How to Make a Terrarium Out Of a Fish Tank
Terrariums are one of the best displays you can ever get for your home. With the element of a living environment it brings, it surely does make things feel more lively between four walls. Because of this, many people want to learn how they could make a terrarium, but at most times, they wouldn’t know-how. Hence here is a guide on how you can create a stunning fish tank terrarium.
Here are what you’ll need to make a terrarium out of a fish tank:
Self-Sustaining Fish Tank
Before we jump into building fish tank terrariums, there are two things you should know. One of the most popular choices of the terrarium is self sustaining terrariums and non-self sustaining terrarium. As the name describes, a self-sustaining terrarium is able to have an ecosystem of its own; hence requiring less monitoring and attention. However, building a self sustaining one is rather hard. As for this case, it would be a self-sustaining fish tank.
Well, without further ado, let’s dive straight into how you can make a terrarium out of a fish tank.
Aquarium
You are building a fish tank terrarium, hence choosing the best aquarium is vital for this. You may want to select an aquarium that is larger in size for you to have more plants in it. I mean, the whole concept of using an aquarium in the first place is to store more plants in it to make it feel more lively. Of course, you are free to select any size you want as the sky is your limit for your imaginations.
If you don’t know where to get a fish tank, you could either get it from your nearest aquarium or maybe even order it online.
One thing you should pay attention to when purchasing fish tanks is the top lids. You would want to choose one which is enclosed. This is to trap the liquid from your fish tank terrarium and keep it moist inside. Terrarium love places that are moist as it boosts their efficiency in growth. If by any chance, you’re using an old aquarium, you might want to clean it out thoroughly before designing your terrarium. This is to prevent any bacterial growth left in the fishtank upon making your fish tank terrarium.
Setting
Once you’ve found your perfect fish tank, time to fill it up. Though one thing you should keep in mind is to have a drainage system in your fish tank terrarium. Using gravel for the bottom of your terrarium would be a good choice. Any over-excess water present in your fish tank terrarium will flow through the gravel beneath through a drainage system.
Next, you would want to add soil to it. I mean, it’s literally the fundamentals of which plants grow on. However, the first plant you want to plant would be mosses. The mosses are what keeps the soil in place and ensures that it doesn’t get mixed up with the gravel beneath. Growing mosses from scratch will instead take a long time. Hence we suggest purchasing already grown ones and planting them on top. Upon receiving your moss, soak it in warm water for a few minutes and squeeze out any excess water as follows.
Adding Charcoal
This isn’t common when making fish tank terrariums; however, it is proven by scientists and charcoal prevents the growth of fungi. You should only put a sufficient amount of activated charcoal only. It would be pointless to put a lot of them in either way.
Adding Soil Mix
Having solid with enough nutrients for your plants is essential. Ensure that the soil you purchase has enough nitrate to supply your fish tank terrarium. We suggest using three different types of soil as it encourages the best growth for the plants. You may consider filling up a soil layer to as much as 2 inches high on the front and 3 to 4 inches on the back. This will create a much more appealing sight for your fish tank terrarium. After that, just water a bit on top of the soil to make it moist.
Semi-Aquatic Plants
Do remember that you are building your terrarium in a fish tank. This means that your terrarium is able to hold water in it. In that case, Semi-Aquatic Plants will be suitable for your fish tank terrarium. Having a terrarium completely devoted to land plants can sometimes be boring. Having a swamp theme into it with semi-aquatic plants in the clear waters which you have prepared, greatly improves the overall look of your fish tank terrarium.
Decorating
Ah, this could be said as the best part of making terrariums. There are many ways you can decorate your fish tank terrarium, as the sky is your limit. Some decorative items may also serve as living support for specific plants. However, let’s start with the most basic one first.
You can always consider adding to the background. We understand that backgrounds aren’t as important as it sounds; however, having them may significantly improve the visual of your fish tank terrarium. It would help if you chose backgrounds that resemble Exo-terras or rock. This gives it a much more natural vibe.
Once we are done with the background, time for the little details, one item I would suggest for display is driftwood. Each piece of driftwood is unique from the rest. Some driftwoods have height, and it gives the overall fish tank terrarium more density. Fun fact, some plants actually attach to these driftwoods as live support.
Adding stones is also suitable for your fish tank terrarium. Stones are what mosses love to grow onto. Although these stones may not seem much, it actually ensures that specific areas of the soil receive enough water during the water cycle in the terrarium. This due to the stones covering spots that do not require any water due to the lack of plants in the area.
Install lighting
You are using a fish tank; hence we would assume that it would be too large to be placed next to your window. In that case, you should attach an artificial light to support the growth of the plant. The light you purchase should have an automatic timer installed so that sufficient light is given in the write time. You don’t want your plants to be overproducing oxygen or carbon dioxide.
Adding Plants
With everything in place, the only thing it is left is the plants. There are many varieties of plants you can choose from; however, determine which has a slow growth rate upon maturity. This is to reduce the maintenance needed for your fish tank terrarium. Some suggestions are Ivies, Ferns and Baby tears. Those plants are rather popular and pleasing to the eye when looked upon.
Conclusion
We hope we were able to help you with building your very own fish tank terrarium. However, do bear in mind that you should only do this if you are financially capable of doing so. The cost for making a terrarium a fish tank aquarium may be expensive to some.
