Help needed before taking the decision of buying/building a terrarium/vivarium

[kavanaru]

Hi everybody, thanks for your comments. As I've just arrived from Paris last night I will only re-take my activities on this project by mid September or so. I have not been able to work on it during August (my whole brain was focused on french lessons) and I already know I will find a big mess at work tomorrow (my boss made a stop in Paris on her way Canada, only to let me know what was going on on the project and warn me of all the issues I will find - I think it was nice from her).

Ross, if I understood correctly, the fans in your terrarium only work at night, right? all night long?

[CoolPhrog]

Ramon, I'm really excited for you! It's a lot of work setting them up initially but well worth it! I agree that the only reason I set mine up was so I could buy more mini's!!!

Based on my conditions and experience, I run my fans (two 4" fans) 24/7. Both of my fans pull air INTO the tank and my T5 lights don't generate any heat at all so there's no isues there. The temp in my tank is a constant 70 degrees and I use a fogger to maintain humidity which is usually around 85 percent...I fertilize my plants in the tank, I do not remove them - I do, however, dilute the normal doses and since I don't have an installed misting system, I mist my plants every morning with RO water and a little KLN - my plants seem very happy and bloom pretty frequently - since Florida and Michigan are nothing like Sweden my advice is to do what works for you and adjust things as needed.

and keep us posted to lots and lots of

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[kavanaru]

first update...

today I had to stay at home and decided to start playing with some ideas for the terrarium...

I had already decided it would be made in glass and would be 47" x 23.5" x 43.5" (120 x 60 x 110 cm). For practical reasons, I think I will let it be done for me (if it is not too expensive - need to ask at some shops first)

(sorry, the text in the pics is in german as they are intended to be distributed to the potential manufacturers)

Pic 1: shows the general aspect of the construction.

Pic 2: This will be the top of the terrarium, with two long pieces of metalic grid for ventillation. A = front side; B = back side. If possible, the top should be removable, in order to facilitate some posterior works.
Two fans will be attached to the front grid, in order to extract air from the terrarium and blow it under the T5 tubes.

Pic 3: Shows the back wall with several perforations for cables, hoses and drainage. Important is to note the lower perforations: the two on the sides are intended to drain ecxesive water from the side-chambers which will be filled with Leca and act as two large flat S/H containers (they will be intended mainly for terrestrial plants as ferns, Selaginella, Begonia, Peperomia or similars - not yet decided). The prforation in the lower center planned for the water pump, which will take the water from the central chamber, pump it through a filter (installed bellow the terrarium, with all other technical gadgets) and then pump it again up to the top of the terrarium, in order to form a small water-fall, forming a shallow pond/aquarium in the middle chamber. Yes, I know, that's kitsch, but I like the idea and think it would help to cool down the terrarium and increase humidity.

Pic 4: Both sides of the terrarium will have gliding doors (blue in the pic) with a below grid for ventilation. One fan at each side should blow fresh air into the system and help with the necessary air movement inside,

Pic 5: just playing around what it would look like after all... The back wall, as well as the branch in the middle, will be a combination of EpiWeb and Styrofoam - Light and inert

Finally, as I already mentionned before, there will be some T5 tubes on the top. I am not yet sure whether 2 tubes would be enough or whether I should install 4 tubes (2 à 4000 and 2 à 6000K and 54 Watts each). What do you think?

[CoolPhrog]

Very Cool, I can't wait to see the finished setup!

[Bird Song Farm]

This is one heck of a setup you have planned. I sure hope you will take pics along the way and share with us.
I'm going to put a small terr. together using an aquarium. It will be strictly an experiment to see if I have any talent for a larger one.
Good luck, I know it will turn out beautifully.

Al

[gmdiaz]

Oooh yes, it's gonna be great.

I want one, for my very own, soooo bad.

I'll sure enjoy seeing what you come up with!

