 at night. its in a basment with a glass door leading outside....so it gets cold i also have rapidly growing nep seedlings too. 6 types. the way its positioned is on its side. with a plexiglass "door" that is secured at the top with a strip of tape and comes down as an opening.

Alex

 

[D_muscipula]

yeah a three foot fixture is hard to get but they do have them if you can find a distributor of
these guys http://www.platt.com/ then dress up as a contractor and you can get yourself a 3 foot fixture suitable for use in wet location, the fixtures like 38$ they also sell bulbs for 3-4 bucks each get a couple.
drosera capensis would be fine in that terrarium so would ventricosa and any other highlander
you don't need a thermostat. the fan well thats up to you the sphagnum moss would be cool to
use as a top dressing for plants.
if you want to make its planted you could like slope the soil and put the plants that like more water at the bottom so they get the runoff and you could grow sphagnum there.
or you could do something like this

that image is not mine and in no way do I claim it to be so its is the property of Rob Sacilloto
and I am just using it for illustrative purposes.

 

[SirKristoff]

i would do it as a potted terrarium
dont fill the terrarium with the media itself but potted plants for easier organization or movement if need be.
4-6 24" fluorescent lights
(2-3 light fixtures from homedepot)
Mylar around the sides, lay the tank on its side, you said it is cracked so put that side up if it is on one of those sides
cover the front opened space with cling wrap/saran wrap but dont cover the whole thing
leave a bottom 4 inches or so for air ventilation.
here is a picture of mine.

 

[Nepfreak]

wow lots of good ideas! Thanks!

 

[creepa200]

I need to get a tank even if it's a 10 gallon for like my adelae and ones that thrive on humidity. I was also thinking about putting a cup of water with an airstone and fish tank pump to create a light mist over them.

 

[B Rob]

http://www.homedepot.com/webapp/wcs...roductId=100038253&N=10000003+502059+10401001


How about them apples?

 

[jm82792]

Potted tanks are very nicer tall pots in the back and small ones in the front........
I have a 55 with neps I think it looks betternthan potted but I do want a potted lowlander tank.

 

[D_muscipula]

yes potted for a more decoration display type of tank
but youhave to watch out for mineral deposits
taht pic I showed you is suppose to help agaisnt mineral depostis if you siphon the water in the center out every once in a while

 

[Nepfreak]

hmmm... the only thing about that bulb you showed is it doesn't really sit on top of the terrarium, looks like you have to hang it and since the top will actually be the side of the terrarium there's nothing to hang it from... Thanks a lot D. muscipula, I'll probably end up doing something like that.

 

[BuddhistAdam]

i grabbed a brick of coco fiber and soaked it and filled the bottom of the 10 galtank (and then some...like 3 or 4 inches worth) and buried the pots. then i placed my jade Buddha on the right hand side to bring them luck looks really natural and nice. the wet coco fiber will keep ur humidity high as long as its damp. just spray it.