Carnivorous terrarium

[FinnLFC19]

Hi there

I have a 25L topless fish tank I was thinking of converting into a terrarium. I’m wanting to keep a few carnivorous plants like Venus fly traps and pitchers and was thinking of making a carnivorous terrarium. Given the right low nutrient conditions, is this possible?

 

[Marck]

It is certainly possible. Personally I find it easier to keep each plant in its own separate container, but a fully landscaped terrarium can also be done.

A few quick thoughts:

Light: You can set up a terrarium in an area that has natural light or you can use grow lights. Sometimes natural light supplemented by grow-lamps in the Winter is the best situation.

Water: If you have soft water, you can try using tap water, but if your water is hard, you will need to collect rainwater, buy low-sodium bottled water, or invest in a reverse-osmosis water purifier.

There are number of other topics to consider such as growing media, humidity levels, fertilization and/or insect feeding, etc.

Really this thread should just be your first stop in learning about carnivorous plants. There are specialist nurseries for carnivorous plants and these places can also be excellent sources of good information. I am familiar with ones in California, but you would probably want to start with those in the U.K. I just did a quick search and I see there are several in England. One is called Triffid Nurseries. How droll.

Of course, there are also numerous resources available online, but I do want to recommend at least one excellent printed book on the subject: The Savage Garden by Peter D'Amato.

 

[FinnLFC19]

It is certainly possible. Personally I find it easier to keep each plant in its own separate container, but a fully landscaped terrarium can also be done.

A few quick thoughts:

Light: You can set up a terrarium in an area that has natural light or you can use grow lights. Sometimes natural light supplemented by grow-lamps in the Winter is the best situation.

Water: If you have soft water, you can try using tap water, but if your water is hard, you will need to collect rainwater, buy low-sodium bottled water, or invest in a reverse-osmosis water purifier.

There are number of other topics to consider such as growing media, humidity levels, fertilization and/or insect feeding, etc.

Really this thread should just be your first stop in learning about carnivorous plants. There are specialist nurseries for carnivorous plants and these places can also be excellent sources of good information. I am familiar with ones in California, but you would probably want to start with those in the U.K. I just did a quick search and I see there are several in England. One is called Triffid Nurseries. How droll.

Of course, there are also numerous resources available, but I do want to recommend at least one excellent printed book on the subject: The Savage Garden by Peter D'Amato.

I had heard of the book and was thinking of giving it a go - I hear it’s very informative. I have a window that receives light and a daylight bulb promoted for reptiles but it also promotes plant growth. My water is soft according to a website I checked. Thanks for the help!

 

[FinnLFC19]

So I managed to get two venus fly traps and two pitchers from a nursery near where I live. Some parts of the fly trap are blackened and some of the pitcher plant parts are a bit crispy and dry (I’m very new to the hobby so forgive my naive vocabulary!) so I’m assuming maybe they’ve been potted in soil that’s too nutrient rich, I’ve got some specialist carnivorous plant soil coming over the next two days so I’ll add that to my glass terrarium (after a drainage layer and mesh) and get them planted. They’ve been outside today to hopefully get some bugs and they’ve had a lot of sun today. I’ve had them on tap water since mine is quite soft and rain water, with some water that’s drained through collecting at the bottom but I read this was fine due to the boggy conditions they’re used to. I’ll keep you updated when they get planted in the terrarium, but again forgive me if I’m naive, this is something I’m new to!

 

[Marck]

Your plants looke very healthy to me. The oldest leaves/traps will eventually wither, being replaced by new growth. You can always cut off unsightly dead parts. This similar to how I grow my plants. Full sun. Bog conditions. I fertilize once a month Spring through Fall. I usually change their water shortly before the each feeding so that salts never build up too high.

 

[FinnLFC19]

My carnivorous mix has arrived, but I’m thinking it probably won’t fill out the terrarium. I have some orchid bark left from one of my pet vivariums, and some coco fibre (but I imagine this would be too nutrient heavy perhaps?). Would either of these be alright to mix in with the substrate to add a bit more volume?
Thanks for all the help, again I’m sorry I’m so new to this all!

 

[Marck]

I grow my carnivorous plants in a mix of sand and pumice and small amount of organic matter. Ironically it is basically the same as the fast-draining mix I use for cacti and succulents. The difference is that my carnivorous plant pots sit in water.

