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Journal My First Terrarium

LondonDragon

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Maybe the best area for this, have a glass "bowl" and would like to try something with it and just asking for some thoughts about it.

This is the item in question:

20210328_194148 (Medium).jpg


Wanted to grow something vertical, and found this 3D model of the Gherkin, and have edited it to have all the diamonds open:

gherkin.PNG


Originally was going to print it in white but I have a wood like filament that I got for testing and though I would that instead!

20210328_194204 (Medium).jpg

A quick test, the filament leaves quite a lot of residue, much more than others! but I actually like it as you can use that to the advantage of holding mosses and plants better I guess!! So won't be cleaning it up.

How it looks in the bowl:

20210328_194227 (Medium).jpg

When fully printed it will be 30cm height!!

Think this might workout??

Also what mosses and plants could I use? Any aquatic mosses?
Can I use Anubias? Buces?

Ordered a couple of miniature orchids also, will these do well in there?

I have ordered a cork topper to seal in the moisture, good idea? I am going to place this by the window! and will have to turn every couple of days so, will that work?

Cheers
Paulo
 
I can see this looking great once complete!

I've never been brave enough to try buce out of anything but very high humidity, maybe if you located them towards the bottom this would work better for them? Even more so if rooted in water.

Have you considered installing a light into the lid instead of placing at the window? Then you could avoid scorching, and get an even lighting distribution? This would also be helped by making the filament a bit shorter than the overall height of the vase
 
Very stylish!
I’ve grown a few bits emersed for a wabi ball I had a go at yesterday. Rotala is very happy, as is hydrocotyle japan and bacopa. I did try an anubias, but with no success. Also grubbed about for some mosses in the garden (found at least 3 types!) 👍
 
I've never been brave enough to try buce out of anything but very high humidity, maybe if you located them towards the bottom this would work better for them? Even more so if rooted in water.
Thinking adding some gravel to the bottom, and leaving some water at the base, so maybe some Buces around the base!
Have you considered installing a light into the lid instead of placing at the window? Then you could avoid scorching, and get an even lighting distribution? This would also be helped by making the filament a bit shorter than the overall height of the vase
Yeah the 3D model will be around 5cm shorter than the top, can always print another if too big!

The opening at the top is 12cm, anyone recommends a decent light for this?

I would be thinking more of
haha might have to be! If it all goes pear shaped!

Rotala is very happy, as is hydrocotyle japan and bacopa. I did try an anubias, but with no success. Also grubbed about for some mosses in the garden
Many thanks for the suggestions.
Aquatic mosses no good for this then? have a few I could test with.

Also thought about filling the inside with maybe some filter wool to keep some humidity, or will that not work anyway?

The print is almost done!! :)

printing.PNG

I paused it overnight due to the noise, so the remaining timer is a little off! lol

Ps enjoying what you have growing behind the gherkin!
Yeah my two little low tech shrimp nanos, they have a lot of plants growing out of it.
 
I’d definitely give aquatic mosses a go - a bit of mine did ok and didn’t go overly crispy immediately, but I didn’t do a great job of keeping the humidity up. I get the impression mosses are generally super-adaptable to their environment.
 
Hi Paulo
Nice idea:thumbup:
You could do a smaller Gerkin to fit inside and cover with wicking material to help retain moisture!
Obviously, it is a cream-coloured material but you could stain it...with botanicals/teabags!
hoggie
 
Hi Paulo
Nice idea:thumbup:
You could do a smaller Gerkin to fit inside and cover with wicking material to help retain moisture!
Obviously, it is a cream-coloured material but you could stain it...with botanicals/teabags!
hoggie
Dooa do a brown wicking tape, I think this would be important as the upper areas would dry out. They may still dry out as I don’t have experience of the wicking tape and how effective it is over distance.
Dooa also do a really cool light unit: DOOA Magnet Light G
Another option would be to have a small pump at the bottom on the inside with a holed lid to act like a waterfall over the sides to keep moist.
 
I’d definitely give aquatic mosses a go
Many thanks will give it a shot and see how it behaves! might have a bare Gherkin for a while lol
You could do a smaller Gerkin to fit inside and cover with wicking material to help retain moisture!
Cheers, will look into that, I have some rope I could use also, that I have used to create a self watering system for some plant pots!
Dooa do a brown wicking tape, I think this would be important as the upper areas would dry out.
Thanks, will take a look at that, as hoggie suggested also, doesnt have to be brown as I want to place it on the inside!
Dooa also do a really cool light unit: DOOA Magnet Light G
Looks lovely but way above my budget for this lol I am cheap lol
Another option would be to have a small pump at the bottom on the inside with a holed lid to act like a waterfall over the sides to keep moist.
Did think about that but would mean a nasty wire coming all the way to the top or would have to drill a hole on the glass for this! not an easy task!
 
Wonder if something like this would be strong enough mounted under the cork topper? or on top of a glass/acrylic lid!

 
How it looks, bowl still needs some gravel at the bottom so it will lift up a few cm still.

20210329_192110 (Medium).jpg


One that shows the overgrown nanos at the backs!

20210329_192120 (Medium).jpg
 
Did print out the second part of the model, the inside floor structure which should be easy to put something on the floors to keep the moisture a little better, thoughts??

20210330_183906 (Medium).jpg
 
Did print out the second part of the model, the inside floor structure which should be easy to put something on the floors to keep the moisture a little better, thoughts??

View attachment 166086

You could line them, or the inside of the main first model, with Hygrolon sheet - it wicks and retains water very well.

Available from here: DartFrog.co.uk
 
You could use one of those cheap solar powered water pumps, that they use in water features. And if near a window the wires that come with it are very long to use.
And that way you could pump all the way to the top and have the water trickling down the wicking or you could 3D a bell to direct the flow back and down onto the gherkin. Like they do for pond fountains.
 
You could line them, or the inside of the main first model, with Hygrolon sheet - it wicks and retains water very well.

Available from here: DartFrog.co.uk
Many thanks, it there a risk it could go mouldy? if so what can I do to prevent that?

You could use one of those cheap solar powered water pumps, that they use in water features. And if near a window the wires that come with it are very long to use.
Have been looking at that, just no easy way to hide the wire! might still give it a go without the pump and see how it goes :)
 
You could build a nice wooden stand for it to sit on and hide the wiring etc in the stand. And also you could use the stand to attach the ring light to. Would look very nice.
 
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