What's new
TerraForums Venus Flytrap, Nepenthes, Drosera and more talk

Register a free account today to become a member! Once signed in, you'll be able to participate on this site by adding your own topics and posts, as well as connect with other members through your own private inbox!

Miniture waterfalls

Hi,
I am thinking about getting one of those tabletop miniture waterfall thingys to grow my darlingtonia in.
I was going to get some live sphagnum and put it in the "pools" in the waterfall, with the plants growing in the sphagnum. That way the water is continously running across the roots. I am hoping to implement this idea before it starts getting hot here.
Has anybody thought about growing darlingtonia like this, or is there anyone actually doing it?
Where can I find one of those little waterfalls? I haven't seen them in any stores that I've been in recently.
 
Let us know how it works out
 
I have one of those! I never use it! I'd be interested to here how it goes.

Joe
 
It sounds cool. Two things you'll probably have to think about. First is the materials the fountain is made of (a lot of them are metal, which probably isn't good). Second, you may have to put some foam or something over the input of the pump, because the debris from the sphagnum may do some damage to the innards.

You can also make your own fountains out of ideal materials... tubing and the pump are all you need to make the water flow.

Take some photos when you get it working.

EDIT: Here's an idea, skip the flimsy pump and use an internal power filter for aquariums. I don't know if there's a kind where you can attach tubing to the outlet though.
 
Does running water make things any cooler though? In the wild the running water just transports cool water from elsewhere onto the roots. Your fountain would just move the water about for no reason.
You might as well just keep the plant in a big pool of still water and sphagnum moss.
 
I think there's more to the benefit than temperature, like aeration. Plus stagnant water may encourage rot.
 
Cobras are a lot tougher than people think. I've never known them rot - in fact I find them tougher than sarracenias.
 
Darcie & Goldtrap2690, in old topics, have come up with creative ways of providing water flow. Darcie's was with a reptile ornament. Just do a TF search for Darlingtonia or cobra lily, older than one month.
 
I think Darlintonia is wimpy. Mine always die. I can get it to grow through summer but it dies in winter thesecond the Heat turns on because it dehydrates even though it sits in a pool of ice water always. My sarrs don't do that.
 
  • #10
[b said:
Quote[/b] ]Darcie & Goldtrap2690, in old topics, have come up with creative ways of providing water flow. Darcie's was with a reptile ornament.

that's what I had in mind....a reptile waterfall thingy. I was going to make the reservoir big enough to hold 2 or 3 gallons.
I read in Savage Garden that darlingtonia don't like stagnant water and you need to keep the roots cool, what better way than a waterfall? It should look cool too.
 
  • #11
[b said:
Quote[/b] ]but it dies in winter thesecond the Heat turns on because it dehydrates even though it sits in a pool of ice water always

How can the soil media dry out if it is sitting in water?

My cobra loves sitting in normal temperature stagnant water in 35C heat in summer.
 
Back
Top