I don't know what i I think I am going to do with all these plants.............been sticking leaves all afternoon. (mini, trailers,etc).................
I just jump from one point of interest to another (LOL)
have a 50 gallon tank , need ideas
Yes, but it' so much fun to try new things....keeps ya from getting bored.:-)
MsC
Ever so true............
Well, I've got my tank planted, but unfortunately I left my charger and one extra battery to my camera in Tunica a few weeks ago, I just now noticed it was missing. So I cannot take pictures till I replace it which I just did on ebay LOL. it will be here in a few days, so I can charge my batteries and get to my picture taking again. Gosh I could shoot myself. That's what I get for going to the gambling hall with my DH .
Anyways. I may have too much dirt in it, but I'll post pics when I can.
I've planted the following plants inside, their all small right now too
alocasias: black velvet, deweys reversa, elaine lauderbachiana
jewel orchids, roxburghii, ludsia discolor and goodyera schlectendaliana, I'll have to hang onto these tags so I can remember their names LOL
I also planted a small philo, blue cebu epipremnum (blue cebu) very small , just starting to put out leaves, and I have a little pole by it so it can climb up it later on.
Every thing looks nice. hope it all lives. and grows well.
How long do I need to leave the light on?
and when do I need to open up the lid , ? when there's too much moisture?
what do I do if mold happens to collect? what about knats?
I thought about getting a venus fly trap at walmart , what do you think about that? perhaps that thing can eat the knats LOL
I leave my av lights on 12 hours a day?????????
Wonderful! I had just checked the thread this morning to see if you had completed it yet...
Don't fret the amount of dirt in it...it should do well regardless and if after it grows a while, if you'd like a different look then you can always redo it...
I'd watch your plants but leave the lights on an average of 8- 10 hrs...that depends on of course your plants, the type of bulb you're using and other things...so you can adjust the amount after it grows a while.
If you get mold forming it will probable be that grey fluffy type and you can just wipe it out with a paper towel...or you can spray a small amount of fungicide on it...some grow lots & others don't ever?? Depends on what spores are in the soil you used...I had cute lil yellow mushrooms in one... they actually were kind pretty.
If you get too much moisture it will probable be a night, you can then vent it for an while just be sure to close it off during the day or the plants won't get the moisture & humidity they need. So how closed up is the terrarium?? If you are using the old light fixture that came with the aquarium then you are probable going to find it dries out instead of being too wet...unless you covered the area in the back where the pumps were???
Gnats seem to come & go, but you can use Gnatrol or mosquito repellents granules and that should take care of them...
Look forward to seeing the completed work!
MsC
This message was edited Jul 20, 2007 4:23 PM
Wow, a planted terr!
VFTs need a winter, so they are generally not recommended for terrs unless you are willing to yank it out in winter and give it a chill. (Having said that, I think I know someone who grows them in a terr - I think that part of his house has day temps of 60 in winter.) Also, I hear they are not good at catching gnats - for that I recommend a Mexican pinguicula (butterwort).
This message was edited Jul 20, 2007 6:01 PM
Ki,
Besides cooking the soil what else can she use for the mold that might grow??
Can't wait to see your terr's!
MsC
Can't wait to see your pic's Kathy Ann! I bet your newly planted terrarium is beautiful and just wait til everything begins to grow and fill out! I think your choice of plants should look really nice! I was looking at a website awhile back I think called Black Jungle or something like that - they sell some terrarium plants and I saw both of those Alocasia's and they are really nice, I think I read they like shade, so I don't know how they will react to many hours of the direct lights, but I think they should be okay as long since they don't get real tall - maybe 18". Jewel orchids do really great in terrariums too. I don't know anything about the Philo you chose ... some Philodendrons get quite large, but I've never heard of the blu cebu. And, if things get real large you can always remove them and put something smaller in their place ... and just pot up the large plants for more houseplants! I would love to have a 29 gal tall tank! A friends son has a large hexagonal aquarium that's been sitting in his folks garage for a year and a half. He lives out in California so I told his mom to tell him if he wants to sell it, I sure would love to buy it so I can turn it into a terrarium. He's gonna be in Florida on vacation all next week so I hope I get to see him and he will be wanting to sell it. Y'all keep your fingers crossed for me!
hee hee ... MsC ... I had some cute little yellowish mushrooms growing in one of my terrariums too ... really cute little things! I wasn't sure if it was good to leave them in there, so I took them out and planted them in a pot and they kicked the bucket! Shoulda left them alone! They were soooo cute!
