Rainforest terrarium
A rainforest terrarium (also known as a tropical terrarium ) is a container for breeding and keeping various animals (including amphibians , reptiles ) and plants from the humid tropics .
construction
Rainforest terrariums are made of plastic or glass or sealed OSB panels . The front and ceiling sections are transparent to enable observation of the animals and plants kept in the terrarium and their lighting. The terrariums have one or more ventilation areas. These are usually located below the front window and in the rear third of the cover window. The warm air contained in the terrarium creates an air circulation. The front window is divided into two parts to enable it to be pushed open. Rainforest terrariums are provided with drain holes in the base plate to allow the water used for irrigation to run off.
Technical Equipment
The rainforest terrarium is illuminated, depending on the terrarium height and type of terrarium, either by daylight fluorescent tubes or metal halide lamps , or more rarely by halogen spots. The interior of the terrarium is heated by the lighting, but additional heating by means of a heating mat or heating cable may be necessary. Due to the moist environment inside, this is best done from outside the terrarium in order to reduce the risk of an electric shock if the insulation of the heating elements is defective. The temperature is regulated by temperature switches, which switch the heating elements on when the temperature falls below the preset temperature and switch them off again when the temperature is exceeded. The humidity required for the animals being cared for is maintained by means of manual or automatic irrigation. Sometimes ultrasonic nebulizers are also used. Special animals require a flowing body of water to keep them appropriately. These are built up using external or internal pumps.
Equipment inside
Rainforest terrariums are usually provided with substrates made of peat (slabs), humus , coconut substrates, Xaxim or similar. To avoid waterlogging, a drainage layer ( e.g. made of expanded clay balls ) is usually placed under the ground . In order to avoid silting up of the drainage layer and the drainage openings and pipes, a non-biodegradable gauze can be laid between the substrate and the drainage layer . The walls of the terrarium can be clad with cork , Xaxim or with peat flocked polystyrene foam . This serves on the one hand for thermal insulation, on the other hand these materials offer plants a substrate for rooting. Furthermore, roots and branches are used as decoration in the terrarium.
maintenance
If only plants are kept in a rainforest terrarium, the maintenance effort is low. All you have to do is ensure sufficient moisture and fertilize if necessary. Every now and then overgrown shoots have to be shortened, otherwise the terrarium would grow completely over in a short time. When keeping animals in the rainforest terrarium, they must be collected , depending on the size of the portions of faeces deposited . If these are relatively small (for example in tree frogs ), this can be omitted if the microfauna is correspondingly present. The metabolic products are then broken down and are available to the plants as nutrients. The use of osmosis water prevents the formation of limescale stains on plants and panes.
literature
- Schwarz, B. & W. (2001): Bromeliads, orchids and ferns in the tropical terrarium. Natur und Tier-Verlag, ISBN 3931587525