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New terrarium...

Ok, i've spent almost a week planning out just one tank...I just can't decide on whether I want to start with a 10G, 20G tall or a 20G long tank.  I'm going to put 48" strip lights over a versa-top glass lid to lock in the humidity.  So far i'm thinking the 20G tall because it's 24" in length so two of them side by side should fit perfectly under the lamps with very little light going outside of the tank.  I figure it's more efficient like that.  Just can't figure out if i'd want more surface area or height.  I'm going to keep the plants in seperate pots for now over either gravel and water, or with a short false bottom. Hmmm, any suggestions?  
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I would get a 20 gallon...a ten is to small.
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I have a ten gallon and the most plant I can fit in there is 9 (all plants in a 3'inch pot). That is cramming them in there too.

travis
 
Travis,

That's what I was thinking...funny thing is, a 20 Tall tank is I think 6" taller than a 10 gallon, but the width of the tank is only about 2" bigger. I'm still not sure how many I could get in there, but taller plants would be fine to grow, plus I would have room for tillandsias hanging above some of the ones that need some shade. But basically I feel like i'll still get about nine plants in there. Not bad, but it'd be nice to have more.
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Now if I stuck with shorter plants and got a 20G long tank I could fit a few more, but I believe that it's only six inches longer. So confused...
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To make up the six inches put some sand in there. That would work if you plan on having the plants in pots. You can also use tin foil to brighten things up. That is what I am planning on doing later on this year.

travis
 
Well, the extra 6" in clearance will help with certain plants, I have one or two that may need something even taller, but for the most part I guess the dimensions are all about the same. I'll probably go for the 20G tall only because two will fit perfectly under a four foot light fixture. I was going to use foil, but I like the way aquarium mirror backing looks a little better. I figure it'll hold up a little more to. I just wish I could fit more in that tank, I'm thinking ten pots max in one tank. Oh well. I'll just go back to eating pretzels out of that big plastic container I have for the taller plants.
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All I will say for advice is go as wide,long and tall as possible, tallness of a terrarium really isn't an issue unless you have 10 N. tobaica to put in it or 13 N. gracilis plants that will outgorw the height factor. I wish I would have gone wiht an extra long or extra wide rather than extra tall terrarium. the width and length is most important for large plant capacity.
 
I see what you're saying, right now I have a few plants so the space at the moment isn't that big of a concern, but I also have some seed that I would like to plant...so now i'm thinking I could go for a 10G for now, then when I need the space get something a bit bigger...probably 2 20G tall tanks, they atleast equal 48" in length together. Then I could use the ten gallon for clones, seedlings or even pygmy's. Wow, the more I think about this, the more I need a greenhouse.


nepenthes gracilis -
I'm from NY as well, do you keep your plants in a controlled climate year round? Or do you put them out when the weather's nicer?
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Ok, so I ended up just getting the 10G. It seemed to work out though, I bought the tank for $10 and the guy tossed in $40 worth of fish equipment...heater, filter...whole nine yards. Pretty cool. I have about nine plants fit in in four inch pots and then about six or seven baby plantlets in one inch plastic cups until they get a little bigger and the temp goes up a few degrees here. I think next time I may go for the 20G Long just to have the extra space, but 10G really isn't bad for a starter.
 
Hi Vertigo, what genus do you mean? Nepenthes are genrally in a controlled climate...Sarracenia are outside all the time except in winter.
 
  • #10
</span><table border="0" align="center" width="95%" cellpadding="3" cellspacing="1"><tr><td>Quote (nepenthes gracilis @ Feb. 14 2003,7:58)</td></tr><tr><td id="QUOTE">Hi Vertigo, what genus do you mean? Nepenthes are genrally in a controlled climate...Sarracenia are outside all the time except in winter.[/QUOTE]<span id='postcolor'>
Hehe, I was really just being general. I have VFT's, drosera, and utrics growing in my terrarium right now. I'm also going to be starting some sarracenia from seed and hopefully aquire a heliamphoras. I'm trying to figure out what I should keep in my tank when it get's a bit warmer outside. I'm also going to be starting some sarracenia from seed and hopefully aquire a heliamphora.
 
  • #11
I keep a drosera and two vtfs in a 2 1/2 gallon tank.
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