Leca is a common material choice for its ability to effectively hold both water and the weight of the plants and substrate whilst being pretty lightweight itself. A hygrometer measures humidity levels in the air. Low humidity can be dangerous for tropical or exotic pets, while high humidity is bad for desert reptiles. Décor REPTI ZOO’s terrarium has a mesh top that can be removed in two separate parts. This makes cleaning the tank or adding décor very easy. The top edge of the tank also has closable gaps for running temperature probes or extra cables into the interior. A classic terrarium plant for a good reason, Nerve plants know how to light up a space. The deep green foliage features vividly contrasting veins in either pink, white, light green, or red. Nerve plants usually grow around 6-inches tall but will vine much longer.

For books in the public domain, Google digitizes them where possible and releases them in the Google Play Store books collection for reading on Web enabled devices like your PC or tablet. They tend to come in the form of LED strip lights that you can fit to the top of the container to apply the most balanced spread of light. This was actually an aquarium tank light that fit the setup perfectly. Ferns – These are full of texture, and they love the warmth and humidity of a tropical terrarium. A nice mix of broad-leafed and feathery ferns can really bring some dynamic foliage to a vivarium. Where you can often manage without a drainage layer in small terrarium setups (provided you have the watering technique perfected), they become essential in larger tropical vivariums.Open terrariums need a little more watering than their closed counterparts, which retain moisture much longer than potted houseplants. Whichever type you choose, be careful not to overwater. Spritz your plants and the soil sparingly using a spray bottle so that they are damp, but not soaking wet. Most tanks for reptiles are made of glass and come with metal mesh screen tops. These mesh tops allow light and heat penetration along with airflow and humidity control. Are you planning to keep a pet reptile and need to know how to set up a terrarium and what makes a good one? In effect, it’s an integrated filter system to purify the air and water. Don’t build your terrarium (open or closed) without this layer of activated charcoal. Some guides tell you it’s optional. It’s not!

Full screen top ventilation also allows UVB and infrared penetration. Completely removable for easy access while decorating or cleaning. Next, we’ll take a high-level view of all of the important factors involved in vivarium ecosystems. Airflow / Ventilation My Skylight lights don’t come with a built-in timer, but it was easy to set my Skylight LED lights up on a time switch, which automatically turns the lights on in the morning and off again at night. Tall Orchidarium misting unit Known for their vibrant coloring, Watermelon Pellionia plants light up a terrarium. The foliage is gray-green, satiny in texture, and oblong with distinctive watermelon-like patterning. The fleshy and greenish-pink stems are also attractive and add to the watermelon look.

LED candles or fairy-lights – provided they’re battery-operated and not electrical due to the high moisture content The top soil should be 1/5th of the terrarium size. For a terrarium of 30cm by 30cm, you’d be looking at 6cm of potting soil – roughly 2.5-inches. My Tall Orchidarium has sliding doors that are removable for cleaning or maintenance. Sliding doors are more robust than hinged doors, hence the reason why I’ve had sliding doors fitted to this Tall Orchidarium and to my Rainforest Terrarium. My Tall Orchidarium’s doors are constructed from low iron, toughened safety glass. Truly, even the classic carboy and demijohn bottles – each long favored by the terrarium industry – were originally made to brew beer and wine. Bottle terrariums are the epitome of style + function. Moss – In my opinion, moss should be used liberally in a vivarium. It’s what ties everything together visually and really brings a space to life. A reliable tropical sheet moss (e.g., Thuidium delicatulum) can be trained to grow on top of both the substrate and the hardscape to achieve a natural lush effect.