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Question about setup/plants

Hi, I'm a noob at this plant stuff, but I am planning on making my own terrarium for my carnivorous plants. Currently all I have is a Venus Fly Trap, but I've had nepenthes also (I didn't take good care of them and they only lived 2 years). Now for my question, what carnivorous plants are easy to grow in a relatively small aquarium (bowfront 5-10 gallon, I really don't know what it is, neither does my dad) and lowish light levels, that you don't have to make go dormant (is there a better word for that, like hibernate or something?). By the way, the humidity in my room is normally greater than 50% and lower than 70% (right now it is at 72%, wich is the highest it's ever been), but I don't know about how it will be in the summer. And the temperature is usually mid 60's to low 70's (F).
 
I guess I wouldn't really mind if I could just stick the entire tank in the fridge or something though. But, still I would prefer not to.
 
It would actually be better if you just grew your plants outside in full sunlight.


where do you live? Because most of the CPs that people will recommend as begginer plants would grow almost perfectly outside in the US year round, and much better than inside of a terrarium. However other plants that enjoy really high humidity such as nepenthes Cephalotus, and heliamphora might need to be grown in a terrarium or a greenhouse.
If you are to do a terrarium I would highly recommend potting your plants sepparately for easy access, washing of the terrarium if needed and movement of plants if needed or wanted.
 
I live in northern Illinois (about 30 miles north of the border of Chicago, and less than 40 miles from Wisconsin's border). The only time it is hot enough and humid enough to grow these is in the middle of summer (July, maybe August or June).
 
dont put anything that needs dormancy in a terrarium (vft)

outside is fine, humidity doesn't really matter

vfts can take a huge range of temps, pasian highland truncata can also

someone else will come in with a more detailed response im sure
 
I mostly just want a terrarium for it's looks (and the carnivorous plants). Growing the VFTs outside might work after all. When do most people put theirs outside that live in the Northern states?.
BTW, how much does it normally cost to ship plants? I was interested in butterworts and some nepenthes, maybe sundews, but probably not pitcher plants (I had some once but didn't really like them that much).
 
I would think that they keep them out all year.
In the winter though if it does get really cold I would cover the plants and pots with snow to help prevent wind burn.
For you I would put your temperate plants outside in mid spring right when the temps start warming up.
 
Sorry I'm being kind of annoying about this, but I have seen some really nice terarriums with TONS of carnivorous plants and pets. I wouldn't put pets in mine (not yet anyway), but I would like to try to go for at least a tenth of how good most of them are.
 
there's one part of your first post that makes me a little concerned. you said "lowish light levels". Carnivores as a general rule need LOTS of light. A lot of us who grow plants in terraria find ourselves constantly trying to increase the amount of light our plants get. Just something to keep in mind.

also...maintaining a terrarium can be a real pain in the butt. they're tough to keep clean and you'll find yourself shelling out tons of cash for lighting, air circulation, etc. Are you sure you're up for such a project? there are a bunch of carnivores that can be easily grown without a terrarium.

If you're still dead-set on a terrarium...my first terrarium-dweller was a Nepenthes rafflesiana. It did pretty well, though I found out early on that it needed quite a bit of light to make pitchers. A lowland Nepenthes such as this might fit in pretty well with what you're describing, though keep in mind they can get big. Also, if you're interested in Pinguicula, maybe P. primuliflora? I'm hesitant to recommend it, since I've never had any luck growing them, but they're fairly easy to find and might do well in a terrarium.

for your VFT: once the weather warms up, with maybe an occasional dip below freezing at night, stick it outside in the sunniest spot you can.
 
  • #10
Annoying isn't the word! Had some pitcher plants? DIDN'T LIKE THEM VERY MUCH????????? You trying not to make friends around here? If you don't like pitcher plants, maybe you should view the pitcher plant forums and look at some pics of various pitcher plant color variants and species. Learn a new appreciation maybe. Don't like pitcher plants!!! HMMMPFFF!!
Mumble! Grumble! Complain! Groan!
 
