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Looking for a new challenge

  • #21
As others have said, if you can get us some day and night temperatures we can better recommend specific plants for you to try out at first.

I have found my plants to be undemanding in regards to the quality and life-span of my lightbulbs.
 
  • #22
Newbie question: when I'm growing saltwater corals I need to replace my T5 once or twice a year for optimum effect..... do those same needs apply when lighting plants or are they less picky about the age of the T5?
Sue

Yes, since 99% of CPs need strong light to thrive, you will want to keep the lights as fresh as you can. Which reminds me, I am overdue for a bulb replacement.

Edit: just saw Dex's post. I guess it really comes down to preference. After your lights age, you may notice your plants not coloring up as much. For me, I would want to maintain that colo, so I'd change the lights. The quality of fixture will affect the lifespan of your bulbs. I have a really crappy T5 fixture that looks like it can use some new bulbs and I've had it for a bit over a year, while my T8 fixture of the same age still looks great.
 
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  • #23
That's true. It can never hurt your plants to have fresh lights.
 
  • #24
Thanks, going to order new bulbs online tonight. I currently have two white and two actinic in there.... do I want to keep that combo or go all white?

Sue
 
  • #25
diagram °kelvin

dia-couleur.png


I use 2 color 6500°k ( day light ) and 2700°k (growth ) 6200 lm 85w eco in fluocompact

for me if you see the digram , 8,000°K/12,000°K is a blue light
blue light slows down the effects of a hormone called auxin. This hormone is responsible for the growth of stems and roots
the plants exposed to bluish light are often short and bushy, with a more robust structure.

The blue color seems much used in Aquariophilia

jeff
 
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  • #27
OK, I am now officially intimidated. Geez - I thought keeping saltwater creatures alive and thriving was challenging - this is a whole new ball game! :0o:
 
  • #28
OK, I am now officially intimidated. Geez - I thought keeping saltwater creatures alive and thriving was challenging - this is a whole new ball game! :0o:
Haha, no worries, these are mostly for optimal conditions, you'll do fine! (If not you could always grow carnivores outside first to test yourself [emoji6] )
 
  • #29
Haha, no worries, these are mostly for optimal conditions, you'll do fine! (If not you could always grow carnivores outside first to test yourself [emoji6] )

Outside? In New England during the winter? Now that WOULD BE a challenge! :-D
Sue
 
  • #30
Don't worry too much. CP care always sounds more difficult than it actually is. Just aim for lights with a color temperature between 3000k and 6500k, providing approximately 2000 lumens per square foot of grow space for full sun plants (which is a lot of them.) Growing CPs in a terrarium is a bit more tricky since you will need to provide temperature control as well as air circulation to prevent fungal infections which is why we recommend most people start with something other than a terrarium. If that's really what you want to do though, go for it. Just start with some common plants so if you make some mistakes and lose a few, it's not a big deal.
 
  • #31
Outside? In New England during the winter? Now that WOULD BE a challenge! :-D
Sue

There are actually many genre of temperate carnivores that can be grown outdoors even in the NE.

With all this information it is easy for it seem intimidating, but I think that once or if you get a set up established you will probably find that it will require less dedication and effort than a salt-water tank.
 
  • #32
There are actually many genre of temperate carnivores that can be grown outdoors even in the NE.

With all this information it is easy for it seem intimidating, but I think that once or if you get a set up established you will probably find that it will require less dedication and effort than a salt-water tank.

Thanks for the encouragement. I'm sure you're right - reef keeping seemed overwhelming when I first started, too, and now I could probably right a book. And as with the saltwater hobby, you can probably make this as complicated or keep it as simple as you want... depends on how crazy you want to get. I'm going to start with "Keep it simple, stupid". :)

So it seems the temp inside my empty tank only gets up to 72 degrees during the day with the lights on, but it dropped to 64 over night. I probably need a way to get the daytime temp up, huh?
Sue
 
  • #33
So it seems the temp inside my empty tank only gets up to 72 degrees during the day with the lights on, but it dropped to 64 over night. I probably need a way to get the daytime temp up, huh?
Sue
That's perfect for subtropical plants which includes a wide variety of sundews, butterworts, and Utricularia.
 
