CP Bog terrarium. How to start?

Hamada

Seed
I have a 20gallon long tank measuring 10.18"L x 27.3"W x 13"H
I would like to set it up as a bog featuring mainly carnivorous plants and some moss maybe. As to what type of CP I'm not sure yet. i know some species need a dormant period which is fine. Has anyone setup anything similar to what I'm trying to do? Would love to see photos and learn more about how to set this up properly.
 
You seem to be in Southern California where you could grow lots of stuff outside all year around. But it sounds like you want an inside setup. Your choices are huge. If you look at:
You will see many examples. Dormancy isn't actually necessary as you will also note in the forum.
 
im from San Francisco, yes id like an inside setup as a display. my goal is to make this tank into a show piece while also giving the plants best livable environment.
 
I too like creating showable displays that visitors can experience and interact with. This thread might give you some plant community ideas to run with.

 
What are the specious of CP that don't go dormant so I can narrow down my search for a terrarium build.
Thank you in advance!
 
I've been growing temperate CP's and tuberous dews without dormancy for years. So you can do without dormancy. Generally you want plants that have similar environmental needs in one setup. For instance, highland Neps need very specific setups. As long as you grow reasonably priced plants and keep a close eye on things, you can experiment.
 
This is slightly off topic, but...

You seem to be in Southern California where you could grow lots of stuff outside all year around.

BAHAHAHAHA! ... Ahem. I mean. It's pretty decent for cacti and succulents I guess, so by extension maybe one could find some pinguicula that would enjoy it. And maybe drosophyllum, which I'm told likes it dry? But I think a lot of Canadians would be pretty shocked at all the things that really *won't* grow outdoors in southern California. The summers can be extreme, and contrary to popular belief, it does freeze in the winter. But perhaps more importantly, the air is super dry all year round, and because of summer temperatures you can't really just stick your outdoor plants in a clear enclosure and forget about them to keep them humid. So, you're going to be using a lot of water (and probably need a fancy auto-misting setup) to grow anything that likes humidity. That practice is sort-of frowned upon these days in some circles, what with the never-ending water shortage and all.

Source: am from there originally.

To be fair, southern California has a pretty big variety of different climates represented, but that desert climate is typical. Also, I feel obligated to mention that southern California produces excellent avocados and excellent oranges, the likes of which I have never seen in Canada even as imports.

Anyway, San Francisco should be a lot better than SoCal for most carnivores, and of course inside growing is largely independent of climate.
 
I come from a back round of growing/propagating corals.
So in terms of equipment and automation i can do that for a cp terrarium cooling/heating, controlled humidity levels, air flow, controlled water levels, i can easily automate and replicate these parameters for the plants.
I'm now just trying to figure out what's best to be kept together year round.
How to mix the proper soil, is there a certain way to lay down the soil leaving a quarter of the tank with an open water area making it look like a small pound, and anything I should consider setting up.
 
Different plants will be of different sizes, have different root space requirements, etc. Pots hidden in long fibred sphagnum might be practical. I would look about the forum, deciding on plants you like. Then just grow them together, peat/perlite being reasonable. Keep an eye on the plants' vigour, moving them about as they grow and wax or wane. It will be a continuously changing setup. Have fun.
 
Hi @Hamada

I've been playing around with a couple of glass enclosures. I enjoy this one - its a glass cube with a submerged pump, and driftwood. If you search for "Glass box and driftwood", there is a post on how I initially set it up.

It's gone through 3 dismantle/clean over approx 2 years. In the last cleanup, I removed all substrate except rocks. The plants have all rooted in and around the driftwood.

It's always had two Nepenthes bellii, two mini Phalaenopsis, and a Drosera capensis. Other plants have done well but eventually outgrew the space. It's really great as a baby drosera nursery.

Lots of springtails, so have not needed to feed plants anything extra.

IMG_1169.jpg


...


Have you made any decisions on plants in your setup?

Joanie
 
Back
Top