  • #11
*pats Bugweed* it's okay...He (she?) will learn!
 
  • #12
lol! at increasing light levels....just today I was planning on buying a third table light for adding to my terrarium...and this is just a 10 gallon terrarium....trust me.....CP's LOVE light.....and vfts as the veterans here say are "SUN WORSHiPPERS" . If you have the facility to grow them outside...I would say do it.....you would hardly have to care except for watering them and they will take off really happily. With a terrarium that I currently have...there are sooo many things of concern!
 
  • #13
I didn't mean I hated them or anything, just would rather have something like a nepenthes or VFT, maybe a butterwort too. My only concern with growing them outside year round is that it gets in the negatives (this year the lowest it got was -30 or lower with wind chills, I don't know if that effects them that much though, and -15 or so without wind). I currently have a single foot long or so flourescent bulb, and keep the tank in the window. I know that's not what you're supposed to do, so I am currently trying to find another way to add one or two more light bulbs to it, which may include getting another tank (which I'd be fine with since I have TONS of ten gallon tanks and my dad isn't going to be using his old fish tank light anymore which holds a couple of lights and is about the same lenght as a twenty gallon).

PS: I thought VFTs were supposed to be the easiest ones to grow. Or is that just assuming you're growing them somewhere warm?

PS#2: How much does it normally cost to ship a small, potted carnivorous plant?
 
  • #14
The easiest way to add lighting is to get some compact fluorescent bulbs and some utility clamp on light fixtures (standard screw in lightbulb socket)- find the highest wattage CF bulbs you can that don't exceed the wattage rating of the fixture. Most CF bulbs will tout two wattage ratings - one is how much power it consumes and the second (larger) number is what the light output is roughly equivalent to in a normal incandescent bulb. Compare the lower number to the rating on the fixture.

This will get you a lot of light quickly and relatively inexpensively.
 
  • #15
Thanks, but are they as good as the long tubes? I know a lot of people use those but is that just because they are thinner, don't take up as much space and give more light equally or something?

PS: since I've taken my VFT home from the plant store almost 2 weeks ago, where it was on the bottom shelf, it's started growing another flower stalk (which I cut off), and sprouted a few more leaves. Although this is probably normal for plants that think it's spring it's exciting for me.
 
  • #16
Those little CF bulbs have a lot of restrike.. and well, to me they suck. I like power compacts (not the same as compact fluorescent).

I you have the space, go to homedepot and get a shoplight that takes 4 tubes.

Priority mail costs about 5 bucks give or take.

Grow them outside for the spring and summer and when it's dormancy time, pop them in the fridge. Don't use a terrarium unless you can't put it outside for some reason.

You originally wanted to know what plants would do well in a small terrarium with low light and I say D. adelae and terrestrial utricularia. As long as we aren't talking a cave here. More light is always better.
 
  • #17
I was looking at bulbs on bulbs.com, and the pricing is really confusing. For example, it goes from $20 for a 40+ watt bulb, to a few bucks for a 30 watt bulb. I was looking at the fluorescent screw in bulbs or compact fluorescent (whatever they're called).
I'll see if they have anything at the local hardware store, and if not, I'll go to Lowe's or Home Depot.
And thanks for answering my questions so thoroughly, but I'll still have more soon.
 
  • #18
I really suggest you get a shoplight instead of a CF. REALLY suggest it. You won't regret it :)

You also need to look at the K rating on those bulbs. You want something around 6500K (Called Daylight).
 
  • #19
OK, as I said before, I do have a roughly 2.5 foot light fixture that I can use that my dad will not be using in a week, as soon as he installs the other light for his fish. I think it holds 3 lights.
 
  • #20
I am strongly considering buying a N. Ventricosa from dealer X. Is there that much of a difference between the 3 inch and 4 inch? Is it worth it to spend almost 2 times as much on 4 inch?
 
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