1st Terrarium Questions.

[RandomGemini]

So, I've had some problems with my poor little Dracula Lotax. I could put it in a plastic cup and all that... But a terrarium would be so much cooler and I already have the tank (Exo Terra Mini). Got the lights figured out too.

Going to use locally acquired fruit wood and a piece or two of mopani wood for a support structure for plants. I'm not planning on having many because the terrarium is small. I have a very old grape vine in my yard and it has some dead loss that needs to be cut back anyway. Can I use grape vine for this? Any special prep I need to do?

I did want to do a water feature, but I'm thinking that for my first time out, that's a bit too much, so I'll wait on doing the water feature for now.

I've seen several different ways to do the substrate. Any suggestions on a good substrate for orchid growing? I was thinking I would start with a base of clay pellets for drainage, then a layer of sphagnum moss and then maybe coco fiber?

And lastly, this is a small terrarium. It's 12x12x18. I want to automate as much as I can so I only have to perform maintenance weekly. So, would it be worth my money and time to invest in a misting system, or would a fogger do the job for me? The goal is to water plants and keep humidity high, I think 70% is where I want to be as far as humidity goes.

Thanks for any advice you can offer!

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[Leafmite]

For extra humidity without the fuss of running water, a dark bowl, with flat rocks covering the edges and some duckweed looks pretty natural.
Any wood that is collected from outside should be boiled or baked to avoid surprises. If you are collecting live plants (moss), soak it in water for a few hours to get rid of any hitchhikers.

[Vanda lover]

I think Leafmite is right. For a space that small a misting system might be over kill. A little pond would look great.

	Mistking Looking for a misting system? Look no further. Automated misting systems from MistKing are used by multitude of plant enthusiasts and are perfect for Orchids. Systems feature run dry pumps, ZipDrip valve, adjustable black nozzles, per second control! Automatically mist one growing shelf or a greenhouse full of Orchids. See MistKing testimonials

[RandomGemini]

If that's the case, would a water feature be a good idea, instead of a mister? I really wanted to do one, but with all of the other equipment my husband has been throwing at me, I thought it might be over the top.

Edited to add: I mean a small fountain with a trickle of water down the back of the tank. I thought it would make it look more natural and I would love to have the trickling water sound... It would be so peaceful.

And are you sure about duckweed? I can get the stuff for free at my LFS. She gives it out in great big bags because it tries to take over her 90 gallon freshwater tank.

[Paul]

Originally Posted by RandomGemini

... a piece or two of mopani wood for a support structure for plants. I'm not planning on having many because the terrarium is small.

SNORT! Ya wanna bet how long THAT resolution will last?

Originally Posted by RandomGemini

I've seen several different ways to do the substrate. Any suggestions on a good substrate for orchid growing? I was thinking I would start with a base of clay pellets for drainage, then a layer of sphagnum moss and then maybe coco fiber?

That will depend somewhat on what plants you are considering having in there. A drainage layer isn't terribly necessary unless you are planning on a water feature -- particularly one in which it is desired for water to flow through the substrate. Having a drainage layer won't hurt though if you do put one in. Clay pellets would be fine. You can also use lava rock. I find that straight sphag works fine as a media for many plants.

Originally Posted by RandomGemini

So, would it be worth my money and time to invest in a misting system, or would a fogger do the job for me?

Honestly, I don't think it would be worth the expense. If you do have a fogger on hand, that should do the job. Otherwise a moist substrate like sphag or lots of leafy low growing plants should suffice. (As the plants transpire they will put water vapor into the air.)

Originally Posted by RandomGemini

If that's the case, would a water feature be a good idea, instead of a mister? I really wanted to do one, but with all of the other equipment my husband has been throwing at me, I thought it might be over the top.

Even a small water feature will wipe out a surprisingly large amount of space in your tank. Not saying don't do it but it is something to keep in mind. If you do decide on a water feature, be VERY SURE to design it in such a way that any an all parts for which maintenance access (hoses, connections, pump, et cetera) may be required are easily accessible. If you fail to do so, you will regret it.


On a related but different note, I would strongly recommend that you get yourself a pump sprayer for watering any hanging/mounted plants. The hand held spray bottles simply cannot handle all the wear and tear for long. Personally, I like the pump sprayers with the watering wands, such as those sold for the spraying of herbicides and pesticides. They work quite nicely for reaching back into tight areas even as plants fill in.

[RandomGemini]

LOL!! Yeah, my husband is thinking that he's created a monster by agreeing to a terrarium at all. I have space for one twice this size, but I just wanted to start small and use this as a learning opportunity.

So, what I'm hearing is that I'm overthinking it if all I want to do is grow a couple of orchids in here. I did want to try African dart frogs, but I can't bring myself to culture fruit flies so I can feed them.

Will the substrate need to be replaced annually? If so, I may just do the moss bed as you suggest.

I have a couple of those pump sprayers in my garage and can easily get another one at the hardware store for cheap. So that sounds perfect!

[Paul]

Originally Posted by RandomGemini

I did want to try African dart frogs, but I can't bring myself to culture fruit flies so I can feed them.

Do you mean poison dart frogs? If so, they're from South America. No African species.

Originally Posted by RandomGemini

Will the substrate need to be replaced annually? If so, I may just do the moss bed as you suggest.

I haven't replaced much of mine in several years. In part, will come down to just how wet you keep things. At this point, I have a covering of live moss in several areas of both my 55gal and 90 gal tanks. Would hate to risk disturbing it until I have to.

Originally Posted by RandomGemini

I have a couple of those pump sprayers in my garage and can easily get another one at the hardware store for cheap.

Though you likely already know this .... just make sure the ones in your garage haven't been used at any point for herbicides or pesticides.

[RandomGemini]

Yes, that's what I meant. My brain mixes them up with African dwarf frogs for some reason. They're very cute. There's a gal that breeds them locally and I've seen her setups and just loved them and their singing is so neat. They're really interesting little creatures, but I think I'll just check out her pics on Facebook and save myself the work.

I won't reuse the old ones for this. I'm planning to use distilled water in here and lightly fertilize, and since I have no idea what my husband has used them for in the past, probably Round Up, it's not worth the risk.