Hi all,
I am trying an experiment out with a terrarium I have made for CP's and I'm looking for some advice on heating it effectively, specifically raising the ambient air temp.
I have a number of small terrariums indoors with highland and lowland neps in that work well with natural daylight and ambient indoor temperature. However I tried growing some other CP's like the petiolaris complex sundews this way and they grew very etiolated and did not enjoy this! Not having the room indoors to setup a more serious terrarium for them I decided to build one in the garage utilising a 160L fish tank I had spare. I set it up as a palludarium specifically with a pool with utrics in and a banked soil arrangement for the sundews etc.
My problem is the garage isn't heated and although the plants are alive they are obviously not enjoying the temperature which I am struggling to raise over 15 degrees C. The tank has a large heat mat set above the base reservoir which warms the soil and an aquarium water heater heating the water to 28 degrees. A fogger and fans help to distribute the warm moist air when running but really I need to raise the air temp by at least another 10 degrees for it to work. At any other time of year the ambient temp may help this but for now I need to find another way.
Lighting is LED's so no heat is emitted so I wondered if it was an idea to add a vivarium ceramic heat lamp to raise air temp or alternatively a basking bulb which also puts out the correct light for plants. Has anybody tried this? I need to know if these are likely to add the temp increase I need or whether I would in fact be wasting my money?
Just to confirm there are no reptiles/amphibians in the tank, it is purely to grow CP's.
Rich