Question
QUESTION: Hi, Mr. Bowen, glad to see another expert here on the site and I'm sure we're all very happy to have your many years of knowledge on the subject!

My first question is this. I am attempting to start up a small, 10-gallon carnivorous plant terrarium. On the bottom, for filtration, is 2 inches of gravel. I have peat moss as my soil and have used to grow all my other carnivorous plants in. (Those were all in plastic pots, and grouped separately however.) Is this the best soil? I haven't found anything else that doesn't have fertilizer and other chemicals that harm the carnivorous plants, so I've always just stuck with peat moss for all my plants. They seem to do well in it but I was wondering if there is better soil.

The type I use is called Hoffman's Canadian Sphagnum Peat Moss. It's a light sort of soil, and it tends to clump when dry. Takes awhile for it to absorb water too when it's completely dried.

I was also planning on putting Drosera Adelae, Drosera Aliciae, Drosera Binata, Drosera Capensis, and Drosera Burmannii into my terrarium, as they are all tropical or sub-tropical sundews.

I was also pondering putting in my sub-tropical butterwort, although I wasn't sure it would do well in a terrarium. What would you suggest for the butterwort? It's currently in a 3-4" plastic pot. It's a Pinguicula Primuliflora.

Thanks!


One of my 40 gallon te   ANSWER: Your plant placement and size of your terrarium sounds really good! For planting mineral I use sphagnum moss in all my terrariums for it is nutrient poor and holds distilled water so well. Sphagnum moss last a long time without breaking down and looks great. The rocks at the bottom sound fine but you need to add a drainage pathway for over flow so you can have control of the water level and over flow in your terrarium. This will protect your carnivorous plants from over watering and brown/grey mold! You can design a lower corner, or open space to get to the to much water and with this design you will be able to remove water if needed. Adding the sundews you have listed will thrive well as long as you keep them damp, and give them a little cooler nights with about 16 hours of good lighting. All sundews grow much larger and faster if you feed them. You can try fish flakes and by adding a little distilled water in a cap and then using a eyedropper to feed them about once a month. Please use only small amounts of the mix as not to grow any types of mold on your plants or near by moss. The 'Pinguicula primuliflora' Butterwort is great plant to add to this subtropical terrarium set-up. I have had this butterwort for many years and started with three. Each year they given me so many new plants I give them away as gifts and for trade. A ten gallon terrarium can only hold some many carnivorous plants and best not to over plant, for it becomes harder to control growing requirements in a loaded space. A Follow-up from you I'd enjoy and if I can be of anymore help please let me know, and remember this is a fun hobby so, enjoy your time and 'Happy Growing Always, Dan

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QUESTION: What exactly are you meaning by creating a corner for the water for the drainage pathway? There's enough gravel on the bottom that the water won't be in contact with the soil once it drains down unless I pour an entire gallon in there, which of course I won't.

Oh, and how many inches of soil should I have in my 10-gallon tank? I was thinking on about 5 inches, although if they grow their tall flower stalks like they have they will press up against the lid, haha. (I currently don't have enough soil to put 4-5 inches of soil in my terrarium, so I'm waiting until I can purchase some more.)

I also have some sphagnum moss. How should I put the sphagnum moss into the terrarium? Mix it through the soil or just have a thin layer it on the top of the soil of the entire terrarium? I've only ever had it as a thin layer when I layered it for my small plastic pots.

Oh, and I see for your 40-gallon tank that every plant is individually planted. I'm not aiming to do that as it won't look very natural, which is the look I was really hoping to accomplish. I was planning to plant them all in the soil within the tank with no separate pots or anything like that. Thoughts?

I hope I didn't forget anything, but of course I always remember something else after I hit the "I Agree. Send my Question." button, lol. I eagerly await your reply! Thanks!