I honestly don't know about mold control.... I've heard people use a drop of bleach in the water (works if the terr needs watering regularly, I suppose). Physan20 is supposed to work, but I really do not recommend it in the long run as too many commercial and long time growers have told me that it inhibits growth or can cause deformed flowers. For fungal type mold, tintactin spray (the stuff for feet) is said to work well. If the "mold" is bacterial, then peroxide would work, of course....
I just haven't had this problem - too few terrs with too short a life, I guess.
Wow, thanks everybody f or all the info, I'm thrilled with the new terrarium, I will post pics as soon as I can. Thanks for the advice on the fly traps, and lowes had the butterwort too, maybe I should get that instead.
plantlady, that is where I got my aroids at, at black jungle, they sent nice plants, small but nice and healthy. I love the elaine alocasia, it's stunning.
Ok, got to get off the puter, lightning outside.
I've had terrariums for years and never had a problem with mold. Does mold grow when there's too much moisture and humidity and not enough air circulation?
oh yes, forgot to add, that the holes are there that the pumps went in, and that is the only holes to the tank, it's closed up other than that.
Begoniacrazii , I believe, is the one who said that growers of orchids say that Physan retards the development of flowers...........however, in the back of the National AV magazine are ads galore for physan.........i use it in my terraiums but never on the flowers or buds.................just to wipe the sides down and spray directly on the soil avoiding any blooms.........but it won't hurt foliage at all...............I use 1/4 tsp to a half gallon of water with fertilizer in all my reservoirs of water for all my plants all the time........
Because of the excessive rain we have had all week and summer, tomorrow I am going to add physan to all my front door plants when watering..............can't hurt them and they need help from the humidity being too high..............
OH man, I had to remove the alocasia elaine, it was turning yellow. It's not looking so good, I put it back into a pot and in the greenhouse for now, I hope it comes back, to live. it was such a beautiful little plant. I noticed it going down hill the second day in it's new terrarium.
I also got tiny white spots of mold everywhere. I didn't water the plants when I planted them because the potting soil was really moist. and still is.
I opened the top it seems to help .
Oh Kathy, I'm so sorry to hear about your mold problem in your new terrarium. It sure sounds like there is way too much moisture built up in there . If the soil was real wet and then with the hood closed even more moisture built up. You might have to take all of the plants out for a few days and give the entire thing some time to dry out .... you sure don't want to lose your new babies from root rot. Had you moistened the potting soil before putting it in the terrarium? I know some folks do but I always put my mix of soil/perlite in dry and then put the plants in. I then just use a little squeeze ketchup/mustard bottle and put a teeny bit of water around each plant. Once the hood is closed and the lights turned on, moisture builds naturally pretty quick.
Please don't give up on terrariums .... sometimes with me, it's trial and error too. I'm sure after everything has had time to dry out, it will be okay and your plants will thrive! Please keep us posted on how things go.
Kathy ann.............I have got to find the tutorial that begoniacrazii provided.........it tells us step by step what to do...................in this tutorial you don't even add any water until it is the last thing you after you put the wet spaghnum moss on top of the soil and under the leaves of the plants................let me go see if I can find it.........it was posted once...........
HUm, I don't have any moss under my plants, but their leaves aren't touching the soil either. All the other alocasias look good, I can't tell, maybe black velvet has a tad of mold on one of it's leaves, I wiped it but it didn't come off, so itmay not be mold. The cebu blue is doing great, and so are all 3 of the jewel orchids.
My charger and new battery for my camera is in themail, so I should be able to take photos soon . I've had the lid open all day on the terrarium.
I didn't we t the soil, but it's been raining so much, when I bought it it was really wet. But I didn't use it right away, there's just alot of moisture inside the tank.
