Terrarium / Fish Tank Q.

[nrbelex]

I have an old fish tank that has been lying ariund for a longggg time. My fish days are over and I was wondering how I culd turn the tank into a terrarium. It's set up like a fish tank with no real holes in the top to allow for air or anything else to escape but it has a latch to open to feed the fish he he. There is room at the top for a light bulb but a sticker says " WARNING Use only one 15 watt bulb." What would I need to do to turn a COMPLETELY empty fish tank into a CP terraium? Is it possible? Would I need to replant anything or add/buy anything? Where could I get a grow light assuming I can use one? Help!

Thanx!!!!!!!

[PlantAKiss]

hi nrbelex

I now have about 4 aquarium tanks (2 10-gal, 2 20-gal.). Some people go for a soil terrarium and some people prefer soiless tanks with potted plants. I tried one soil terrarium and it didn't go well. So now all my tanks are soil-less. Keeping the plants potted makes it easy to attend to the plants, remove if needed and provide dormancy if needed.

Its pretty easy to make a CP tank. And everyone has their own way. But what I have is...a layer of long-fibered sphagnum moss on the bottom of the tank and about an inch of distilled water. In some I used lava rock as well. This provides the humidity. Then I have a regular ol' shop light that you can get in any hardware store (pretty cheap). I use two fluorescent tubes...on Gro-Lux and one cool white tube. (One tank has two light fixtures, others have one). The lights are hooked to a timer. I use glass shelving to put the plants on which I can raise or lower. And I had a piece of glass cut to cover tank but its raised a bit to allow for air circulation. That's about it. I have mostly sundews and a few other assorted CPs in my tanks. It really doesn't cost a whole lot to set this up.

I hope you give it a try.

Suzanne

[nrbelex]

Thanx!!

2 Questions though.

1. Lava Rocks??? What are they? What do they do?
2. Glass Shelving??? What is it?

[Pyro]

Lava rock is rock that comes from lava :biggrin:

Okay, seriously, lava rock is often used most often as a top dressing for bonsai or cacti. You can pick it up at most garden centers. It is good for bottom lining tanks because it is pourus like perlite so it will hold moisture and it stays stable when you add water. I also like to use it in place of perlite as it isn't so tacky looking and it doesn't float up and out of the soil.

Pyro

[nrbelex]

LOL thanx!

[magore]

I used a fish tank to start seedlings. I removed the undergravel filter. I placed 4 plastic containers that were about 3-4 inches tall in the bottom. I placed an underwater heater in the bottom of the tank. I set the temp on about 75-80. I placed the undergravel filter on top of the containers. I added water up to the top of filter. I place the seedling pots on top of the filter. I placed a piece of plexiglass over the tank and placed two fluorescent grow lights on top. The humidity stays high and the temp stays constant.
Marjorie

Marjorie

[PlantAKiss]

Glass shelving is shelving that is glass. lol Sorry...couldn't help but follow Pyro's lead.

I go to a framing shop (Ben Franklin's craft store) and get strips of glass cut to fit the inside of my tanks to use as shelves. Usually 3.25" x (tank length)". This allows me to have 2-3 separate shelves I can raise or lower to whatever height (closeness to the lights) where the plants will do best. Getting glass cut doesn't cost too much. My "lid" and 2-3 shelves USUALLY cost about &#366-&#368 or so. But be forewarned...it depends on how the person cutting the glass cuts it out of the glass sheets. Last time I got glass cut it was almost &#3640! I pitched a fit! Found out they cut each (3) shelf out of a separate sheet of glass and then charged me for each whole sheet! When I asked for the glass left over from each sheet, I was told "we can't do that". Yeah right...they will use the sheet *I paid for* to cut glass for someone else. Sorry...just had to air my gripe.

Oh and lava rocks can be bought in small bags (sometimes used for orchids too so you might find them in a houseplant area if you want some). They are also sold in large (heavy!) bags usually out in a nursery area. The chunks in the larger bag are a bit larger than the small bags.

Suzanne