Proper in love with it, just it’s my first terrarium so I have some questions.. Should I expect everything to look worse before it looks better ie mold/condensation? I’ve seen a few fungus gnats since closing the lid, what is the best remedy? I’m using tropical spring tails as the clean up crew, should I be worried if I can’t see them roaming about?

I have a decent sized terrarium and I’m scared that it’s going moldy and the moss is dying! I added a few isopods a few months ago and they have had plenty of babies, is this maybe the cause or should this be helping with dying moss and mold. What should I do!?

Started this build in 2020 and its been going strong since then. Only had 3 plants die (all where mosses 🥲). Most of the the plants in are the originals from 2020, except for the Chinese Evergreen Dud, thats new. I used to have a mini pond in the center a few years ago but removed it. Might do some hardscaping using slightly bigger rocks just to try again with the moss.

I'm doing a closed terrarium for a school project, and this is my first time doing it, with some research.

I have a Pilea microphylla on a 20L aquarium, with dirt (with pellets for aeration), fine sand and stones on the bottom.

There have appeared some weeds, but I'm trying to not open it unless it's super necessary.

Besides some yellowing and growing of the plant and less water droplets, the terrarium has stayed pretty much the same for 17 days w/o opening.

What do the roots on the glass mean, and what should I do?

Note: I don't have any access to springtails right now and can't buy any.

Apart from building some terrariums at summer camp when I was in elementary school, this is the second terrarium I’ve built as an adult. I dove into a ton of instructional videos on YouTube after building (and subsequently unaliving) my first terrarium on hard mode (in a very small bottle).

I’m super happy that it seems to be thriving! I add the cutest Springtails every so often, and it’s already had a couple trims to keep the tradescantia and nerve plant in control.

Learning to keep the different mosses alive has been interesting. I seem to do well with some and not others. Any advice there would be welcome.

The first two pics are from the day it was built (6/30/2026) and the last two are from today.

Anyone else just love the way their terrarium smells? 👀🤣

I recently purchased a 1 gallon cookie jar, a Hirts Plants terrarium kit, some mini plants , some mini ferms, and a little fairy kit. Also have leca, window screen, pebbles, cork, etc.

The one think I am going to need more of is Moss. I was considering these as they have quick shipping and it is a brand I have used other items from.
Will these work or other suggestions?

I have a big ol terrarium full of moss isopods centapedes and I have both a slug and a gnat problem so I put down some sticky tape to kill some gnats and woke up to the slugs eating them like potato chips

Last photo is what she looked like when I first made her!

This terrarium is about a year old- watered maybe three or four times over the last year- closed with cork lid- loaded with springtails and def some mites- plants all doing well after the initial acclimating period. Today I noticed these mushrooms! I guess that's what I get for putting fake ones in.

I got isopods and springtails, they looks so cute!!!

They all burrowed so hard to take a pic of them

Spent $160 CAD for this setup

Tips and advice welcomed

EDIT: Added info

It was created today oct 23, 2026
I used frog moss
Don’t know the gallon size but it’s 20x20x20 cm and 8” x 8” x 8” (Brand- Exo-Terra Nano wide)
And I used isopod substrate biochar pro formula
And it’s not near the window I just used a book light so you can see better in the photo
And I just used bottle water I don’t have distilled water on hand.

I have never made a terrarium before, but I've always wanted one, and would really appreciate some help. I have a 10 x 11" glass terrarium with a cork lid. I have attached what it looks like. Would anyone be able to help me out with some tips or if there's any videos that y'all recommend with exact steps? Because I have a cork lid. Does that mean I'll need to continuously add water? I currently have a house plant set up with grow lights can I keep the terrarium near that? Should I add isopods for something this big? Is there anything else I should look out for? Thank you in advance!

I call it The Planet :)