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Building a terrarium?

Everything I read seems to be slightly different from everything else. As far as ground material - what needs to be going on at the bottom of my terrarium?

I need to have an inch of perlite first, right? Is that for drainage?
Then some accounts say I need to put down some sort of screen, like for a window. Do I?

I'm planning on using a 50/50 mix of perlite and peat moss throughout, that'll work okay for all of my hypothetical plants, right? What about depth requirements, at what point is it too shallow or too deep? Cause I want to leave it uneven if at all possible, for a more natural look, I suppose.

Sorry for all the dumb questions
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You'r Q's aren't dumb.

Most of us like the "greenhouse" style terrarium because it's easier, althought usually not attractive.

If you want to make a "real" terrarium, get some 2 inch sections of PCV pipe, lay eggcrate over it, lay gardencloth over that, and then put your media of choice (if you plant directly it will vary from genus to genus). I reccoment you fill it in with sphagnum or peat and plant the plants in that while they are still potted. Sphagnum moss will cover the soil up anyway.

Leave a small hole in one of the back corners, that way you can siphon out excess water with aquarium air hose. This will also be helpful if you want to flush the soil in case of nutrient buildup.
 
^ Thats one way to do it.

My way is to ditch the perlite all together. Heres what to do.

First layer 1" of washed gravel.

Second layer 1" of activated charcol. Put down a plastic screen

Third layer 4-5" of peat on top of a thin LFS layer over the screen.

Fourth layer live (or dead) LFS.

Run a silicone hose down into the gravel layer to syphon out excess water.

This setup worked for me for the past 2 years. I would avoid perlite because it will turn an ugly green color. If you want more drainage mix in a little orchid mix or vermiculite(sp?) into the peat.
 
What is the screen and charcoal for?

[EDIT] I got perlite because petflytrap.com said that's what they use in their media.

And another thing, all of these plant directions say not to top-water.. how am I supposed to not top-water if they're in a terrarium?
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Top watering is fine.

The screen is to keep soil and roots from mixing with the charcol. The charcol is there to keep everything smelling nice. Sometimes terariums can get pretty stinky if you dont watch over them like a hawk.
 
Charcoal sounds good then, no way will I be able to deal with a terrarium stinking up my bedroom.

Where is a good place to find the charcoal and a screen? And what does LFS stand for?

Could you elaborate a little bit more on how the hose bit works?

Sorry for the ten billion questions
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You can find charcoal at most garden centers for use with plants. LFS means long fibered sphagnum (moss).

-Ben
 
I need the sphagnum moss to be alive, right?
 
AMbellina...check out few of my threads:

I posted full info on how i made my terrarium.

http://www.terraforums.com/ib312....l=vraev

http://www.terraforums.com/ib312....l=vraev

http://www.terraforums.com/ib312....l=vraev

http://www.terraforums.com/ib312....l=vraev

http://www.terraforums.com/ib312....l=vraev

http://www.terraforums.com/ib312....l=vraev

These are all a list of threads basically starting from when I was a worried CPer who was just starting off. You will notice the noobism in the messages
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. Now i guess I have some confidence that I can grow CP;s.

VFT's are definately well grown outside..yet I have managed to have some VFT's "tolerate" my measly conditions yet...live without too much stress.

Thats basically with all the plants you try as well. Try it...there might be a casuality in the process ...but once you get used to it...there iwll be no stopping ...
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right now I am going to expand my CP limits from only VFT's to nepenthes ventricosa (thanx to the guys and gals here who encouraged me) , a sarr (in dormancy) and a utricularia
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which is arriving soon thanx to the generous giveaway from lloyd on OCPS.
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As barry rice says...."With alll this advice...just forget it all..and try with what you can do". CP growing is based on trial and error...nothing is set in stone...apart from basic stuff like low nutirent soil, clean water etc..etc.
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BTW>>>from my first thread...REMEMBER...DO NOT BUY PEAT FROM BIG BRANDS LIKE SCHULTZ OR whatever ...just do to local home depot...buy the big bale. I found a small bale from "THE GARDNER" sphagnum 100% peat moss. My plants "live" in it.
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  • #10
No, the sphagnum (LFS) doesn't need to be alive; it just makes the terrarium look better if it is.

Buy quality LFS (e.g., New Zealand, Chilean). It is less stringy and will make the plants happier. You can find good deals on Ebay and if you're uncomfortable with that site, just go to the auctioner's online store and buy from there.

The "dead" LFS contains spores which will germinate given the right conditions. This will produce live LFS within several weeks to months.

Ken
 
  • #11
With the hose you just run a regular rubber hose down into the gravel layer so you can suck out the excess water. It's better to put the hose there when you put the gravel layer in. If your terrarium is not perfectly level, be sure to put the hose on the lowest side.
 
  • #12
I was thinking I would run a rubber hose across the bottom in between layers of my media with holes cut in the top of it so that I can still feed from the bottom - has anyone had problems with that?

Thank you for the links vraev
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I was thinking I might leave a corner with no covering in it, in hopes that excess water would eventually drain there and I could pull it all out with a syringe - will that work?
 
  • #13
Plants in nature get rained on. don't worry about the hose!

Carbon will last for 2 weeks. 3 weeks tops. eventually it will leak toxins back into the media. If you don't keep the plants waterlogged and use perlite/sand (and even better yet, keep them potted) you won't need carbon.
 
  • #14
I don't think toxins will get into the soil if you seperate the two. I've had the same carbon in my terrarium for 2 years with no problems. Just keep it out of the soil and you will be safe.
 
  • #15
Tamlin would be the man to talk to about the dangers of carbon. He's who I learned about it from
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