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Terrarium / plant help!

Hello,

I've got three CPs already (two Neps and one american pitcher plant), but I want to grow more and increase the variety.

Unfortunately, I don't have the windowsill space, so I want to grow them in a terrarium.

First, can you grow neps, american pitcher plants, sundews, butterworts, and venus flytraps in the same terrarium? I'd really like to, as I think such a collection would look nice.

Second, here's what I have for a potential terrarium. A 20 gal long tank (12" height). Since I'd be buying the startup kit from this site, the CPs will probably be babies, and would be ~8" from the light if I put it on the top of the tank--is this close enough? Lastly, the light would be sitting on a wire mesh on the top of the tank (the kind of cover people put on reptile tanks to let air in for their pets, but keep them from escaping).

That's about it. Thanks for your time. I look forward to your reply.
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well, acording to your other post, you have one light, so you can't grow much with only one fluorescent light, and that mesh will act as a shadecloth, so thats cutting your light by even more. you can grow the neps, pings, and droserae all in the same terraria year round depending on which specied you get, however you will need more light and your nep will outgrow the 20 gallon terrarium fast.

the dionea sarracenia should go outside becuase they like LOTS of light, however they do need a dormancy so theoretically you could grow them in your terraria during the growing season if you give them a dormancy, however you don't have enough light. also, most sarracenia grow taller than 12 inches, so you could only grow small species like S. purpurea, S. psittacina, and some hybrids with those species like S. wrigleyana, however they grow wide.

you could always grow utrics...
 
Great, so it is possible. I'll get the startup kit from this website and let you know how things go. I'll stay away from buying any more sarrecenias (due to light) and neps (due to space). All of the venus flytraps I've ever bought have died quickly.....probably because I didn't provide them with the right environment, but I've never had any problems with some of the other picky plants in my collection....and I have some bonsai and orchids that are very picky! I think the flytraps are the hardest plants to grow in the entire kingdom plantae!

The one florescent light I have now is a screw-in and in another room, so I was planning on buying a couple more long lights. I've read the post on terarrium lighting and I think that 2-3 lights ontop of the tank will be good. As far as the screen, I'm not sure what else I can do. From what I've heard, if you put a piece of glass/plastic over the tank, the air circulation and temperature get too high and plants end up dying of fungal infection and/or heat stroke.

Well, thanks again for the help. I'll track this topic and let you know how things go. And thanks for the help in the other forum.
 
dont discount neps, some like bellii stay smaller. if you can grow beginner to intermediate level orchids you can grow MOST CPs. basically this is because if you succeed with orchids you understand the have special needs that have to be met. i highly recommend getting a starter kit from here, they will be top quality plants. also definatly invest in some more lights. if you have room you can grow lots of plants under the cheap 4 ft shoplights found at any hardware store, lowes or home depot. if you dont have any natural light availible. i also highly suggest getting the book, The Savage Garden. it has its problems but in general for someone just starting out its got LOTS of general info that is quite valuable and use full. i too have had problems with VFT. im on my third try on this plant, although this will be the first since grade school. ive got alot more experiance in plants now and hopefully it will do fine. my Neps and Utrics are much easier, no dormancy to deal with. good luck with your plants.

Rattler
 
lol, i wan't discounting neps, but since he's a beginner he most likely has one of the larger ones like ventricosa, N. x ventrata, etc.
 
i know that. i was just trying to make sure he realized not all Neps become huge. there are some fairly small/compact species. also Utrics take up lil room and most are quite easy to take care of and have beautiful flowers. i predict in the next 6 months to 1 year there will be LOTS of interesting Utrics up for trade and SASE as those packages that were recently sent out by Tim spread. and as you know JLAP, i usually have a couple common species up to trade or give away. im a lil short at the moment but in another 6 weeks or so ill have more livida sandersonii and tricolor.

Rattler
 
yes i know
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hopefully those utrics will arrive to me healthy when you send them.

there are indeed alot of small neps, n. campanulata, gracilis, ampullaria, belli (one of my favorites), x. trichocarpa, and some of the highlanders will stay small for a very, very long time, but you'll need to give them special attention.


if you want chloroplast, pm me and i can give you some U. subulata, livida, sandersonii, and some longifolia cuttings that have plants growing on them.
 
and since i'm such a nice guy
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i'll give you some leaves of D. adelae with plantletts growing on them. normally i would give you real plants with root systems, but unfortunately all my d. adelae had sudden death sydrome awhile back and the crowns turned brown so i ripped them apart and rooted any living tissue i possibly could.
 
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