Lego's 10g Carnivorous Plants Terrarium

[legomaniac89]

I can thank Esox Lucius for this one . I kept a couple of these in a small terrarium in a window, and they weren't doing too well, so I tried this instead. Here's what happens when you have lots of spare tanks, lights and plants sitting around, but dad won't allow more aquariums.



I've still got a bit of work to do on it. I need to find a plastic shoebox I can fill with water and set the pots in. These guys like lots and lots of humidity .

The inhabitants...

Sarracenia purpurea


Drosera sp. - all the original growth died off, but new leaves are coming in strong.


Dionaea muscipula - green variety


Dionaea muscipula - green and red


Darlingtonia californica "Cobra Lily"


That's all I've got at the moment. I'm actually trying to get away from some of the larger plants like Sarracenias and Darlingtonia. For some reason, I really like Flytraps and Sundews, so I'll probably end up with more of those pretty soon.

Anyway, tech specs:

Lighting: Coralife T5 2x14W fixture, 14 hrs/day

Substrate: Fertilome Spaghnum Peat Moss/Perlite, topped with dried Spaghnum. #1 rule of carnivorous plants is no nutrients in the soil! They get all the nutrients they need from the bugs they eat, and their roots are super sensitive to minerals in the soil. For this reason, you only use DI/RO water too.

and I guess that's about it. What do you all think?

[legomaniac89]

That's the kind of humidity I'm talkin about

[Superedwin]

Wow! That is very interesting, those carnivorous plants look great cant wait till you fill it up with more. Keep us updated! Do you have a cover over the tank? Also what kind of bugs do you feed them??

[legomaniac89]

Originally Posted by Superedwin

Wow! That is very interesting, those carnivorous plants look great cant wait till you fill it up with more. Keep us updated! Do you have a cover over the tank? Also what kind of bugs do you feed them??

Thanks! I have a glass top on the tank to keep the humidity high. It is usually around 80-95% in there. I'll feed the flytraps and pitchers most anything I find that is small enough. Flies, ants, those annoying grain moths that are everywhere are in abundance over here. The sundew usually takes down gnats and other tiny bugs that find their way into the tank. The sticky droplets on the leaves aren't big enough to trap anything bigger than gnats or tiny flies.

I really want a Red Dragon Flytrap and a Drosera aliciae and spatulata, and I'm hoping to place an order for them pretty soon.

[Superedwin]

Thanks for explaining! Keep us updated! P.S I saw some of your plants in the lounge and there awesome Keep it up!

[legomaniac89]

Originally Posted by Superedwin

Thanks for explaining! Keep us updated! P.S I saw some of your plants in the lounge and there awesome Keep it up!

No problem, glad you like them. I have a real addiction to unusual plants .

Hm, I wonder when ZTM's gonna find this journal.

[Down_Shift]

This looks coooool. Are they fast? Have you tried feeding those guys hamburger =X

[legomaniac89]

Originally Posted by Down_Shift

This looks coooool. Are they fast? Have you tried feeding those guys hamburger =X

Thanks! By fast, do you mean growth rate? Yeah, once they're established, they can grow really quickly.

And hamburger is a big no-no. Too much fat and grease and other yummy stuff will kill the plants pretty easily. Insect-only diet for these guys

[Down_Shift]

Can you just get a dozen crickets from the petshop to feed em?

[legomaniac89]

Originally Posted by Down_Shift

Can you just get a dozen crickets from the petshop to feed em?

Sure can. I even work at a pet store so I get a discount on the bugs even .

[connordude27]

kind of a thread bringback (not really but...) Those are some awesome looking plants where do you order yours at?

[CL]

Originally Posted by connordude27

kind of a thread bringback (not really but...) Those are some awesome looking plants where do you order yours at?

Originally Posted by legomaniac89

Sure thing man. If your interested in carnivores, check these places out.

http://www.californiacarnivores.com/index.aspx
http://www.carnivorousplantnursery.c...or-Venus-49575
http://www.bugbitingplants.com/index.php

[legomaniac89]

Hey nice timing connor, I was just about to snap some pictures for an update

Actually, all of the plants came from Lowe's. I have 3 nearby Lowe's and all usually have a good selection. For online ordering, I've heard nothing but good about www.californiacarnivores.com. They're a bit expensive, but well worth the cost, from what I've been reading.

[connordude27]

my lowes carries venus flytraps and sundews not sure about pitcher plants though.. At first i though they were expensive but now i know they aren't really.

looking forward to seeing the update though..

CL- i was browsing this when i replyed then i got the answer lol

have you tried ordering the venus flytraps in the little pods? or any other of those plants that come in pods?

[patm]

Just a heads up, N.A. pitchers and venus flytraps require dormant, cold periods. You should check out the tropical Nepenthes species for some really nice looking pitchers that can take the constant heat and humidity. I have to say, my Nepenthes sanguinea is one of the nicest tropicals I've ever owned.

Pat