Drip Wall Terrarium Update (and lessons learned!)

[@AnotherWorldTerraria]

You asked for it, I delivered - it's the drip wall tank update video! I hope you learn something :)

[@denarisnoctem4562]

Yes, and thank you! I learn more from reality and corrections to errors than I learn from perfection. THIS is what I need to see to create similar environments for myself.

[@AnotherWorldTerraria]

Thank you. I'm glad you find it helpful.

[@marikah6198]

Amazing design. My mistake was mist maker heating up and pump failing also heating up, cooking the whole thing. My plan is to install a timer to make all gudgets work intermittently, add thermostat to turn them off if such accidents happen. Also I started to put gudgets in separate compartments although it’s harder to make a better look.

[@ld_raine4247]

'Feature creep' is an awesome phrase lol

[@Aedony]

There are some snails which are usually found near ponds, like Succinea putris. They aren't aquatic snails but they can maneuver around wet environments and they need lots of moisture too. They, or some similar (tropical) snail might be helpful with cleaning up, so you don't get mold as easily. I bought a pond plant (some kind of Cyprus grass) from the garden center. They had it in a pond there and these snails came with it, accidentally ofc. They are living in my bathroom with the plant for almost a year now. All open (just a water bucket with the plant) and they are doing just fine and even reproduce.

[@marthanewsome6375]

My new 4 foot one has a double waterfall and going to put a T on the return hose from a huge canister filter (can't understand why people do not use canisters, they are fantastic for this type of purpose), one split off going to the waterfalls and with a ball valve to a garden weeper hose, so I can totally control the flow. Have made many paludariums in the past, never had mold. With tall tanks consider double layer lighting. Create an over hang and you can buy submersible lights to go under the over hang. I love using sphagnum moss or cuba for walls. If you want some help ever, please send me a message and I will be most willing to help. I love helping new people to the hobby. I build most of my setups from the bottom up. Thanks for the video and explaining how you learned from the experience. Subbed!

[@Light_Within]

I'm totally interested. How can I come up on a visual of what you're talking about here? I mean all of what you said here. :)

[@TomFredericks187]

The retro look at a project like this is really valuable. Interesting and enjoyable. Thanks!

[@AnotherWorldTerraria]

Thank you, Tom, glad you enjoyed it

[@lb8384]

If you don't mind about plumbing and add a false bottom as well as gravel/dirt in the bottom, you can have the pump inside of the build itself. I'm doing that on a slightly smaller terrarium right now, it's less work but depending on how you put the pump inside, it could be hard to reach it if it ever breaks.

[@naturezone1212]

The most natural tank I have ever seen!

[@johnnykluch]

Love seeing other peoples DIY experiments! Although it might be difficult to initially culture, it would be really interesting to see how a smaller Fissidens species like obtusifolius or bryoides does on select wall sections since you were looking for a replacement for the riccia. It's also a close to perfect mixture of wetness/humidity for them to thrive in.

[@AnotherWorldTerraria]

John, thank you for the comment. Guess what? I actually did put a very tiny bit of Fissidens bryoides in the tank, on the wood. It has done very well. The super micro ones like that are really slow growing. It would definitely look amazing to have a wall covered in that though! Thanks again

[@sdqsdq6274]

riccia , a planted tank nightmare as well , good that you learned

[@dirtywhitellama]

Thanks for this great series of videos. I'm considering setting up a drip wall for a dart frog setup and you've given me a nice perspective on things to consider!

[@AnotherWorldTerraria]

Thanks for the feedback! I'm glad you found it useful!

[@--Paws--]

Good tips. I was planning on using some buce's for a terrarium but I was already skeptical on how well they would adapt to being placed on driftwood. It is for a closed terrarium with mostly emersed freshwater plants. I know most will grow well in the humid environment but buce's are a bit too expensive to experiment on.

[@beatricetreadwell5785]

I always learn so much from your videos!❤️

[@AnotherWorldTerraria]

I'm so glad!

[@r.perkins2103]

You are watching the symbiosis of nature at work. Well done. Fogponics for humidity control.

[@ryanmugele5582]

Great videos! Look up dendroboard, loads of front opening conversions. Some are premade and just need to be siliconed in

[@AnotherWorldTerraria]

Thanks! I used to frequent Dendroboard a lot. Now that you remind me, maybe I should check back on there and see what is happening...

[@keyyonb11]

super glue some hinges on and add it to a door, very easy and cheap!

[@ThatanOmega]

you should have added a clean up crew for the algae and mol e.g. . springtails, shrimp in water (amano shrimp), mini snails and woodlouse etc, the drip wall should act as a natural filter, you could reduce the lighting even more for the algae and the buce at the bottom should be fine. You cal also add aquarium bacteria to the water to help with the natural filter.

[@AnotherWorldTerraria]

I added springtails but they didn't survive and populate due to the constantly running water and draining, etc. There was just not a place for them to grab on and make a home (nor would there be for isopods, even to a greater extent). There is not enough water at the bottom for shrimp. I probably could have reduced the lighting, good point.

