Anyone dabbled with terrariums?

[Clorgan]

My fella's mum bought me a lovely vase for my birthday, decided to have a go at a terrarium!

Not sure how I did, definitely had fun making it though

Anyone made/have one they bought? I would appreciate any tips, I have no idea what I'm doing

 

[Bolero]

1/2 Su n...1/2 Shade, I see yours has a sealed top...water very sparingly with a small spout watering can....

 

[Clorgan]

1/2 Su n...1/2 Shade, I see yours has a sealed top...water very sparingly with a small spout watering can....

Cheers for this! I've currently got it sat probably a metre from a South facing window. It's an open vase but used a candle top as a kind of seal because of the plants I've used. Not sure how it'll go at all but we'll see!

 

[HorseloverFat]

I used to watch alot of Serpa design videos about terrarium construction (Whilst I was building my “moss farm”) .. most of HIS involve live animals, too..

But the work, presentation and overall design ideas are top notch..

Here’s one that is SOMEWHAT similar....you can navigate from there.

 

[Clorgan]

I used to watch alot of Serpa design videos about terrarium construction (Whilst I was building my “moss farm”) .. most of HIS involve live animals, too..

But the work, presentation and overall design ideas are top notch..

Here’s one that is SOMEWHAT similar....you can navigate from there.

Cool video, tha is for sharing! Great presentation, I definitely found that tricky

 

[Woocash]

I was recently looking at an ecosphere setup after falling into a youtube wormhole and got into the idea of creating a perpetually sealed environment myself. I found out you need fauna as well as the flora to create the balance of gasses inside the chamber (makes sense), but not so vital if air exchange can take place. Otherwise, look at adding some creepies and crawlies to bring balance to your ecosystem. Looks like a funky mix of gubbins in there.

 

[Clorgan]

I was recently looking at an ecosphere setup after falling into a youtube wormhole and got into the idea of creating a perpetually sealed environment myself. I found out you need fauna as well as the flora to create the balance of gasses inside the chamber (makes sense), but not so vital if air exchange can take place. Otherwise, look at adding some creepies and crawlies to bring balance to your ecosystem. Looks like a funky mix of gubbins in there.

Yeah I saw about this too, mine isn't sealed though, just has a candle lid to cover, but yeah isn't a made for the vase lid so not airtight. Happy to add some bugs in there though if it'll help

Yeah there's a bit of a mix in there, was going for a jungley kinda vibe

 

[Woocash]

There’s a cool video on You Ya Tube! of a 12 year old fully sealed ecosphere with plants, wood lice and centipedes etc which all together have established some kind of equilibrium within. Each organism becoming vital to the the ecosystem, very inspirational (Something the class might be into? ).

As for yours, I dare say the odd bug or two wont hurt, but don't forget a predator or two either!

 

[sorce]

I been watching the dude that Jars seawater, etc etc too. Pretty dope.

Closest thing I have is a ....you know... that one hippie vine plant from the 60's....in an oil bottle.

If you keep them in the bathroom, where a shower steams it up everyday, you don't have to water.

Sorce

 

[amcoffeegirl]

Not for a few years. They are fun though. I like keeping ferns- it’s the only way I can keep ferns alive.

 

[Clorgan]

There’s a cool video on You Ya Tube! of a 12 year old fully sealed ecosphere with plants, wood lice and centipedes etc which all together have established some kind of equilibrium within. Each organism becoming vital to the the ecosystem, very inspirational (Something the class might be into? ).

As for yours, I dare say the odd bug or two wont hurt, but don't forget a predator or two either!

Ohh I need to find this video! Kids would love it

 

[Wires_Guy_wires]

Those terrariums are a pretty big hype in Europe for the past five years or so. But I've never seen anyone with one older than a couple of months.

Animals aren't always needed; bacteria and fungi breathe out CO2 as well and degradation of plant material - at least in a sealed environment - will provide a perpetual release.
The most common issue I've heard about, is that people don't accept that sometimes a system needs to collapse before it can reach an equilibrium from scratch.

