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terrarium building!


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Not in my experience. But, some like to add the effect. As long as you water your plants regularly and have a well ventilated lid, you should have more than enough local humidity for a tank of Highland neps.

What size of tank are you planning, btw?

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Hmmmm... Knowing Jimmie ( Tyfone)..I would summise that he is refering to an Acrylic / Acrylic-styrene-acrylonitrile / Polycarbonate. Or the harder type of Polyphenylene oxide with 2 to 6 ratio dimethylphenol.....:wink:

Was I correct in my asumption or shall I just say Happy Christmas and go about my business?? :D :D :lol:

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I dont use misters or even Misses.. local humidity is sufficient but I have found heater cables a better source of warmth.... Highlands will grow in the bathroom as well as on a window ledge.. there is a thread indicating successful window ledge highland types.. the list is quite long....cant remember what the thread was under though.. maybe someone can help there.. :wink:

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Yes, you'll find that your highland neps will do fine in that terrarium as long as your plants get watered and receive lots of light.

Humidity is important, but many highland neps simply adjust to whatever humidity is present as long as there is some.

I wouldn't worry about the plastic. It may not have as long lifespan as glass, but it should look and work great.

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a lot can depend on how you plan on setting it up, are you planning a naturalistic or greenhouse terrarium? a natural set up will have no trouble retaining humidity levels as long as the plants are watered and the substrate kept moist. If you grow/place sphagnum on the pots and keep that well watered then that will work just as well. Some growers raise their plants up slightly and have a low water level below the plants.

That said, a fogger looks very authentic but you may have some trouble with water droplets on the front of the tank.

Have fun building the tank!

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The fogger is unnecessary if the terrarium is enclosed. You mentioned the terrarium is plastic--this is fine. However, I would be cautious if the cover is plastic (acrylic or plexiglass) as it will likely bend over time under the weight and heat of the light fixtures.

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You had an alata in a terrarium for almost a year and it hasn't outgrown it? wow...mine outgrew mine in a matter of 6 months. How big is it right now, and what are the conditions it has been growing in?

light - wattage and photo period

humidity

watering habits

etc.

Any pics?

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If they are the 2x12W lamps referred to in your other thread, then yes you could do with more powerful lights closer to the plants.

However, you need to decide what you want to grow in the tank. Drosera will require a much higher level of light to grow well than most Nepenthes do.

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Usually, to get light down onto plants, one would use compact fluorescent lights. They're miniature versions of the fluorescent tubes, 'cept the tube is wrapped up into a smaller shape.

And the question may not be how to get the lights closer to your plants, but how to get your plants closer to the lights. Simply turn a tall pot upside-down, and that will serve as a stand. Here is a pic of what I did with a small plastic cup:

cupstand.jpg

I simply turned it upside-down, and placed my plant on top of it.

-Ben

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