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Journal My First Terrarium

LondonDragon said:
Many thanks, it there a risk it could go mouldy? if so what can I do to prevent that?
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I don't know, I've only just got some myself. It's used a lot in paladriums and vivariums, and it's a rot proof man made material, so I shouldn't imagine it would attract mould any more than any other surface would. There should be constant water exchange from it as water is drawn out by the mosses and plants you use, and also by evaporation. That said, I believe in paladriums it is common to add springtails, isopods and other bugs to the moss walls to deal with mould and fungus growth.
 
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Wookii said:
That said, I believe in paladriums it is common to add springtails, isopods and other bugs to the moss walls to deal with mould and fungus growth.
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Many thanks, Do have springtails on my to buy list on Amazon 🙂 £7 delivered is not too bad!
 
They need the humidity, so i believe they just dry up outside of that environment.

Hey I lost a female Emperor Scorpion that managed to lift up its lid. So that was a worrying time - never did find it. So it must have made its way out of the conservatory and out into the wilds of coventry.
 
Hi all,
LondonDragon said:
Do have springtails on my to buy list on Amazon
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If you have a park to hand? A handful of leaf litter from under some shrubs etc will provide a starter culture for free.
Wookii said:
I've never had springtails myself - do you need to go to any efforts to 'contain' them to prevent than wandering the house, or do they tend to stay put on the moss?
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Gill said:
They need the humidity, so i believe they just dry up outside of that environment.
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Yes they stay put where it is damp. They don't have an exoskeleton, so have a very limited life span in your house

cheers Darrel
 
not called Bob said:
sphagnum on the inside of the tower?
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Did think about that, but went with @Wookii recommendation and got a Hygrolon sheet, as it will not rot so no maintenance.

Decided to order some cushion/bun moss from @Scaped Nature to cover the model with as reading about it might be the best option to keep it healthy, did pick up some stuff from the grass outside but read it can just rot, also have a couple of mini orchids:

Schoenorchis scolopendria
61eb36b8c3b3544e812fba287015bf7a.jpg

and Trisetella hirtzii
Trisetella hirtzii (8).JPG

If these do well I might also get some more mini species for it.

Also going to try some Bolbitis Heteroclita Difformis and maybe some Hygrophila pinnatifida too pinned to the sides!

Cheers
Paulo
 
These guys have some stunning 3D models, if only I could get my hands on some of those files! lol

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Hi all,
This going to be so good. I'm seeing a business opportunity <"for some-one">. "LondonDragon" already sounds like celebrity endorsement.
LondonDragon said:
also have a couple of mini orchids:
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Very nice, you'll need to make sure that the roots aren't wet all the time, particularly the Schoenorchis scolopendria. Is it mounted on a cork board? If it isn't I'd get one. Trisetella hirtzii will be OK "wetter".
LondonDragon said:
maybe some Hygrophila pinnatifida too pinned to the sides!
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I'd keep away from anything potentially too big and rampant.

cheers Darrel
 
dw1305 said:
particularly the Schoenorchis scolopendria. Is it mounted on a cork board?
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Many thanks, it is on a cork board, guess best to keep it on that then 🙂
dw1305 said:
Trisetella hirtzii will be OK "wetter".
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These will go right at the top where it should maintain less humidity.
dw1305 said:
I'd keep away from anything potentially too big and rampant.
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Thanks for the tip, I will avoid it in that case 😉
 
Very nice! If you are planning a lid and a light, then make sure it is one that doesn't get warm... If it does get warm and it's closed the glass will fog...

What might be an option is to DIY it with a number of LOW power LEDs that do not get warm and place the controller outside of the container.
Homemade-ring-light-soldered-but-not-snipped.jpg

And if it will have a tight lid, then watering won't be much of a problem. I guess you are mainly going for epiphytes? These can live and survive in high air humidity pretty good... If it's a relatively closed environment it can't dry out. Then it's similar to a bottle garden and rather self-sustaining without the need for a lot of watering.

Regarding mosses, you can scratch them from the pavement or collect them in nature. You will be in for surprises... I regularly visit a terrarium shop near my place to look at the plants they offer. Also, mainly epiphytes and I'm always amazed about the beautiful variety of mosses growing to the substrate the plants are tied to. I did ask the shop owner about it and he said he doesn't culture mosses. And all came on their own devices... And I've seen mosses that I've never seen before, but it can only mean we must have the spores flying around also ending up in the terrarium shops greenhouse. Then land and germinate there when conditions favour it. Then we must have this whole variety of mosses flying around all over the place and a lot probably dormant laying around till the correct circumstances are offered to germinate.

I do grow and collect a lot of mosses from nature also simply scratch them from the pavement. Put it in jars and after a while see varieties and grow forms in it that I didn't intentionally collect. 🙂

What you also might like to put in there are the smaller species of climbing ferns such as the Pyrrosia sp. and the tiny Barbosella sp. Orchids or the Bulbophyllum sp. And there is quite a nice variety of smaller terrestrial Utricularia sp. available that would love it in there.

Have a peek here for inspiration and ideas. He has a rather extensive terrarium plant database. And if available he always has top quality plants.
 
Many thanks, I brought one of these, its 10w, does get a little warm but not much! It will seat on top rather than inside! So we will see how this behaves enclosed.

s-l1600.jpg
I am now 3D printing a lid for it, I have a glass acrylic circle also to seal the light inside the lid and a brim, so the lid doesn't slip off the top of the terrarium.

lid.PNG
I will post some photos once that is printed.

I purchased bun moss from our sponsor, actually brought 3 bags and one might have been enough! lol did not realize how much moss came in a bag! So I will be providing a very good coverage of moss, then I gave some ferns and orchids and will have a look at the link you sent to see what else I can put in there.

I am thinking just adding some gravel to the bottom and no soil, thoughts on that? Maybe some Fittonias around the tower at the base? Will these grow fine in gravel or would need soil?
 
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