FlytrapCare Carnivorous Plant Forums

im planning to build a growing chamber to replace my current aquarium in which i keep my plants. they are surviving in there but i'd like to see them thrive.

so i had some ideas on what would be the best way to build one and was looking at some of the materials and came up with this design;



i would be using a plastic container, which is easy to modify, and i was thinking of using a 230V pc-fan.

would a setup like this work? or are there some points of improvement?


Thank you in advance

How will you maintain humidity and temperature?

Have you thought about adding a reservoir of water above the drainage so you could easily keep all plants simultaneously watered?

Muddledde wrote:How will you maintain humidity and temperature?

Have you thought about adding a reservoir of water above the drainage so you could easily keep all plants simultaneously watered?

for the temperature i was thinking of using a aquarium heater which i still have, and place it in layer of water under the drainage. not sure if this will work but it should heat up the container at least a little.

and for the humidity i have a ultrasonic mist maker, which should also be enough to let the plants stay moist? i think

I'm confused whether you want to this to be a cool chamber or a warm chamber - your diagram says the fan is for cooling but you also want a heater to maintain warmth?

I would definitely recommend you not use an aquarium heater in a drainage layer. You would have to closely monitor the water level so the heater is never exposed to the air and be really careful about adding more water so the heater doesn't crack due to a rapid temperature change. I would recommend an undertank heating mat IF you were using glass instead of plastic.



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Also a fan blowing into the tank without an exhaust will provide little airflow or cooling, would just create a pocket of turbulence around the inlet.

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Adelaide wrote:I'm confused whether you want to this to be a cool chamber or a warm chamber - your diagram says the fan is for cooling but you also want a heater to maintain warmth?

I would definitely recommend you not use an aquarium heater in a drainage layer. You would have to closely monitor the water level so the heater is never exposed to the air and be really careful about adding more water so the heater doesn't crack due to a rapid temperature change. I would recommend an undertank heating mat IF you were using glass instead of plastic.



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i'd like to keep plants all year round, so during the winter i need to increase temperature and during the summer i need to cool it down (hence the fan)

and my main goal is to keep my heliamphora and nepenthes in there.

Adelaide wrote:Also a fan blowing into the tank without an exhaust will provide little airflow or cooling, would just create a pocket of turbulence around the inlet.

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thats why i'll make holes in the lid, for which i have these special caps so i can just plug them back in if there is too much airflow and not enough humidity.

I see the holes in your diagram now. Isn't this chamber going to be in your house? Is your house freezing in the winter that you need to heat the chamber? Since it's a highland tank wouldn't just the fan and mister to keep it cool be sufficient?

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Adelaide wrote:I see the holes in your diagram now. Isn't this chamber going to be in your house? Is your house freezing in the winter that you need to heat the chamber? Since it's a highland tank wouldn't just the fan and mister to keep it cool be sufficient?

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yes its going to be standing inside, but i always sleep with the windows open for fresh air, so during the winter the temperature in my room can drop to around 10 celsius.

aside from those few nights in the winter i dont need to heat the chamber any more.

Have you thought about adding a reservoir of water above the drainage so you could easily keep all plants simultaneously watered?

Ya, I would add a hole with a valve near the bottom so you could just flood it then drain it. That would make watering really easy and you could also use it to control humidity.

yes its going to be standing inside, but i always sleep with the windows open for fresh air, so during the winter the temperature in my room can drop to around 10 celsius.

What kind of plants is it for?

xr280xr wrote:

Have you thought about adding a reservoir of water above the drainage so you could easily keep all plants simultaneously watered?

Ya, I would add a hole with a valve near the bottom so you could just flood it then drain it. That would make watering really easy and you could also use it to control humidity.

yes its going to be standing inside, but i always sleep with the windows open for fresh air, so during the winter the temperature in my room can drop to around 10 celsius.

What kind of plants is it for?

a valve for water drainage is a great idea.

and its mainly going to be used for my heliamphora and nepenthes.

This is my highland chamber, looks a lot like your design. The black tube u see on the left leads to a humidifier. Not much for temperature control though. I think the most important part is the fan you see hanging, it provides airflow within the terrarium without pulling air from outside that leads to humidity drop.



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hongranp wrote:

This is my highland chamber, looks a lot like your design. The black tube u see on the left leads to a humidifier. Not much for temperature control though. I think the most important part is the fan you see hanging, it provides airflow within the terrarium without pulling air from outside that leads to humidity drop.



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its looking great, its exactly what i'd like to make. did you made it yourself?

and just one question, if the fan is only rotating the air thats already in the chamber, wont that be bad for the plants? like dont they need some ''fresh'' air every once in a while.

Yes, I built it myself with glass from the window that I replaced. If you are going to build urs out of plexiglass, just make sure to use something thicker than 1/8", I found out the hard way that they can warp when exposed to moisture.

The terrarium is not 100% sealed, there are a few gaps that r around .25" around the top edges, so any air flow inside will draw fresh air in. You are correct that stale air will cause mold growth.



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the design is as good as done

now its time to prepare the potting mix, i am going to use 50/50 peat sand, but i have no idea what kind of sand would be safe to use. i asked this question once before but i cant find the topic anymore .