  • #34
Yeah it sounds like your conditions are very standard intermediate temperatures. You can probably get away with growing some highland Nepenthes hybrids too.

The most classic intermediate and easy to grow Nepenthes is Nepenthes ventricosa. I bet it would do great in those conditions.
 
  • #35
Outside? In New England during the winter? Now that WOULD BE a challenge! :-D
Sue
Well maybe try the native species [emoji16] ?
Sarracenia purpurea and Drosera intermedia grow native there ? (they don't look as nice during winter though haha)
 
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  • #36
Hi Guys. First question: should I submit my next question in another section of these forums? I'm tacking it onto this thread for continuity but at some point I should get out of the "Introduce Yourself" section and into another part with these questions, right? Should I go to "General" with my future questions or "Terrariums"?

The question of the hour is, what should I purchase as a substrate for the tank? I've read a bunch of articles on here and it seems I want spagnum/peat but do I run out to my local Agway or should I order some "really good stuff" from a CP seller? In other words, how important is the quality of my starting substrate? Keep in mind I'll be filling the bottom of a fish tank with it so I'm hoping it won't cost me a car payment to get started with the "dirt".

Thanks.
Sue
 
  • #37
Both of my terrs -- a 90gal and 55gal -- have a substrate of lava rock covered with approx 2" of sphagnum ...that's it. If I were to do it again, I'd try omitting the rock layer. My terrs contain
orchids (mainly micro-minis), Tillandsia, Cryptanthus, some pings, D. adelae (in one tank), and some other miscellaneous flora. Some of the plants are mounted, others are planted in the sphagnum. Most have done quite well over the years.

 
  • #38
Both of my terrs -- a 90gal and 55gal -- have a substrate of lava rock covered with approx 2" of sphagnum ...that's it. If I were to do it again, I'd try omitting the rock layer. My terrs contain
orchids (mainly micro-minis), Tillandsia, Cryptanthus, some pings, D. adelae (in one tank), and some other miscellaneous flora. Some of the plants are mounted, others are planted in the sphagnum. Most have done quite well over the years.


Can I ask why you'd do away with the rock layer?
Sue
 
  • #39
Can I ask why you'd do away with the rock layer?
Sue

Many folks put a rock layer in the bottom of their pots and terrs intending to create a drainage layer. Unfortunately, all this really does -- particularly with potted plants -- is create a perched water table which does not benefit the plants at all. With many terrs, one would do just as well to have an appropriate media layer which extends all the way down. In addition, in my particular case, I dread the day I finally decide to move to a new place. The weight of all that rock in my 90 gal and 55 gal tanks will require that I completely tear the setup apart. Not doing so would virtually guarantee tank breakage.

Now if you are planning on having a water feature in your setup with water circulating through the system, then a drainage layer is very important to allow the water to move with minimal impediment. However, even then a rock layer is a less than optimal solution. Far better would be to use "egg crate" -- the grid-like light diffusers often used for overhead fluorescent fixtures.

:)
 
  • #40
Yes, the eggcrate would have been a good idea but I had already gone to Home Depot and purchased 40 pounds of river rock.... that's now lining the bottom of the tank. On top of that I have several inches of peat and sand and perlite. When I "landscaped" the terrarium the other day I put in some dry creek beds and a section that I hope to turn into a waterfall, but I don't want to mess with that until I'm certain I've got good growing conditions for the plants. The aesthetics will come second.

Speaking of that, I'm seeing that the temp only goes up to 71 degrees during the day and down to 64 at night. Should I provide an additional source of heat? Would the plants do better with a higher daytime temp?
Sue
 
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