[DelawareJim]

Ramon;

How's the project going? I'm still trying to decide to build or buy.

Cheers.
Jim

[kavanaru]

Hi Jim,

Thanks for asking!

the project is currently in "stand-by" as I have been too busy in the last weeks. At the very end, I just decided to let the Terrarium be done, as the difference in price self-made Vs vendor-made was between 10 and 15%, and I am confident the result will be "more professional" this way, and I have had more time for other things

The terrarium should be delivered within the next 1 or 2 weeks (I hope, as I am a bit desperate to have it already here )

In the mean time, I have started to work on the frame that will hold the whole terrarium, to compile different materials towork in the terrarium deco, and so on...

in the pics, you can see the basis of the rack... there is still some work needed until it is ready to be used

The backwall in the terrarium will have a basis of styrofoam, covered with a 0.5 cm thick PeatWall layer (a mass of peat and a biological binder) which would help to increase the humidity near the wall, and up to the top of the tank. This will then be covered with Epiweb (I like the texture and would provide pants with some room to grow without need to be in direct touch with Peatwall (however, I know people growing orchids directly on Peatwall without any problems...)

The Terrarium will have 6 T5 à 54 Watts each on top. This should be enough light, and if not, either I decide to grow only ferns or add some new tubes Furthermore, 4 spray nozzles, and 4 fans inside for lots of air movement (2 pulling air in, and 2 just moving the air around). An external Fan will work blowing fresh air under the lamps for cooling.

I am stil unsure whether I would indeed have the "waterfall" or not.

Once the whole system is running, I plan to leave running for at least 2 or 3 months in order to allow some java moss to colonize the terrarium (moss will be seeded in the system!), and to observe the behaviour of the whole environment: detecting high/low temps, humidity, light... yes, I've gotten a Luxometer

2 or 3 months too long? hhhmmm... maybe, but I want to be sure of what I have in the tank, and also this would give me time until spring to decide for plants... then in spring the big shopping tour

Only problem so far.. I don't know what I will do with all the pictures of "Lydia Deitz aka. Winona" (We call her with this nick due to her alikeness with Winona Ryder's character in Beettlejuice) , a very talented young photographer from Mulhouse, France - mainly self portraits... As you can see in the second picture, they will be replaced by teh terrarium, and I need to find another place in the appartment for them...

[kavanaru]

Ok, guys, here I am withan update.. I was actually waiting to have it finished before updating this post, but something "funny" happened today and I decided to do it now...

so, picture by picture...

N° 1 I finished building the frame, where the Terrarium will be place
N° 2 & N° 3 The light system has been installed
N° 4 Finally, the terrarium arrived and has been placed on the frame
N° 5 Detail of the drainage hole of the "central water pond" the water will be directed to an external water filter, which will then pump up the water to the "water fall"
N° 6 testing the lights with the terraium (6 x T5 54 Watts; 4x6500K : 2x3000K)
N° 7 to N° 10 I have started to build the back wall and the "ground" with Styropor and gave it the first coating with a special mix for terrarium.

so far so good...

[kavanaru]

N°1 the final result of the first coating...

N°2 This coating is not water resistant, so I had to give a second coating with "TerraPur" - a synthetic resin, which has been been made especially for terrarium... it is supposed to be solvents free, and give enought time to work with tit...

N°3 this ***""%%**çç*&&& Product is quite fluid, but after less than 30 minutes it starts to get hot (I was very surprised) and loose viscocity... result, very difficult to work with it... in my desperation to finish before it became hard, I placed my hand on one of the already coated pieces...

N° 4 the big mess... my hand looked like a dark chocolate bar... no matter what I did, this ***ç%%&&%çç%&& product did not dissolved... I had to scratch my hand so storng that I injured my skin (red markings).. and tomorrow morning, I will have to explain the whole Clinical Team and the two vendors bidding for my new trial, why I have brown spots on my hands

looking forward to seeing their faces...