This is how to start a bio active terrarium

[menavodi]

These are your ingredients: a terrarium, soil, bark and plants. Water. Lots of water and a water container. I collect the bark myself and let it dry out for a few days. That’s it.

 

[menavodi]

I glued this terrarium myself. It has 2 screens to have air movement in there. The door is glued on with brass hinges. I use 100% silicone for everything.

 

[menavodi]

I select one or two pieces of bark best for the heights of the terrarium. This one will be for a Psalmopoeus cambridgei which grew too big for a fruit fly container.

 

[menavodi]

 

[menavodi]

I add about 4 - 5” of soil and the bark as well as the water container.

 

[menavodi]

Then you add water, lots of water…

 

[menavodi]

I often let it sit over night so the soil is wet all around.

 

[menavodi]

The tradescantia has no roots. I just cut it off and stick it in the wet soil.

 

[menavodi]

The pothos has roots. I dig a hole for that one, put it in and that is it.

 

[menavodi]

 

[menavodi]

When it is done it looks like this.

 

[menavodi]

All there is left, you put the selected spider in the new home. I do put the container in and let the spider come out itself. That mostly happens over night.

 

[menavodi]

I will post pictures every so often of the terrarium and the Psalmopoeus cambridgei that is living in there now.

 

[menavodi]

 

[menavodi]

I do have some plants that I can use for a terrarium. I mostly work with cut offs.

 

[menavodi]

 

[octanejunkie]

Very nice!

Here is one I recently started

I layers the bottom with 1" of hydrocottle, clay balls, then a window screen type sheet.

I layered a springtail culture on top of the screen and covered with my standard soil mix.

I sloped the substrate to allow planting of the live plant's root balls aside the cork bark round and packed around with moss, then topped with organic, dried live oak leaves.

I lightly packed the cork bark with moss and leaves and poured about a gallon of water in the "stump" over the course of a week.

I sprinkle some dried fish food in a few places to feed the springtails and have some safe bark, like cholla wood soaking that I will add in with the leaves.

Once everything thing grows in, I will add a spider.

 

[menavodi]

Very nice!

Here is one I recently startedView attachment 57590

I layers the bottom with 1" of hydrocottle, clay balls, then a window screen type sheet.

I layered a springtail culture on top of the screen and covered with my standard soil mix.

I sloped the substrate to allow planting of the live plant's root balls aside the cork bark round and packed around with moss, then topped with organic, dried live oak leaves.

I lightly packed the cork bark with moss and leaves and poured about a gallon of water in the "stump" over the course of a week.

I sprinkle some dried fish food in a few places to feed the springtails and have some safe bark, like cholla wood soaking that I will add in with the leaves.

Once everything thing grows in, I will add a spider.

I like that! Looks really good!

 

[menavodi]

When I checked earlier, the P. cambridgei was still in the small container and tried to hide when I took the picture.

 

[menavodi]

But in the middle of the night, she moved over to the bigger house. Not easy to see her or take a picture.