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Hot take: I used to think terrariums were just overpriced jars until my first one rotted out
Built a closed terrarium back in March. Followed all the typical youtube stuff. Layered gravel, charcoal, soil, moss, the works. Looked amazing for about 2 weeks then everything just turned into a slimy mess. Started reading up and realized I was watering way too much and had zero airflow. My buddy showed me his that he put together with a simple fan and a misting bottle and it's been going strong for 2 years now. Tried his method last weekend with a cheap jar from Goodwill and a little computer fan. Anybody else kill a couple before getting it right?
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nancybailey1mo ago
The drying out thing is good advice but your buddy's fan method is actually getting into a whole different territory. Closed terrariums are supposed to be self-contained ecosystems, you know, the whole point is the water cycle happens inside without you messing with it. Adding a fan and misting it is more like a modified open terrarium setup at that point. Most people don't realize that a truly sealed jar won't need misting for months if the drainage layer is deep enough and you tweak the soil mix. I made the same mistake chasing youtube gurus until I found a guide that just said "put it together, seal it, and ignore it for 3 months." That one is still going strong with moss and ferns while my fan-assisted ones just got dried out and crusty.
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derek6562mo ago
That first one is basically a $40 biology lesson in patience. Let the soil dry out completely before you even think about misting again.
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