Just my opinions, and we do mostly vivariums with dart frogs or geckos, but:
1. Most potting soils are mostly humus, which breaks down quickly. The coconut fiber lasts longer, but breaks down and compacts as well. We mix fine and coarse coconut fiber, and add orchid bark and sand to keep it from compacting.
Carnivorous plants versus Orchids: Many carnivorous plants need acidic bog conditions to do well. Check on the species you want, but we usually use a mostly peat substrate with them. Orchids, however, need to let their roots dry out, so would have to be mounted above the substrate on cork or driftwood in a bog terrarium.
2. We use sphagnum to dress the substrate in a lot of our rainforest vivariums, but are starting to move more towards leaf litter. In a bog terrarium, sphagnum would certainly be appropriate, and may even begin to regrow.
3. Moving water features are cool, but Murphy's Law dictates that the more complex the water feature, and more difficult to access, the more likely it is to cease functioning. Make sure the pump is easily accessible, and removable.
4. The temperature will be dependent on the species you choose. Temperate pitcher plants and cool orchids may have trouble with summer room temperature in a vivarium not in an air-conditioned room. With tropical varieties, we've found that terrariums need little to no added heat, unless your house is very cold in the winter.
Again, these are just my opinions. Different things work for different people. I've tried methods that worked well for friends and failed miserably!
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Jim
Quote:
Originally Posted by ElHein
Hello, hello! Before I get started with my noobish questions I'd like to thank Beckdg for replying kindly to my introduction-post! So without further ado, I'll begin asking the questions and explaining the scenario!
I've got a 160-liter aquarium that I'm going to be turning into a vivarium. In this viv, I'm not thinking about having any animals but rather just magnificently tropical plants, and I understand this requires a lot of humidity!
1. When it comes to substrate, should I use a mass like xaxim or that coco? (Why do people use these anyways instead of normal dirt!?)
2. Should I dress the walls with something specific? I've seen a lot of people use Sphagum...
3. I'm thinking of installing a waterfall of some sort in the middle! Do you think this is a good idea? Any recomendations on how I should make it?
4. Temperature!
It's mainly going to have carnivorous plants, but I'm also thinking orchids would be nice... I could then get orchid mantists!
Thank you for taking the time to read... and hopefully answer my incredibly newbish questions! I've visited the favourite-link but I still feel like I have a lot of questions!
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Substrate? Covers? Newb-questions all around!
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