2 of my smaller lowland nepenthes; opinions about how they look??

[cpbobby]

hi,

Attached are 2 pics of my other 2 nepenthes....from what I can tell both seem healthy despite being the raffesania var elongata being repotted once since it was planted about a month ago and the bicalcarata being repotted 4 times in 2 months. Both were repotted about a week ago from thrips.

The raff:

It seems happier. It has made 2 new leaves since I got it but the last one is noticably larger.

The bical:

It seems a little grumpy lately but overall happier....it has put on several leaves since it was purchased as well as 3 pitchers buds or whatever they are. The most recent leaf is a little larger than the rest but until it was repotted the bical seems to be doing most of it's building underground. The root structure has increased dramatically in both length and density. Hopefully it is laying down a foundation to start shooting up.

could those who are more familiar with these plants weigh in and share your thoughts on their appearance, generate some input about their health and add suggestions for improvement?

thank you!

raff:

bical:

 

[cpbobby]

--My current Conditions:

-Terrarium: from what I can tell it doesn't really fall into a conventional pattern other than the container itself. It is a 10 gal fishtank(I know it's too small but will have to work ftm), I replaced the top with a flat piece of plex and installed a 120mm fan. What isn't conventional is the way I set it up but I think it works well for those of us that are new to the hobby and aren't quite ready for a greenhouse. It has about 8-9 inches of water in it however there is a tray inside it that the potted plants sit on that elevate them slightly above water level as well as a clear plastic tray the plants sit in to prevent cross contamination. There is an aeration fish tank waterfall pump I decided to make use of with the "fish tank kit" that recirculates as well as aerates the water...plus the splash from the waterfall acts as a natural way to mist the leaves so this guy doesn't have to do it as often. Also installed is a submersible tank heater and a uv sterilizer. It is a cheap and surprisingly consistent way to maintain humidity levels.

-Lighting: 2 pl55 t5 ho, 10k lumens, 6500 spectrum, reflector, sits approximately 8 inches from bottom of fixture to top of terrarium and 12 inches from top of terrarium to bottom of bulb. there is a light diffuser above the mirabilis at the moment until it fully recovers then i will try to acclimate it to brighter light.

-Humidity: 80-85% day 80% night.

-Temp: 90 day and 80 night.

-Air circulation: 90 cfm 120mm fan on timer.

-Substrate: 1/1 perlite/spaghum peat.

-Watering: as needed usually once every 3 days for smaller plants and 1-2 times a day for the thirsty mirabilis var echinostoma. About 0.25 inch of water in tray.

-misting: about twice a day usually right after recirculation fan cuts off. note: all water is distilled.

-Additional: I do use c02 from time to time. Popular opinion says it is useless but I was already sold the equipment by the time I found out...I think there are situations where it becomes useful. It seems to speed recovery of shocked and slightly infirmed plants IMO.