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Terrarium journal

I picked up a 40 Gallon (36 x 16 x 16) reptile tank at a yard sale for 25 bucks.

Normally I would fill it with fish and aquatic plants,
but I know that reptile tanks aren't usually strong enough to hold water so I thought I would build a Terrarium.

This will be my first Terrarium in over 25 years.

Heres a pic of the empty tank...

terra_1resize.jpg


First I put down a layer of gravel...

terra_gravel_resize.jpg


Then a layer of activated charcoal...

terra_charcoal_resize.jpg


This is the soil...

terra_soil_resize.jpg


I chose cactus mix because it is free draining and has a lot of pearlite... plus I have a lot of it around
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Heres the tank with the first bag of soil in...

terra_soil_in_resize.jpg


I am going to use this piece of driftwood...

terra_2_resize.jpg


Heres the tank with the wood and the rest of the soil...

terra_soil_wood_resize.jpg


Another view...

terra_soil_wood_2_resize.jpg


These are the plants I have so far...

terra_3_resize_2.jpg


I am planning on a cork back ground so I can mount some tillandsias.

It is located right next to a north facing sliding patio door, will I need suplimental lighting? If so how much?

So, any thoughts? Ideas? Let me know what you think.

I'll do the planting in a couple of days and post some new pics then.

Thanx, Cactusdoug
 
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HOW DARE you not put cps in there!
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Seriously though, It looks good! Some suggestions would be to add some live Sphagnum moss, And for tillandsia, go with guatemala, a large clumping form
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Remember that they like high ventilation though! And, of course, put in some Drosera (capensis, alicae, spatulata, nidiformis) would do well in there, as well as some Utricularia subulata
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. Don't forget Nepenthes!! What temperatures do you plan on this being?

EDIT: do you plan on plating the plants in the soil? If so, it would need alot more soil (minimum 4 inches)
 
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never put cps in cactus soil!! Get lots of t. ionatha and also aeranthos because it also clumps so much. As for what plants you have now/planning on putting in there, I think you won't need to add any more light.
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Spectabilis,

I know its hard to tell from the pics, (due to the size of the tank the scale doesn't look right in the pics)
but I do have 4 inches of soil in the back,
sloping to about 2 1/2 inches in the front.

I was going to plant the plants that need more root room in the back half of the tank,
and plant the Irish and Scottish Mosses in the fore ground.

I'll check into the plants you guys have listed.

CD
 
[b said:
Quote[/b] (droseradude @ May 01 2004,1:35)]
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never put cps in cactus soil!! Get lots of t. ionatha and also aeranthos because it also clumps so much. As for what plants you have now/planning on putting in there, I think you won't need to add any more light.
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droseradude... CPs will do fine in that mix, you can tell by looking at it... dont be too hasty to make descisions. And yes, he will need more light than that, i would say 80-120 watts would be fine. Irish and Scotish mosses are great (I'm scotish and irish lol), but they need alot of light- sphagnum moss is bushyer and doesnt need near as much light
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i would still go with the plants i listed..

EDIT: Also, droseradude, 50//50 peat//sand// is a cactus mix.

Some other good plants would be Neoregelia bromeliads. I have a Neoregelia ampullacea 'Dwarf Form', and I must say, its my favorite bromeliad
 
Hey cactusdoug, please post the ingredients of the cactus mix so we know if cps can grow in there.
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Spec might be right, but only if the soil is somewhere around peat and perlite, and no cactus fertilizer.
 
As listed on bag...

Various species of composted forest by-product, pumice, washed nursery sand, dolomite lime, potassium nitrite.

CD
 
Cactusdoug, might I ask where you got the scottish and irish moss from and are they real moss or Minaurtia vernosa?

Joe
 
  • #10
I got them at the Lowe's down in Palm Springs.

They're not true Mosses...

The Irish Moss is Sagina subulata,
and the Scotch Moss is Sagina subulata "Aurea"

CD
 
  • #11
Thanks Cactus, so many common names for moss and sooo many are not actual moss. I collect moss, and it's not easy to find true mosses. Terrarium looks like it will turn out very nicely. A plush carpet always adds to the look. The mounted backgrounds are very sharp as well. Post some pics when you're done with it.

Joe
 
  • #12
I would have prefered a true moss,
but it's pretty hard to find them for sale here in the desert.

I know of a nursery about 2 1/2 hours from here,
that specializes in Bonsai that has true mosses but thats a long drive to get some moss. LOL

I will post some pics when I get it planted, but I'm pretty busy packing orders of cactus to mail out (spring is so busy)

CD
 
  • #13
do we get to see when its done
 
  • #14
I promise, I'll post pics as soon as I get it planted.
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I'm going to try to get some work done on it one evening this week.

I packed Cactus orders all this morning, then went to the Post Office to send them on their way.

Then this afternoon I gave a talk on Cactus and Native Desert Plants for the Johnson Valley Garden Club.
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Believe me I would much rather be playing around with the terrarium or one of my fish tanks, but spring is my busy season,
and you know what they say. "You gotta' make hay when the sun shines"
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I did find another plant for the terrarium on the way home at Wally World, something called a Button Fern, Pellaea rotundifolia.
Looks like a miniature Boston Fern.

CD
 
  • #16
Yes, I mind...
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No, just kidding.
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I own and operate a Retail Nursery and Web Site selling Cactus and other Desert Plants.

Check out my WWW button below.

CD
 
  • #17
Hi Guys,

I finally got some free time to do the planting on the terrarium.

Heres an overall view...

planted.jpg


Left close up from the front...

left.jpg


Right close up from the front...

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From the right side...

side.jpg


Left from above...

leftabove.jpg


Center from above... The plant in the middle is the Button Fern, Pellaea rotundifolia.

centerabove.jpg


Right from above...

rightabove.jpg


I did a dry steram bed using rocks and aquarium gravel.

I still have to install the cork background and get some Tillandsias to put on the cork.

I'm really happy the way it has turned out so far.
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Let me know what you think.

Cactusdoug
 
  • #18
Love the setup, doug!
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Only thing, l dont see any cps!
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Looks like you put a lot of hard effort into it. lt looks great!
 
  • #19
I just noticed something... If you look at the glass, only the first inch or so of soil is wet! under the wet line, it looks pretty dry... you may wanna throw in a gallon or two more water
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  • #20
I have been adding water, Very slowly.
I don't want to have a septic tank at the bottom.
It's now wet to about an inch from the bottom.

I don't have any CP's yet, I hope to go over to Gubler's in the next week or so.

CD
 
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