bioactive

[chamimom]

If using a glass or other watertight container, you’ll need to create a way to remove the excess drainage from the drainage layer. Most usually use a piece of pvc piping notched at one end that is placed down to the very bottom and extends thru the substrate layers and is capped. When needing to remove excess drainage, you can use a little siphon pump or a wet vac. Without a way to remove excess, it will sit and become stagnant and get nasty. I like the root pouch in a screen enclosure as the pouch is breathable and gets air circulation around it. I’ve never really noticed any excess seepage, but that’s where the substrate tray comes in to contain it. Plastic won’t have that permeability so you’d need to create the pvc drainage system.

Root pouch with sides folded down and drainage layer placed.
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Landscape fabric to separate layers.
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Soil substrate mix added (organic soil, play sand, coco coir, etc)
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Almost forgot the horticultural charcoal.
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Added plants.
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Added chameleon.
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Added clean up crew (isopods and springtails), leaf litter and Chuck of cork for cuc to hide under.
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Finished prod

 

[chamimom]

What did you use for the sides?

 

[MissSkittles]

What did you use for the sides?

Do you mean the sides of my enclosures? I used egg crate lighting panels for support, covered with landscape fabric and then applied Great Stuff expanding foam which I then carved down as I liked. I foamed in some plant pots (with thick tubing to direct drainage). Then I applied a coat of Plasti Dip and loose coco coir (gotta work fast before it dries). Some use 100% silicone to stick the coir. Using wire I attached the panels to the enclosure frame so they can be removed if I choose. To attach branches I used a few different methods. Wired some in thru the foamed panel. Some I used bamboo skewers to place and secured with Great Stuff. Some wedged in on their own.

 

[chamimom]

Yes! Thank you! Awesome work; I love it! And thank you so much for the ideas!