FlytrapCare Carnivorous Plant Forums

Hi!
My profile is new, but I've been stalking this forum for awhile now. Its awesome to find others that are so involved and passionate about the hobby. I began a terrarium 3 years ago with some sundews and a Biorb Terrarium. Its been 3 years with a whole lot of ups and downs, but I suppose thats what the hobby entails

Current stock list:
-Drosera Capensis
-Drosera Spatulata
-Drosera Petiolaris

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download/file.php?mode=view&id=50130htt ... w&id=50131

my first word was woooooww. It looks beautiful, and those are some healthy looking plants. That is a cool terrarium as well.

Very nice. Thanks for sharing. Can you please discuss the ups and downs


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Of course! I'll start with the "ups".

Initially, there were only two Cape sundews that had actually been planted in the terrarium. Since then, there has grown to be 18+ individual plants that have sprung up throughout the terrarium. The two mother plants send flowers up regularly with lots of seeds, creating many new little sundews all over the place, even atop the driftwood. I have since begun to remove and replant some of the new seedlings in separate pots to avoid overcrowding the terrarium. The Spoon-leaf Sundews (Drosera spatulata) have also grown well, forming a dense colony on the base of the tank. Initial growth was slow at first, but has really taken off. The Drosera petiolaris has spit into individual plants, becoming a dense cluster with tall stems growing up. However, I am unsure if the petiolaris seeds are viable? It sends flowers up but I have yet to see any new seedlings to form. Its been really fascinating to watch the growth and development of the terrarium. However, I have come to find that some sundews seem to be better suited for terrarium life than others

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As for the "downs"

Some sundews that I had planted, including a couple types of pygmy sundews (drosera scorpioides, drosera roseana, drosera pulchella) appeared to have been unsuccessful. They grew for some type before gradually fading away, eventually being taken over by the moss growing at the base of the terrarium. Im not quite sure as to the cause of their decline, but I'm totally open to trying again in the future, maybe with different types. One of the most persistent problems was lighting. I came to find out that the Biorb terrarium's led system was far too dim for growing sun-loving sundews. Instead, I decided to get an individual light with an Arcadia Jungle Dawn LED spotlight and it is INTENSE. Like blinding. Its an awesome bulb though with a natural color spectrum. After experimenting with how close/far the light should be, I found a good distance that the sundews seemed to have liked. They gradually developed deep hues of red with greater dew production and faster growth. However, the spotlight's range is rather limited, so while some sundews thrive, the ones that are out of the light remain a pale green with slower growth. I have recently started "rotating" the terrarium for better light distribution, but I'm thinking of simply putting the terrarium at a sunny window instead (as long as the sunlight doesn't heat the inside of the tank too much or warp the acrylic).

Thank you. Well I guess the downs are not too upsetting.
I kinda have a terrarium like that that is square. Where may I find the one you have. Also the one I have comes with lighting that way dimm too.


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t9gear wrote:Thank you. Well I guess the downs are not too upsetting.
I kinda have a terrarium like that that is square. Where may I find the one you have. Also the one I have comes with lighting that way dimm too.


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The terrarium is a Biorb Air, usually available from online retailers. It has a neat looking design, but its rather expensive with a price tag of around $350-400 I believe the manufacture is based in the UK? It might be cheaper depending on where you live if it doesn't have to be imported. I had gotten the terrarium for a slightly cheaper price at a local retailer in NY. If it helps, the manufacturer also makes aquariums that are very similar in design with a cheaper price, I would imagine they can also be fitted to be terrariums instead if you are looking for something cheaper.

How how do you water it with out disturbing everything

jwalker wrote:How how do you water it with out disturbing everything

The terrarium has a hidden reservoir in the base of the tank to keep the substrate hydrated. Without disturbing any of plants, I usually just add water gently over the driftwood in the center of the terrarium. The water soaks into the sponge-like soil with the excess water pooling in the reservoir.