I just checked the tank, and all the soil on top is dry and the mold is gone now. I do have to keep an eye on black velvet though,
I have a few other new alocasias out side, and their rotted from the last rain we got, I'm sick abou t that. some I've bought twice now. All this rain is a killer.
anyways, i'm not giving up , no worries.
go to the other thread right above yours and I put the links that begoniacrazii posted..................
My understanding is this so far:
horticultural charcoal on the bottom (pet store too where aquariums are sold)
next , use a soil-less mix.............not one for the patio...........like Schutlz African violet or Miracle Grow soil-less mix.
Then , tuck in plants where you want them
Next, soak shaghnum moss in warm water for a while
Lastly, tuck the moss under the leaves of the plants and around each plant.
The very last thing you do is to water lightly
******If the sides build up too much moisture then open your terrarium up and let some of the soil dry up a bit..........then put your top back on................
I wouldn't even think of putting alocasias in a terrarium...........mine even have rotted outside this summer
**************don't give up but try to find her tutorial on building one.............the charcoal is very important.............and the soil-less mix is important, too.
Gosh, I should have read that first. it's a little late now to put the charchoal in , that's a good idea that she has there.
why don't you just mix some in the soil...............just a little will take out the impurities...........but always wash it good first...............
Look at the bowls I just got................after i was on this thread...........it is a thread right below yours now....
I never remember to put charcoal in any of my terrariums and I only have one with the spaghnum moss on top of the soil. I did use a piece of screen in one - on top of the rocks to keep the soil from washing down into the rocks .... I've been doing terrariums for years and need to remember that trick .... I keep forgetting!
Well, I just pulled all the alocasias out of the terrarium. The lauderbachiana was starting to turn yellow. Not because of too much moisture, the dirt was drying out considerably.
The jewel orchids look good, I'm considering lifting the dirt out and redoing it with the seed starting mix I have in the greenhouse. Can't hurt for sure. cause their not doing well.
I should have started with a small glass one, like a big bowl. I love the little round ones that have been posted on the other threads.
One has a ludsia discolor in it, and it really looks nice. Looks like the top stays open all the time, too no lid for it.
If you have plants in there that don't need a top...........................for humidity.............then just water some more..............it is not too late to add spaghnum moss...........you just soak the moss in warm water for about 15 minutes and then just pick up small pieces and place around your plants..............sure keeps the moisture going...................
thanks I'll get some when I go to town
I hope I am giving you good advice.............but I would still get some charcoal.........it is not too late to pick up the plants and temporarily take them out...........mix in a little charcoal (it is more expensive when you get it at Walmart or the pet shop because it is a much finer grade)..........with the soil you already have..........put the plants back in and cover with the sp. moss............good luck!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
just mix it in to the potting soil?
Yes, just take your hands and mix a couple of big handfuls in a container that big.........and just mix around in the soil...................at least it will help filter out impurities................though ideally it goes on the bottom i would try it...............i have some African violets that i have bought already potted up and people have mixed some charcoal in the soil.................
ok thanks
Well, I got my camera working again, apparently the pictures I took before the battery went dead are no longer in my camera, I had pictures of all the plants that were planted in the terrarium, and now their all gone for some reason.
the only ones left are the jewel orchids and the cebu blue philo (not really a philo) long name.
You can see how wet the dirt is still, and I hadn't noticed that untill I took this picture just now.
I haven't had a chance to buy the charchoal yet but I will. Looks rather empty now LOL.
But it's a working progress LOL
Now, my eyes are not what they used to be but the soil looks really dry to me. I can't tell if in the front of the tank that's a shadow I'm seeing (the dark section in the front all along the bottom of the tank) or if that is the wet soil you are referring to? It looks like the top of the soil is very dry, so maybe it's drying out and you will be able to add some more plants real soon. Just don't give up! It is all trial and error sometimes and before long I just know your terrarium will be re-planted and growing great!
Right, the top is drying out, and the bottom (the part you think may be shadow) is actually wet soil still, but not really wet, just slightly damp, I'm going to add a few plants after I get thecharchoal and maybe some moss on top soon.