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I am going to make a classic (landscape) terrarium with an old 20-something gallon tank that I have. The plants will all be in the same medium. I plan on using a standard medium of 50/50 sand and peat layered over a couple inches of pebbles and horticultural charcoal for drainage. The tank will have several small holes in the bottom and it will sit in a large bin. When water collects, it will be poured out. The tank will sit under some very high quality and high intensity grow tubes. I forgot the specs/model, but they were strong enough to burn and kill a vining N. ampuillaria I had a while ago
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My mexican pings seen to like growing about 10 inches away from it. The plants in the terrarium will sit a bit closer to the lights (8 or 9 inches away). There will be no lid over the tank to avoid fungus issues. Because of this, the tank will have low humidity. Day temps will be 80-85 in the summer and 70-75 in the winter. Night temps will be around 70 in the summer and around 60 in the winter.
These are the plants I plan on growing in the terrarium

D. slackii
D. aliciae
D. admirabillis
D. madagascariensis
D. scorpiodes
D. brevifolia
D. paradoxa
D. obovata "ivan's paddle"
D. capillaris x rotundifolia "evergrow"
D. capensis
D. capensis "red"
D. anglica hawaii
D. burmanii

P. planifolia (in a small flooded area)
P. lusitanica
P. caerulea
P. lutea
P.montezumae
divisions of my various mexi-pings that don't need dormancy

B. liniflora

N. gymnamphora seedling (in a burried pot or nepenthes medium)
N. x Judith Finn seedling (in a buried pot of nepenthes medium)
The neps will be moved when they grow too big.

Are all of these plants suited to a classic terrarium? Can they take low humidity (the tank will be open topped)? I am planting some weedy species becaue I don't mind them. I will make sure no plants outcompete others, though.
Any suggestions or criticism is appreciated.
 
What's the point in trying to make something look nice when you're going to sit it on a large bin? Just make a false bottom and drain the water out of it. Charcoal will absorb DOC's, but will release a ton of crap when it breaks down eventually and it could very well kill something. The cation exchange capacity of carbon/charcoal is astronomical and it can release all matter of nutrients such as nitrogenous waste and phosphate.

About the lights, you need to tell us what they are. Most plants take low humidity fine if they are aclimated and have good light.

It would be SO much easier just to make a greenhouse-style terrarium. For example, if you decide to weed out some drosera, the disturbance could kill the Byblis.
 
D. capensis is very weedy and will probably overgrow most everything else. Usually not a good choice for a classic terrarium.
 
Clint, is it bad then that I put some charcoal in my Nep's mix?

-Ben
 
Not as long as there is a big layer lol. I believe good air circulation in the substrate is what prevents carbon from breaking down. In a terrarium like he's talking about there isn't much.

I know that with aquariums, Carbon absorbs all the nutrients you put in, then when you least expect it it releases it all and you'r screwed.
 
Oh, ok, phew, thanks.

I don't like repotting.
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-Ben
 
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