[@laughingc0w]

You should make it bioactive and add springtails! They thrive in moist environments, actually they die if it’s too dry. They eat mold and bacteria. People use them in terrariums and vivs to control mold and fungus For the slime and algae in the water- you could get an algae eater- shrimp or fish. However, if you run out of algae, then you’d have to feed it algae wafers or boiled lettuce/cucumbers

[@AnotherWorldTerraria]

Thanks, I did add springtails multiple times but they never seemed to take hold for some reason. I do use them in my bio active grow bins (for which I have a tutorial series playlist). The water section is too shallow for animals, except snails XD. Thank you for your comments.

[@laughingc0w]

Another World Terraria I watched another vid right after this one and you put the springs in them. Your vids are very helpful. Thank you for sharing!

[@marthanewsome6375]

Yes, never had mold. Perhaps it's because of my tiny beasties like spring tails preventing that from happening.

[@marthanewsome6375]

@@AnotherWorldTerraria there are other tiny micro's you can add. I really don't know what I have in mine, as I have been transplanting soil etc from paludarium to paludarium. They just go for the ride, but I know they are there. Perhaps spring tails need more soil parts to survive?

[@sdqsdq6274]

@@marthanewsome6375 yeah , they need soil based terrarium

[@prabathsamarasooriya4013]

this is like a dream.... how do you manage ventilation here ?

[@AnotherWorldTerraria]

The front is open so it has lots of air flow

[@keretasambung_bayar_ksb2u781]

How about misting system?

[@scottwhitemyer5501]

where do i research to find plants that need lower humidity?? I want to create a tropical plant tank but add a tarantula which requires ventilation. I am going to use an old exo terra 24x18x24. plan on using a plexiglass top drilled with holes. I am familiar with tarantula care but the plant stuff I need help with please.

[@AnotherWorldTerraria]

Hi, Scott, I am not super familiar with plants that need low humidity since most of what I grow are miniature jungle plants. That said, the first place I would look would be the houseplant aisle at your local nursery / home improvement store. Most of those plants can deal well with average room humidity. I would also suggest joining some relevant Facebook Groups - "Vivarium Terrarium Plants and Inmates" is a great one, and maybe join some groups for Tarantula / Invertebrate keepers since other hobbyists may have experimented with some plants. Good luck!

[@infoseeker329]

I would like to try this, does the sound of water dripping get annoying over time?

[@AnotherWorldTerraria]

Never bothered me but I kept it in a spot where I wasn't subjected to the sound constantly. I wouldn't put it somewhere like a bedroom or near a TV. But I think most people would get used to it and kind of zone it out.

[@musangish2899]

I also see tiny snail (4:46mins lower left) ^.^

[@leevandyke4562]

You coulda added springtails for the mold and maybe next time see the videos serpadesign did of the conversion.

[@AnotherWorldTerraria]

@Plant-Based Experiment Thanks, I did add springtails but due to the layout of the tank and the flowing water, they could not establish themselves effectively. I have seen vertical conversions like the ones Serpa and others have done, but I don't like having hinges and stuff on the front because it destroys the visual aesthetic. For functional tanks like animal vivariums I think that kind of conversion is just fine, but for a display piece like this I think either open front or an actual vertical glass tank are preferred.

[@pacovl46]

You could put a false bottom in it and make it bio active to solve the mold problem. You would have to put doors on it, though, but they would solve the low humidity issue.

[@AnotherWorldTerraria]

Yeah, sealing it up would increase the humidity, but that would also make the mold grow even more. Regarding bioactive, do you mean adding microfauna? I put some springtails in there but they didn't take. But yeah, if it was sealed they might have done better.

[@pacovl46]

Another World Terraria yes, microfauna. You want springtails and isopods. They love charcoal. The Serpa Design channel has a video on false bottoms and microfauna. Once the colony is established you won’t have mold problems anymore. Sealing it up completely is not advisable, though, you need some ventilation if you want to keep animals like frogs in there at some point.

[@AnotherWorldTerraria]

Thanks, I know about microfauna. I do use springtails and isopods in all of my terraria. The problem with this build is that it's a dripwall with water everywhere and water on the bottom. There is no way to put a false bottom in the design and even if there was it would just be full of water. I have another drip wall tank that is totally sealed and the springtails have taken very well to it. It's completely sealed because there are filmy ferns and other plants which require 100% humidity, but I do have fans which turn on an off to stave off mold. The isopods I keep aren't suitable for drip walls because they need drier conditions. Thanks for the advice

[@pacovl46]

Another World Terraria thanks for the info! 🙂

[@Philip-jg6uw]

Your next built should be a Bornean river side vivarium

[@ShuToshio]

Condensation wont make the glass front look better, I believe

[@nicolaaccardo5704]

Super nice video! Thank for all those feedback. Definitely not building this kind of terrarium 👍

[@blakedurdle6644]

Clean up crew will solve a lot of your mold and algae growth .

[@AnotherWorldTerraria]

Clean up crew populations would not sustain themselves in this particular setup due to the constantly flowing water, steep vertical layout, and open air / no glass front. The springtails I added would always get carried down and out the drain into the sump. It was too wet to keep isopods.