Small Terrarium

[Parasuco]

Well. I've asked this question before, but i've gotten a bit of a better idea as to what I think I would like dont with it...

I have this teency tiny aquarium that I want to turn into a terrarium... It is one foot long, half a foot wide, and eight inches deep; 2.5 gallons...

Yes, I know its small...

I was thinking fo planting a bunch of smallish drosera in there... Hmm. Good idea, no?

Here is a list of my thoughts.

1. If I used annual drosera, then they could sorta propogate themselves, and they are small plants to start with, so they could make an interesting little scene in there....

2. If I used tropical dews, then I would have a year round little dewy scene, pretty and dainty...

3. Perhaps using drosera that are not as demanding lightwise... Itmay be easier for me, BUT, i do prefer that they are not ultra light DEMANDING...

4. Last one I think... Are there an Utrics that I could sorta pop in there to shoot up the odd flower?

So, can anyone help me with working with those idea?
I appreciate it!
Thanks
Greg

 

[Tristan]

Sounds like it would work.... just get some clumping dews and in no time you'll have a carpet. It should look real nice under grow lights. Maybe one D.aliciae and one D.adelea. Once they become crowded they'll start growing more up and they'll create a sundew forest.( it looks really good)

 

[Parasuco]

Yay. someone answered!!!
Hehehe... I'm not in loads of love with either of those, but I dont hate them either... Do you have any other suggestions?

 

[cephalotus88]

you can try these plants if you want a spreader dew: adelae, alicaie, and even capensis sometimes pop out plants via roots. (if you need a palce to find them, email or message me.)

as for a utric with flowers that "pop" out, try bisquamta or sandersonii.

 

[Tristan]

You'll fall in love with them once they form a sundew forest. I think capensis well get to big. I might sugest a couple more, wait until tuesday.

 

[Parasuco]

Hmm. Do those two utrics smother out the dews, or should it be ok? I jsut figured a little something, but i dont need to add anything...

What about D. spatulata? Does that go dormant? Ooh, Ooh, cuneifolia? How about that? How big are alicieas? I am thinking of something smaller, and prefferably low prostrate rossetted...

 

[Tristan]

You could add one of those.(cuneifolia) I don't think it will clump though. D.spatulata doesn't go dormant and would work fine. D.aliciea is generally low and rossetted.( although I tried to make mine "climb" once) D.adelea would add some nice heighth though. Do a google search for D.aliciea I think it looks better than D.spatulata.

 

[cephalotus88]

finding a cuneifolia wil be HARD...i should noe lol. Umm..the utrics wont smother a thing, it may look like, but i have utrics in most of my plants and no harm is done.

alicaie getts to be about 2 inches in diameter before it flowers. You should think about gettign a tall terrarium cuz the dews' flowers are pretty tall. spathulata gets a little larger.

 

[Parasuco]

I know of a place that I can get three cuneifolias for five dollars, so that is no problem for me... They only deliver within Canada though...

What dorosera produce stumpy flowers?

Thanks for all this help guys!

 

[Tristan]

No of them produce stumpy flowers. The stalks will just bend over though.

 

[Parasuco]

What about that annual that has the fastest moving tentacles? Is that pauciflora, or burmanii?

 

[Tristan]

D. burmanii, but most rossetted sundews will move completely over large prey.

 

[Parasuco]

What are the care instructions for D. burmanii? They aer annuals, so do they go dormant before they die, or no? Are their flowers stumpy?

Thanks Tristan!!!!!!

 

[Tristan]

It likes it nice and warm 70-85ºF.(it will take cooler temps at night though) It flowers then it dies, it should return from seed. Flowers are not stumpy though they should just bend over when they hit the terrarium top.(they'll be fine though) Light hogs though(like most dews) Hope that helps.

 

[Parasuco]

Do the flowers self pollinate and self seed? When they dispurse, will it be like, a clump in one spot, or will they get spread around the plant? *few*

Oh... And, burmanii is the fastest tentacle mover, right? I might as well add some kind of novelty value to the tank, eh? Why not? They are small too, right like, an inch or two... Cute.

 

[Tristan]

They'll self pollinate. You should spread the seeds out yourself.
Second Paragragh correct to every thing.

 

[Parasuco]

Well. Thank you. Heh...
One last question now that I've decided which species I want to grow, What kind of soil should I have?

The tank is eight inches deep, so Maybe three quarters of an inch of aquarium gravel for drainage, and three to four inches of medium?

What do I use as the medium?

Thank you SOOOO MUCH!

 

[Tristan]

Skip the gravel and drill a couple holes in the bottom of the terrarium. Medium peat/perlite/LFS - 2/2/1 ratio.

 

[Parasuco]

I can do that, but no drilling...
That wasn't a vital part to the whole plan, was it?

 

[Tristan]

Are you sure you can't in some make some holes in the bottom. Melt them in or anything. Just as long as you don't crack the terrarium. If you can't it won't matter that much, but your its going to be hard to water. Let me see if I can come up with something.