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By Dragonslayer126
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Posts:  325
Joined:  Tue Dec 14, 2021 9:04 pm
#412063
Do you think I could get a tank with an open top and put a grow light over it? And maybe put some sundews nepenthes, and pings in there? In pots.
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By Panman
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Posts:  6322
Joined:  Wed Mar 04, 2020 8:41 pm
#412070
It depends on exactly what you are trying to grow. The only reason I know of for using a tank is to keep the humidity high. Many species don't require super high humidity and do fine at moderate humidity. Also, depending on the lights, you may increase the heat too much in a tank.
By Dragonslayer126
Location: 
Posts:  325
Joined:  Tue Dec 14, 2021 9:04 pm
#412102
Panman wrote: Tue May 24, 2022 6:52 pm It depends on exactly what you are trying to grow. The only reason I know of for using a tank is to keep the humidity high. Many species don't require super high humidity and do fine at moderate humidity. Also, depending on the lights, you may increase the heat too much in a tank.
Well mainly nepenthes so yes, I need the high humidity. And the area of the room I want it to be in is close to the air conditioner so the heat should be okay. I want my nepenthes to have high humidity because the higher the better right (for nepenthes).
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By specialkayme
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Posts:  297
Joined:  Tue Apr 13, 2021 11:02 am
#412130
Dragonslayer126 wrote: Tue May 24, 2022 6:37 pm Do you think I could get a tank with an open top and put a grow light over it?
For sure.

I made a small terrarium like this for my office. Took a fishbowl (https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0068 ... UTF8&psc=1) and attached a cheap grow light (https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B07MV ... UTF8&psc=1) and cut a piece of polycarbonate glass to act as a lid (https://www.homedepot.com/p/LEXAN-11-in ... /205437907). Put in a good mix of substrate, planted some sphagnum moss, a few small ferns (https://www.etsy.com/listing/635043779/ ... rs=1&sts=1) and a Nepenthes petiolata x vogelii.
IMG_20191218_203919.jpg
IMG_20191218_203919.jpg (4.26 MiB) Viewed 4967 times
Pictured there is a temporary piece of plastic before I cut the plexiglass.

Took the nepenthes about 14 months to outgrow its space. Transplanted it, and replaced it with a Nepenthes Veitchii "Psychedelic" x Adrianii.
PXL_20210423_172600769.jpg
PXL_20210423_172600769.jpg (2.15 MiB) Viewed 4967 times
Took that nepenthes about 10 months to outgrow its space (although it was on the bigger side when it went in).
PXL_20211224_201803683.jpg
PXL_20211224_201803683.jpg (1.03 MiB) Viewed 4967 times
So I transplanted it and replaced it with a Nepenthes veitchii (#5 x "The Wave") (https://www.carnivero.com/products/nepe ... 4866111531). This time I put a few cape sundews in there in addition to the sphagnum moss and ferns.

The ferns and moss needs to be trimmed back every couple of months. Otherwise it'll overtake the nepenthes.

Getting the layers of substrate is important. You want rocks on the bottom to add a good amount of drainage. Then above that a good amount of perlite. Then a mix of good quality sphagnum moss with plenty of perlite, orchid bark, and pumice mixed in. Because you don't have drainage holes, and nepenthes don't like to keep their feet wet, you need to make sure you don't overwater. High humidity helps with that (hence the cover). I can pull my cover back to decrease or increase the humidity. With the cover all the way on, I can spray it with a mister once every other week or so and it's good to go. With the cover most of the way off, I need to mist it about every other day. Plan on replanting it about once a year or so. You'll get a good amount of algae growing in the bottom by then. Springtails help significantly with that, but they don't stop all of it.
By Dragonslayer126
Location: 
Posts:  325
Joined:  Tue Dec 14, 2021 9:04 pm
#412186
specialkayme wrote: Wed May 25, 2022 12:57 pm
Dragonslayer126 wrote: Tue May 24, 2022 6:37 pm Do you think I could get a tank with an open top and put a grow light over it?
For sure.

