Joining the Terrarium Tribe: Embracing the Art of Terrarium Building
The Terrarium Tribe is a collective of individuals who share a profound love for crafting and nurturing plant terrariums. At the heart of this growing community are its founders, Dan and Rae, who extend their passion and expertise in creating and maintaining terrariums to others. Whether you're a seasoned hobbyist or looking for a new pastime, the Terrarium Tribe welcomes everybody. This article offers an insightful journey into the world of terrariums and paludariums, focusing on their construction, care, benefits, and the community's invaluable shared experiences.
Building a Plant Terrarium: A Creative Process Explained
Creating a thriving terrarium is more affordable than you might think. With some cost-effective techniques, you can build one from materials like old picture frames. Simply start by gathering your tools - a ruler for measuring the correct glass size, a marker pen for outlining the cuts, and a glass cutter for breaking the glass into the required shape. After cutting each piece, use silicone to assemble the tank, ensuring a secure fit and a professional finish. The next step is testing for leaks and cleaning up excess silicone.
Creating Your Own Living Artwork: The Hardscape and Aquatic Flora
In the terrarium setting, the hardscape refers to the inanimate elements such as rocks and waterfalls, which provide structure and depth to the tank. Using Maple Leaf rocks and expanding foam, a waterfall effect can be achieved. Planting aquatic plants like trident fern, Anubias, hygrophila, Monte Carlo, and moss brings the terrarium to life with their unique shapes and colors. Springtails, tiny useful inhabitants, can be added to the setup to help keep the terrarium clean and healthy. These small critters consume decaying plant matter and fungi, enhancing the balance in the tank's ecosystem.
Adding a Door: Keeping the Humidity In
To maintain the right humidity for plants and deter curious pets, you can install a glass door, attaching it with a silicone hinge. This feature allows easy access for maintenance and plant care while offering a clear view into your lush mini-landscape.
Giving it Time: Witnessing the Growth
Patiently allowing the terrarium to grow over four weeks unveils the miraculous transformation. This period sees an incredible change in plant growth and is also the optimal time to introduce smaller inhabitants like snails.
Navigating the Paludarium Journey: A Design in Progress
Building a paludarium opens up exciting possibilities. The challenge and allure lie in achieving a realistic water-to-land transition, creating a dual setting where specific aquatic and terrestrial species can exist in harmony. The author of this particular build wants to create a multi-layered aquatic-terrestrial setup with a water portion to house killifish and possibly a praying mantis on the land section.
Design and Material Considerations for a Paludarium
Creating this seamless transition usually involves methods like framing with driftwood, using Great Stuff Pond and Stone covered with Drylok, or a peat and silicone coating. However, questions about moisture wicking and durability of these materials are common. As we explore this aspect further, we consider experienced hobbyists’ advice and suggestions on durable and visually pleasing water-land transitions. Adding to this discussion are potential issues, practical solutions, pros, cons, and photographs for better understanding.
Looking at a Paludarium From a Different Perspective
Using plastic plants from the Sydeco range, a hobbyist named Dean Barratt has built a stunning paludarium. Not requiring light, feeding or replanting, plastic plants are fish-friendly and offer many advantages symbiotic to a paludarium setup. Along with choice plants and design principles such as the rule of thirds, focal points, group displays, and tiering of plants, Dean has created a gripping experience to lead the viewer's eye through his creation. This section explores Dean's journey from tank selection to building an impressive waterfall feature with Mopani wood, harmonizing visual appeal with a well-balanced ecosystem.
Takeaways for Aspiring Paludarium Builders
In summary, the article serves as a comprehensive guide to building a plant terrarium or paludarium. It emphasizes the importance of planning, selecting suitable materials and plants, and creating realistic and functional water-land transitions. It highlights the shared experiences, tips, and advice from the Terrarium Tribe community, encouraging readers to embark on their own creative journey in this captivating hobby.