I have an aquarium with pond water and some snails. It has collapsed three times in the past year, and rebuilt itself from the ashes. It's in the 'flatworms have taken over' stage right now, after that the snails will come back, they'll boom, then their population will collapse again, and eventually it all smooths out. But the first couple times it's hard to watch. I think it's the same with these plant terrariums.
If I move my aquarium, conditions change, so it'll behave differently too. For those closed airy environments it's the same I believe, stable conditions seem to be important if perpetuity is what you're after.

 

[Clorgan]

I been watching the dude that Jars seawater, etc etc too. Pretty dope.

Closest thing I have is a ....you know... that one hippie vine plant from the 60's....in an oil bottle.

If you keep them in the bathroom, where a shower steams it up everyday, you don't have to water.

Sorce

That's a good idea about the bathroom! But as you can imagine ideally I'd like it somewhere in the living room where ill see it

 

[Clorgan]

Not for a few years. They are fun though. I like keeping ferns- it’s the only way I can keep ferns alive.

Yeah I had bought a very small fern for in there, bought it last weekend, the other plants I got online and by the time they arrived the fern was dead!

 

[Clorgan]

Those terrariums are a pretty big hype in Europe for the past five years or so. But I've never seen anyone with one older than a couple of months.

Animals aren't always needed; bacteria and fungi breathe out CO2 as well and degradation of plant material - at least in a sealed environment - will provide a perpetual release.
The most common issue I've heard about, is that people don't accept that sometimes a system needs to collapse before it can reach an equilibrium from scratch.

I have an aquarium with pond water and some snails. It has collapsed three times in the past year, and rebuilt itself from the ashes. It's in the 'flatworms have taken over' stage right now, after that the snails will come back, they'll boom, then their population will collapse again, and eventually it all smooths out. But the first couple times it's hard to watch. I think it's the same with these plant terrariums.
If I move my aquarium, conditions change, so it'll behave differently too. For those closed airy environments it's the same I believe, stable conditions seem to be important if perpetuity is what you're after.

Interesting, thanks for this! Hmm so basically keep it closed? When you say sealed, I don't think mine technically is, with the make shift lid

 

[Wires_Guy_wires]

Well, keeping it closed is easier, you don't have to do anything after that. It becomes a self-regulating piece of furniture.
If there is active gas and moisture exchange, the conditions keep changing and there's never a true equilibrium. Since the air tends to fuel growth and add more to the environment, at some point your terrarium will be overgrown by the plants and mosses. It kind of defeats the purpose in my view. It'll just be a transparent plant container that way.

 

[Woocash]

Ohh I need to find this video! Kids would love it

As @Wires_Guy_wires said, they have fluctuations of life which I think is part of the fascination

 

[Clorgan]

Well, keeping it closed is easier, you don't have to do anything after that. It becomes a self-regulating piece of furniture.
If there is active gas and moisture exchange, the conditions keep changing and there's never a true equilibrium. Since the air tends to fuel growth and add more to the environment, at some point your terrarium will be overgrown by the plants and mosses. It kind of defeats the purpose in my view. It'll just be a transparent plant container that way.

Yeah definitely see what you mean there, I love the idea of it being its own ecosystem. Would you suggest adding some critters?

 

[Clorgan]

As @Wires_Guy_wires said, they have fluctuations of life which I think is part of the fascination

This is fascinating! Thanks for sharing I may need to look into a way to properly sealing it? I'm guessing even a small gap will let enough air in to defeat the object? Attached a photo but not sure you can see the gap, definitely there though

 

[Bolero]

Do not add Critters, it spoils the Concept of being a Plant Terrarium....Remove the partial seal and just let it grow, watering it occasionally like every 7 or 8 days.....
Source ...., how can a Old Hippy that doesnt Shower advise Daily Showers ???