I made a small terrarium like this for my office. Took a fishbowl (https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0068 ... UTF8&psc=1) and attached a cheap grow light (https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B07MV ... UTF8&psc=1) and cut a piece of polycarbonate glass to act as a lid (https://www.homedepot.com/p/LEXAN-11-in ... /205437907). Put in a good mix of substrate, planted some sphagnum moss, a few small ferns (https://www.etsy.com/listing/635043779/ ... rs=1&sts=1) and a Nepenthes petiolata x vogelii.

IMG_20191218_203919.jpg
Pictured there is a temporary piece of plastic before I cut the plexiglass.

Took the nepenthes about 14 months to outgrow its space. Transplanted it, and replaced it with a Nepenthes Veitchii "Psychedelic" x Adrianii.

PXL_20210423_172600769.jpg

Took that nepenthes about 10 months to outgrow its space (although it was on the bigger side when it went in).

PXL_20211224_201803683.jpg

So I transplanted it and replaced it with a Nepenthes veitchii (#5 x "The Wave") (https://www.carnivero.com/products/nepe ... 4866111531). This time I put a few cape sundews in there in addition to the sphagnum moss and ferns.

The ferns and moss needs to be trimmed back every couple of months. Otherwise it'll overtake the nepenthes.

Getting the layers of substrate is important. You want rocks on the bottom to add a good amount of drainage. Then above that a good amount of perlite. Then a mix of good quality sphagnum moss with plenty of perlite, orchid bark, and pumice mixed in. Because you don't have drainage holes, and nepenthes don't like to keep their feet wet, you need to make sure you don't overwater. High humidity helps with that (hence the cover). I can pull my cover back to decrease or increase the humidity. With the cover all the way on, I can spray it with a mister once every other week or so and it's good to go. With the cover most of the way off, I need to mist it about every other day. Plan on replanting it about once a year or so. You'll get a good amount of algae growing in the bottom by then. Springtails help significantly with that, but they don't stop all of it.
I was talking about in a pot in a tank. But that is a pretty cool idea. I might do something like you said in the future.
specialkayme liked this
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By Shore_Fancy_Nursery
Location: 
Posts:  70
Joined:  Wed May 18, 2022 1:52 am
#412201
specialkayme wrote: Wed May 25, 2022 12:57 pm
Dragonslayer126 wrote: Tue May 24, 2022 6:37 pm Do you think I could get a tank with an open top and put a grow light over it?
For sure.

I made a small terrarium like this for my office. Took a fishbowl (https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0068 ... UTF8&psc=1) and attached a cheap grow light (https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B07MV ... UTF8&psc=1) and cut a piece of polycarbonate glass to act as a lid (https://www.homedepot.com/p/LEXAN-11-in ... /205437907). Put in a good mix of substrate, planted some sphagnum moss, a few small ferns (https://www.etsy.com/listing/635043779/ ... rs=1&sts=1) and a Nepenthes petiolata x vogelii.

IMG_20191218_203919.jpg
Pictured there is a temporary piece of plastic before I cut the plexiglass.

Took the nepenthes about 14 months to outgrow its space. Transplanted it, and replaced it with a Nepenthes Veitchii "Psychedelic" x Adrianii.

PXL_20210423_172600769.jpg

Took that nepenthes about 10 months to outgrow its space (although it was on the bigger side when it went in).

PXL_20211224_201803683.jpg

So I transplanted it and replaced it with a Nepenthes veitchii (#5 x "The Wave") (https://www.carnivero.com/products/nepe ... 4866111531). This time I put a few cape sundews in there in addition to the sphagnum moss and ferns.

The ferns and moss needs to be trimmed back every couple of months. Otherwise it'll overtake the nepenthes.

Getting the layers of substrate is important. You want rocks on the bottom to add a good amount of drainage. Then above that a good amount of perlite. Then a mix of good quality sphagnum moss with plenty of perlite, orchid bark, and pumice mixed in. Because you don't have drainage holes, and nepenthes don't like to keep their feet wet, you need to make sure you don't overwater. High humidity helps with that (hence the cover). I can pull my cover back to decrease or increase the humidity. With the cover all the way on, I can spray it with a mister once every other week or so and it's good to go. With the cover most of the way off, I need to mist it about every other day. Plan on replanting it about once a year or so. You'll get a good amount of algae growing in the bottom by then. Springtails help significantly with that, but they don't stop all of it.
This is valuable info. I have a couple tiny neps that I've been struggling with. Going to try a tank
specialkayme liked this
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