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New Terrarium construction!

pingman

pingman

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Looks good! It's VERY hard for me to visualize what and how this will turn into, but I'm sure it's gonna look fantastic.
 
sweet, I could do with a terrarium of my own. My mini green house is starting to run low on room. Pingman, do you know which CP's you're going to put in there?
 
Peter.

can you post the link to black jungle's instructions.... I cant seem to find it :blush:

TIA,
Av
 
Av, i've pm'd you with the link.
Peter
 
Hi All, please check out the above link as i've added several new photos detailing the progress of my vertical terrarium.
Added phases were completion of the foam layer, then a layer of black silicone, lastly the application of coconut fiber.
Now it look's a little more like a natural vertical wall!!

More pics to follow!
Peter
 
That's really tight dude. How do you keep plants secured in such a small amount of media?
 
Most of what will go on the wall will be epiphytic plants like bromeliads, orchids. These will require very little media and will actually grow on the protruding driftwood or cork bark. The more terrestrial things will go on the floor. I even plan on trying some pings on the wall!

I still haven't decided how the water feature is going to go in yet. The pump is there though!

BTW, just added 2 more pics with the terrarium vertical, plus testing out with lights!
Peter.
 
Looks great, Peter. And possible presentation material for a LACPS meeting.
 
  • #10
Woah, you'll probably need some pretty strong lights if you're going to put some CPs on the bottom (but what do I know? And why am I giving somebody with WAY more experience than me advice? And why am I typing this?).
What was that link you were talking about? How to build a terrarium or something? I wouldn't mind it if you gave it to me too.
 
  • #11
abcat, you are actually right about needing some strong lights if i were to be growing cps in the tank. Most likely the bottom will be for shade loving ferns, jewel orchids and the like.
The only cp's i think i'm going to try are some pings that will be grown near the top so they will get the light they need.
I'm now starting to purchase and collect the plants i want in the terrarium. Just purchased some mini begonias and some gesneriads.
Hope to start planting next weekend?!
Peter.
 
  • #12
Exciting... I wish I had the resources to put something like this together. I'm excited for you.
Pings only? What about Neps? A travesty! You should at least put something small in there, like a N. ampullaria or muluensis x lowii (not the best example but the only tiny highlander besides aristolochioides that I could think of.)
Any ideas on the water feature? I think it would be cool if you could rig a seep to drip from one of those driftwood pieces into a little pool below - you might be able to get some java moss to colonize it too.
~Joe
 
  • #13
You don't want the muluensis x lowii. They hate people.
 
  • #14
Any ideas on the water feature? I think it would be cool if you could rig a seep to drip from one of those driftwood pieces into a little pool below - you might be able to get some java moss to colonize it too.
Click to expand...

Well the tank is designed to hold water up to about 5 inches. I probably will use a piece of driftwood to let the water flow through the pool below. Ideally i would like to have both planting areas at the bottom, and a water portion in the middle.
I haven't figured out how to make this separation yet!

Peter
 
  • #16
OMG! its amazing.....where can we get those plants?? I never see them in the local stores.....BTW? What potting mix will you use for them? will all use the same cocofiber mix that you used to make the terrarium?

It looks wicked. I want to make one like this sometime later and I would love to use some of these regular plants in between CP's for foliage.
 
  • #17
OMG! its amazing.....where can we get those plants?? I never see them in the local stores.....BTW? What potting mix will you use for them? will all use the same cocofiber mix that you used to make the terrarium?
Click to expand...
The plants are a bit difficult to find!! The gesneriads and begonias i bought from Kartuz Greenhouses. The bromeliads came off ebay and one from a friend.
I have some orchids to go in next that came from various sources. I have been planning this terrarium for about 3 months so i have been planning what to plant for a while!

The potting mix is a basic houseplant mix. The coco fiber is just for the background only. I also topdress with NZ sphagnum moss for some of the epiphytes like orchids and bromeliads.

Peter.
 
  • #18
Looking very nice Peter, botanical garden quality... what would you estimate your total cost to be?

(You should make this into a DIY webpage or at least a sticky)

Av
 
  • #19
Get yourself a nice wide serving platter or candy bowl for the water feature - bury it in the media in the bottom and then fill it part way with gravel. You can use larger flat stones around the top to give it a rim. Alternatively, you could get yourself some plexiglass and epoxy and cut a basin to fit, but that's a little more involved.
The planting looks to be coming along nicely. What's that Tillandsia right square in the middle? I think I have one of those, but mine looks a lot shabbier.
~Joe
 
  • #20
That's Tillandsia xerographica! It is a striking plant and i had to have it once i saw it in another Vivarium set up.
Thanks for all the nice comments. It's been fun setting it up.
Peter.
 
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