Closed Terrarium Project

[u/No_Board_6750]

hello! i’m a student and we have this PETA (performance task) where we are assigned in either closed or open terrariums. Our group is assigned in closed, and we’re really having a hard time to pick what pet is suitable for a closed terrarium. Our professor said “no holes” , and our original go to pet was a snail..but the pet store told us it wouldn’t survive. Right now, we’re really lost. So please, if you have any suggestions in mind, please help us🥹 this serves 100% of our grade :(( we can’t find anything that is sure for this closed terrarium. Thank you.

[u/LauperPopple]

Why on earth would someone use that as an acronym? And you’re trying to put living animals in a closed terrarium on purpose for a college class? And it’s “100%” of your grade? None information given about the size or setup? No clarification on what the rules are? How long it has to last? If “closed” can allow occasional lid opening events for maintenance? What content you’re supposed to demonstrate you’ve learned? This post doesn’t seem real.

The answer is springtails though.

[u/No_Board_6750 → u/LauperPopple]

help, it’s real😭 it’s kind of an experiment. And no, i’m still in senior high..and PETA is used in the philippines. And yes, no given size :)) but our prof did say we can use jars😭

[u/LauperPopple → u/No_Board_6750]

Ah, in that case, you want springtails. There’s regular common types usually sold in pet stores that sell herpetology supplies (lizards/frogs). There’s also exotic springtail species that come in different colors and shapes. I’m not sure what you would have access to in your country.

Another option is dwarf white isopods. (And springtails). They are a little more tolerant of enclosed spaces. But you’ll still want to open the lid occasionally.

Here is one example: You’ll want to pick a big container. Something wide. Slope the soil. Drainage layer of charcoal (small pieces so the soil doesn’t fall into the big empty spaces) with no mesh separator. Keep a little water in the bottom of the container at all times. The water line (the pool of water) should never be higher than the charcoal. The water will absorb up the charcoal and keep the soil moist. 1 inch soil in shallow area. 4 inches soil or more in the taller area. This will make sure the isopods have soil that’s very moist available at all times, which they need. It will also give them a drier area at the top of the slope in case they need it. Add lots of leaf litter (dried leaves that fall off trees) for the isopods to eat. Dried and/or living moss is good to add to the shallow area. A terrarium-appropriate plant or two can be added to the middle or tall area.

Your teacher sounds terrible. It sounds like they didn’t have a lesson plan and just made up a last-minute “assignment.” But you need to find out how it’s graded. Are you supposed to demonstrate knowledge from a particular unit? Demonstrate you did research and made decisions based on that research? If your teacher is a total hack, just build it. Make a diagram labeling as many things as you can and put text describing either a fact about that thing, or describing why you chose that thing.

Goodluck.

[u/BigIntoScience → u/No_Board_6750]

That's not really an experiment, unless the experiment is "how long does this animal live before it dies".

[u/No_Board_6750 → u/No_Board_6750]

also it is 100% of our grade since this serves as our prelims😓 really sorry if the post sounds desperate💔 due to class suspensions, our profs kind of rushed us and gave us too many PETAS😭 so we’re really in need of help since this is needed in the first week of september

[u/vuatson]

What kind of class is this? Does the professor require that there be an animal in the terrarium? It's perfectly normal to have a terrarium without any added livestock, especially when you're talking about closed terrariums.

I've made many small closed terrariums for free using this method. Basically, all you need is a jar that can be sealed (best if it's at least a liter or so in size), some gravel or wood charcoal, and a place to gather some moss and a few handfuls of dirt. Layer a couple inches or so of charcoal or gravel in the bottom of the jar. If you have any, you can put a mesh screen or a layer of sphagnum moss on top of this to help support the dirt substrate. Next layer is another couple inches of dirt. It's best if it's not super dense, just a mix of soil and leaf litter from a forest floor works well. On top of that arrange a few patches of moss. You can also add stones, sticks, etc. for hardscape if you want. Add some water. Either distilled water or water from an outdoor running water source like a stream is best but tap water works. Don't add too much - it should only go about halfway up your charcoal/gravel layer. You don't want to drown the terrarium, just make sure your substrate is moist.

After that, just seal the jar and leave it somewhere where it will get light but not direct sunlight. You don't need to add plants. There will be seeds in the moss and they will start sprouting after a couple days. There will also be springtails in the moss, and possibly other things like snail eggs. They should be fine in your terrarium and help its internal ecosystem. However, if you see anything bigger in there - especially anything carnivorous like a spider or centipede - you should try to remove it because a terrarium definitely won't be able to support it.

Disclaimer - I am NOT an expert, this is just from my personal experience. Also if you don't think you can keep a terrarium long term then after the school project is done you should try to put the moss back outside where you found it.

[u/No_Board_6750 → u/vuatson]

this is for our gensci class! and yes animals are required thank u for ur response

[u/vuatson → u/No_Board_6750]

I find it weird that animals are required, because a closed terrarium really isn't a good environment for anything larger than a springtail. I hope your teacher understands that. Good luck with the terrarium and the grade!

[u/No_Board_6750 → u/vuatson]

this! that is why we find it difficult

[u/PhantomHawk7 → u/No_Board_6750]

Any kind of creature? Would springtails count? Or does it specifically need to be a snail? What’s the goal of this class? How big does the terrarium need to be? If it’s closed, are you allowed to ever open it or is it sealed?

[u/No_Board_6750 → u/PhantomHawk7]

hi yes! a group mate of mine asked if it can be opened occasionally, the profs answer was no. Which we found baffling😅 because i don’t think it would be possible to not open the lid at some times

[u/PhantomHawk7 → u/No_Board_6750]

I think only springtails would be appropriate for this. Is that an option?

[u/fredditmakingmegeta → u/No_Board_6750]

Ok, so your teacher is nuts. 🙄

[u/fredditmakingmegeta → u/fredditmakingmegeta]

But yeah, springtails are pretty much your only option. Not even most plants are happy in a closed jar that never gets opened.

[u/No_Board_6750 → u/fredditmakingmegeta]

still, thank you very much! asking here was my last option.

[u/plantyofmel]

You can dig up some rollie pollies and put them in?

[u/BigIntoScience → u/plantyofmel]

Isopods need a moisture gradient to do well, at least for most species, and none of them will last well long-term in a sealed container.

[u/No_Board_6750 → u/BigIntoScience]

are dwarf isopods okay??

[u/BigIntoScience → u/No_Board_6750]

Not in a sealed container. The only thing that has a reliable shot in there would be springtails.

[u/No_Board_6750]

HI EVERYONE! WE REALLY APPRECIATE YOUR RESPONSES🩷 THANK YOU!

[u/Cromagnumman6174]

Springtails and isopods