I wouldn't use orchid bark in a bog garden because It would break down into a messy sludge under bog conditions. Bog plants might survive in those conditions since drainage is not an issue, but I still would not encourage excessive putridity. A sandy mix stays more sanitary. Of course there are many formula for growing media, so you will find other opinions about this. Different types of media can work, depending on the growing conditions. Some people grow grow their plants in live sphagnum moss which has its own rewards and challenges.

Also, it is nice to be able to drain off the water easily when you want to replant, tidy up, change water, or flush the system. This is why I prefer pots to a planted terrarium (though aterrarium planting can be exceptionally beautiful I will admit). If possible, you might want to give your planted terrarium drainage holes and the set the tank in a large saucer of water, or you could arrange a terrarium display made up of individual pots.

By the way, even though this thread is filed in the 'Indoor Plant' Forum, I grow my Sarracenia and Darlingtonia outside. You could as well in your climate, though I expect you want to enjoy your terrarium indoors. If you do experience poor growth or a pest issue, try 'summering' (or even 'wintering') the plants outdoors for awhile. Spring and Fall being the safest times to suddenly change a plant's location.

 

[FinnLFC19]

I grow my carnivorous plants in a mix of sand and pumice and small amount of organic matter. Ironically it is basically the same as the fast-draining mix I use for cacti and succulents. The difference is that my carnivorous plant pots sit in water.

I wouldn't use orchid bark in a bog garden because It would break down into a messy sludge under bog conditions. Bog plants might survive in those conditions since drainage is not an issue, but I still would not encourage excessive putridity. A sandy mix stays more sanitary. Of course there are many formula for growing media, so you will find other opinions about this. Different types of media can work, depending on the growing conditions. Some people grow grow their plants in live sphagnum moss which has its own rewards and challenges.

Also, it is nice to be able to drain off the water easily when you want to replant, tidy up, change water, or flush the system. This is why I prefer pots to a planted terrarium (though aterrarium planting can be exceptionally beautiful I will admit). If possible, you might want to give your planted terrarium drainage holes and the set the tank in a large saucer of water, or you could arrange a terrarium display made up of individual pots.

By the way, even though this thread is filed in the 'Indoor Plant' Forum, I grow my Sarracenia and Darlingtonia outside. You could as well in your climate, though I expect you want to enjoy your terrarium indoors. If you do experience poor growth or a pest issue, try 'summering' (or even 'wintering') the plants outdoors for awhile. Spring and Fall being the safest times to suddenly change a plant's location.

I’m planning on adding a drainage layer of hydroballs, which I believe would hold water down in that level with sufficient watering. Do you think it would be possible to keep the plants in their pots, add them to the terrarium so the bottom of the pots is directly on the drainage layer where water will (in theory) be gathering, preserving the pot-in-water bog like conditions, and then fill in around with substrate to hide the pots? I’m not sure if this would work, I just want to ensure they get the best care possible

 

[Marck]

Yes you can certainly bury pots in media, though it is likely that both roots and stems will grow out into the media anyway which might defeat the purpose. I don't mean to suggest that planting in a terrarium planting is not a good idea, but there will be a bit more labor and less control. Think of it like planting an actual bog, a small bog.

 

[NigelJ]

My insectiverous plants live in washing up bowls, packed round with chopped moss and some peat. They live outside outside in summer and in a cold greenhouse in winter.

 

[FinnLFC19]

I’ve managed to get some building sand for a pond I’m making in the garden, would this be alright to mix in with the carnivorous soil? I’ve seen different things online about which sands you can and can’t use but Im seeing places saying yes and no for builders sand

 

[FinnLFC19]

Here is the sand

 

[FinnLFC19]

I also have some aquarium sand if this is more appropriate

 

[FinnLFC19]

Okay so my bad, I massively underestimated how much bog mix I actually had, and I (think) I have more than enough for the terrarium (I still have half a bag). The top has a shallow layer of sphagnum moss and they’ve been watered with rain water, and they’re staying outside all day today as it’s raining on and off. I might consider getting a sundew if these guys seem to be doing alright after a while, I held off as I haven’t read up on their care yet but if they’re similar there’s a position in the front right that is waiting for it. If not, some nice rocks would round it off nicely perhaps

 

[Marck]

The terrarium looks great. You are off to a good start. Yes, I think sundews (Drosera spp.) would be a excellent addition. Maybe also a Butterwort (Pinguicula spp.), moss, and low trailers like Selaginella.

Generally speaking coarse sand is recommended for horticultural use because fine builder's sand compacts too tightly. However, that is an issue because of drainage concerns. In a bog situation you can probably get away with it. I would still choose something coarser myself.