FlytrapCare Carnivorous Plant Forums

Hey everyone?Well im new to this and really want to set a terrarium up but have no clue where to begin?Is there a step by step site that i can visit?Im from South Africa and just got my plant?They are new to us so we don't have expert advice on them?plz help me!Thanx!

i wouldnt do a terr bc most likely they produce fungus and mold i keep my plant outsied with no terr but if you want to build a terr let hope some membes here with experience might tell u.

Terrarium are OK, but first we need to know what plants you want to keep inside.

good terr plants would be some lowland nepenthes as for VFT well they will do much better outside in full sunlight don worry if it gets really hot they can resist temps up to 100F

Hey all thanx 4 the reply's?Uhm im looking at VFT,sundews and nepenthes?I have a VFT at the moment!I read that if u put fans in so that there is air movement then the fungus ect wil be very limited?Is this true?

Hello Arries and welcome to flytrapcare!

For Dionaea and most sundews, they'll do better outside of the terrarium. Depending on the species of Nepenthes, it too might do better outside of the terrarium. What species of sundew and Nepenthes are you looking at?

Yes, fans will help minimize the fungus, but terrarium growing can be challenging even with a good setup. If this is your first time growing carnivorous plants, I'd recommend starting without a terrarium, learning how to care for the plants and then working towards getting a terrarium.

Hi Matt.
Thanx i find the site very usefull.Well im new to carnivore plants as u noticed?I dont know the species of by heart?Im stil trying to find out where in SA i can get these plants/seeds 4rm?I came accross a VFT and i facinated me alot and now im hooked!But these plants are hard to find in SA!

Hey man
If you want a terrarium than go for it. They seem to get a bad wrap on this site. I like terrariums just because they look nicer and have a more natural feel to them...i think theyre more interesting than a pot plant anyway. And by terrarium, im refering to a fully established environment, not just some plants in a pot, sitting in an old fish tank. If your going for venus fly traps id recommend a rectangular glass tank, however big you want, but with enough room for them to grow and spread their roots. By using a rectangular tank you'll be able to reduce the humidity alot more, and if you leave the lid off completely it will be barely different from the outside humidity. If you can, try and use artificial lights as this will reduce the heat and are less harsh than the sun. A mix of both is good, even if its not direct sunlight. As for the soil, if you dont want to spend very much money on fancy drainage systems, then dont, its not necessary if you plan your soil right. Id recommend using propogation sand (quartz/silicon based, make sure it does not contain salts!!) and mix that with some stones/pebbles (preferably quartz, dont use marble stones) just for the bottom layer to aid in drainage. For the top soil use a mix of peat moss and again sand, you could use perlite instead of sand. Mix it about 5:3, whatever looks right. Before planting your VFTs, give the soil a good soaking. Id also suggest adding live moss and maybe other small types of vegetation, maybe shammrocks (clovers) once you get it setup? This will help get rid of excess water, help establish the environment and make your terrarium look a bit more lively. I think thats about it.
Make sure you:
-use distiled water
-give them enough sunlight
-keep the air flowing inside the terrarium (take/leave the lid off)
-avoid over watering
-dont let it get too hot or humid (with a lid off or some ventilation gaps this should be fine)
I currently have some heliamphora minors and VFTs together in a terrarium (which i probably wouldnt recommend mixing) and theyre doing fine and theres been alot of new growth since ive gotten them. Mine are in a fish bowl :\ I havent been doing this for long but its not exactly rocket science...theyre plants

Wow thanx man?Thats alot of info?Ill be sure to try it!Ill keep intouch!Thanx!

There is quite a bit to consider when setting one up.

First off - as everyone before me said, VFTs do just fine and probably fare a lot better outside a terrarium. The reasons for this are - they don't need the humidity, fungus is more prevalent in a terr, and the most important - dormancy. You need to give the VFTs cooler temps combined with a reducing photo-period for them to go dormant. So, you can't just pull them out when its time and throw them into the fridge, you need to plan it out carefully so they slowly go down.



Other points to note-

If you plan on keeping the terr long-term, you need a way to flush out the salt-buildup or your plants will eventually decline.

Aeration is key - CPU fans help immensely here to reduce fungus, as well as springtails if and once they establish themselves.

Lighting - VFTs need a LOT of light, you need to reproduce the effect of the sun without the heat- as it would bake being in a terr otherwise

With that said, it can be done- its just not as easy. I've got several of what people would say are 'incompatible' plants in a 10 gallon ex-fish tank. I simply just like the look of such a setup. But as long as you plan it out carefully, including how you will put temperate plants dormant, it can work.

Aeration is key - CPU fans help immensely here to reduce fungus, as well as springtails if and once they establish themselves.

I always thought springtails would be good for the soil life? do they actually do any harm? :S

ToadlyCool wrote:

Aeration is key - CPU fans help immensely here to reduce fungus, as well as springtails if and once they establish themselves.

I always thought springtails would be good for the soil life? do they actually do any harm? :S

Yep they are good! I meant that they help reduce fungus.

renesis wrote:

ToadlyCool wrote:

Aeration is key - CPU fans help immensely here to reduce fungus, as well as springtails if and once they establish themselves.

I always thought springtails would be good for the soil life? do they actually do any harm? :S

Yep they are good! I meant that they help reduce fungus.

Ah, i see, i think i read your sentence wrong