Terrarium drainage   ANSWER: I will send a photo of one of my smaller terrariums. It will show you the corner drainage system I have designed for all my terrariums! If at anytime you have to drain your terrarium you can and you will always know where the water level line is and you will learn where to keep it to keep your plants happy and thriving. The way most carnivorous planted terrarium are put together do think about these up coming problems and they never know for a fact or at anytime know where the water level line is. Now with this design you will know all the time which this a key to thriving carnivorous plants! Ten inches down from the rim of the top of your tank is where your moss line should be and no lower. This will ensure the right placement for the lighting and ensure thriving colorful plants. Just another great key in growing thriving carnivorous plants in any size terrarium well that and ventilation. When I first started out with this hobby I was going for that natural look you are looking to design, but know they don't grow together in the wild, not all of them. These plants needs are different in must cases and to have thriving carnivorous plants the placement is not always up to a look. The lighting, or replacement of some plants or water needs etc. could change your design plans for some of your plants. The way all my carnivorous plants are place has to do with their needs not just the look. I wish you the very best you sound well informed and know I want to help you the very best I can and are here for you! I'm so happy for you and in this start of a wonderful hobby and in your new terrarium! Happy Growing your friend, Dan

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QUESTION: Ah, thanks for the photo. Now I understand what you meant. And I'll do that, it'll also give me room to put another of my potted plants in there like you have done.

How much lighting are you giving this 10-gallon terrarium? It looks like everything is thriving quite well. I won't be able to do the temperate carnivorous plants as they require more sunlight than I can artificially give them, so my 11,800 lumens is supplemental to the sunlight that comes in from my Southeast window. Using just my fluorescent shop light, I have 11,800 lumens in total to give my plants. This doesn't cut it for the Venus flytrap/pitcher plants, which is why the lighting is supplemental for them. Butterwort seems to do fine with the 11,800 lumens as do most of my sundews, although they don't make as much 'dew' on their leaves as I've seen.

How do you keep your Sarracenia Purpurea from molding while in the terrarium? When I first started out with this hobby, (albeit VERY ill-informed and not knowing very much at all), I put a tiny layer of gravel that was only like 1/4 an inch, therefore giving next to nothing in drainage. I also did not know their lighting needs at the time and therefore they did not do very well. I had two temperate sundews die, and my butterwort almost did as well.

I'm only going to plant tropical and sub-tropical sundews in my 10-gallon terrarium, as they do better in high humidity. The Venus flytrap and Sarracenia pitcher plants I have only need around 30% humidity, and it's a misconception (for most carnivorous plants, with the few exceptions being woolly sundews and a few others), that they need high humidity. They just need tons of light (30,000) lumens or more to be at their absolute best. But I've found out from the most informed people over at Sarracenia Northwest that the tropical/sub-tropical do well with higher humidity. As such, I am only putting those into my terrarium.

Thanks so much for your time and answers on the matter!

Answer

Venus Flytraps with co  

Sundews with color?   It's not how much lighting as the right kind of lighting. I work part time at, Lowes where I got three each four foot long fluorescent fixtures with double tubes F40 plantas y acuarios don't cost much and then put them together and grouped two of my 15 & 10 gallon tanks together so as to fit the lighting and have more then needed watts of lighting for these wonderful carnivorous plants. My plants have NEVER seen sunlight and I have more color then most carnivorous plants I have seen growing outside. I use any other growing mineral but sphagnum moss, for to use anything but, will mold up. All the different mixes, rocks and gravel have no place in a terrarium but to make mold. Try in having only your carnivorous plants and the sphagnnum moss, and using some ventilation. You will found less problems in keeping your plants thriving if you keep the humidity less then 80% and temperature no higher then 84 degrees with a cool down in the terrarium at night by at less 15 degrees. It so funny about how many people like to say how some carnivorous plants, like the Venus Flytrap don't like humidity, lol have you been to S.C. coast line where they grow? The humidity is very high, and hot like you would not believe. My point of view is from having large thriving plants and I'm not trying to sell you anything but know you can have thriving carnivorous plants like the Venus Flytrap in your terrarium. if you send me your email I will send my utube videoes showing a lot of my Venus Flytraps growing in terrariums.  [email protected]  Looking forward to seeing what your set up looks like!  Happy Growing  your friend  Dan