Terrarium 101
How to make a healthy beginner’s terrarium without overspending: a six-step guide
In This Blog
There are countless blogs, videos and courses that teach terrarium building. Many are excellent and elaborate, but we wanted to make things even simpler—especially for beginners and our audience in India, where quality resources can be limited. This blog has one clear aim: to give beginners an easy, affordable and comprehensive guide to terrarium building and spark more interest in the hobby.
The word terrarium comes from Latin: terra meaning land and arium meaning a place or container (as in aquarium or vivarium); hence, terra + arium = terrarium. A terrarium embodies this fusion – not just of two words, but of two worlds. It’s a way for us to grow a fragment of a distant jungle inside our homes: a forest enclosed in glass, where we reconnect with nature.
Before we start, we want to take a moment to demystify this super cool passion: Terrarium building is an easy process only when we have an understanding—of plants, ecosystems, and the Mother Earth herself. As we make a terrarium, realise that we are doing essentially what the Gods do—creating a small self-sustaining world: part science, part art. It is Minecraft or FarmVille IRL. Remember to enjoy the process and breathe deeply.
Many creators online make terrarium building look almost too easy while skipping many essential steps, which often leads to disappointment when our home terrariums start to rot, dry or develop fungus. While others make it unnecessarily complex with expensive, imported materials and specialised technology, turning terrarium building into a far-fetched dream. This post aims to solve both problems.
You don’t need a Rs. 4000 grow light imported from China or some state-of-the-art glass case from Japan (we agree they look super cool). You just need a good understanding of the science and technique and a willingness to experiment, and you’re ready to start. Let’s dive in.
The Science
Terrariums are micro-ecosystems designed for growing plants. They are usually housed in transparent glass or plastic containers that let you control humidity, light, water, and more.
They work on a basic principle: recreate a plant’s native ecosystem inside a contained environment. This is why terrariums often feature plants with similar needs—caring for one ecosystem is easier than juggling two. For example, you rarely see a cactus and moss together because their requirements differ (though you can experiment).
The Technique
Here at Tapovanya, we specialise in tropical terrariums. These terrariums replicate the conditions of a rainforest: bright but filtered light, high humidity and cooler temperatures—the same conditions found in the Amazon, the DRC, the Western Ghats or Indonesia.
Our terrariums showcase unique tropical plants that let you grow a slice of rainforest at home. Given steady conditions year-round, the evergreen plants we use (and sell at the Tapovanya Shop) stay lush through summer and winter. The tropical plants often include: mosses, orchids, pothos, sundews, carnivorous plants and more. These plants grow dense green covers and can be maintained easily inside a terrarium.
Let’s dive into the key processes:
Step 1: The Enclosure
The container is a super important part of the build. It should be transparent so you can enjoy your mini rainforest. Generally, we recommend using larger glass jars or fish tanks for the ease of cleaning and best visibility, since it has lesser distortion compared to other transparent materials like plastic. Plastic works too but is less attractive and sustainable.
SIZE & DIMENSIONS
When choosing your container, get a terrarium that is tall and broad – they are easier to work with and provide space for building and maintenance. Small/short ones are great for maintaining high levels of humidity due to their compactness but prove to be tricky to work with due to the small space (but really, you can build a terrarium out of any glass/plastic container that you can get your hands on). We usually suggest glass jars around 10–12 inches high and 6–9 inches in diameter. Jars are ideal because they often come with lids (perfect for high humidity closed terrariums) and are easy to find. Local kitchen stores often sell large glass jars for ₹250–300 – be vocal for local!
If you plan to add a small water pump or mister, consider a medium-sized (about 30 × 30 × 30 cm) moulded fish tank from a local aquarium shop. They’re good quality and usually affordable (from about ₹500).
THE LID
As beginners, it can be challenging to maintain high levels of humidity, especially if you live in a hot and dry climate.
The best solution is to get lids for your terrarium, which are great at trapping moisture. When you’re getting a lid for your terrarium, make sure that it’s made of a non-corrosive and mold resistant material. High humidity can corrode metals and promote fungus on wooden lids. Glass, glazed ceramic and plastic all work well. We prefer transparent lids because they let in top light and pair nicely with overhead grow lights.
Step 2: The Light
Lights are a very important part of any terrarium (like every other step in this guide). Plants get their growth signals from light, and each plant has a specific light requirement. Tropical terrarium plants usually prefer bright, indirect to medium light. So, select your plants according to the light you can maintain—and vice versa.
After repeated tests with natural light and grow lights, we’ve found the best option for beginners in India are aquarium lights. They’re easy to find online or in aquarium shops and are very affordable. Since tropical rainforest plants grow under dense tree cover, they thrive under filtered yet bright light—and that is exactly what aquarium lights provide.
But aquarium lights are not the absolute replacement for terrestrial grow lights, because dedicated grow lights are built to provide specific wavelength light rays that are beneficial for plant growth. Aquarium lights are just a suggestion for beginners, not a rule or replacement for dedicated grow lights.
LED lights are the best light type for terrarium lights because:
- They are highly efficient and produce more light with less electricity compared to other light types like fluorescent or incandescent lights.
- Despite being turned on continuously for hours they do not heat up drastically preventing any harm caused to plants from high temperatures.
- LED lights are often full-spectrum (or are close to it) which is useful for plant growth.
- They live longer compared to other lights
- Come in many form factors from small clamp lamps to strips and panels that provide versatility in ease of use.
When choosing an aquarium light, check for the following:
- Full Spectrum (400–700 nm) — Covers blue (≈450 nm) and red (≈660 nm) peaks for growth and flowering, lights without these wavelengths will produce dwarfed growth. Some ultraviolet light (UV – 380 nm) and infrared (IR – 730 nm) help secondary metabolism.
- Lumens: Lumen is the measurement of the brightness of light. Higher lumens mean brighter light, generally suited for larger or epiphytic plants.
- Control: Lights which can be automated provide ease of use and consistently stable environments for the plants.
But why not natural lighting or a dedicated terrestrial grow light?
- Natural light: Natural lighting is great but comes with a lot of experimentation. Make sure the sunlight does not hit the terrarium directly for prolonged periods which might scorch or dry out plants. Seasonally shift the light to ensure stable growth all year round. Things to look out for: temperature spikes due to direct sunlight and wind drafts from openings, which can cause fungal growth and drying out of the terrarium respectively.
- Terrestrial grow lights: The best lights for terrariums, but often too costly, hard to source and of uncertain authenticity in India.
Indoor placement with aquarium lights strikes a good balance for beginners between stability, affordability and plant health.
Step 3: The Layers
Now, it’s time to get our hands dirty!
Substrate basics:
Ferns and mosses have evolved to grow in nutrient-poor substrates, which limits competition from weeds. That’s why they’re found in shady, moist places where other plants struggle to grow.
While you can buy terrarium soil online, we have found a few ways to make our own.
- Submerge soil in water and expose it to direct sunlight to encourage algae, which will absorb nutrients, after which remove the algae and repeat 3–4 times until algae production drops. To speed the process, pour boiling water each time you sterilise the soil—this kills organic matter that could otherwise feed weeds. Mix in some cocopeat for water retention and little sand for aeration and your terrarium soil is ready!
- Take aqua soil (available online and in aquarium shops). Aqua soil is a nutrient poor substrate for aquatic setups which works equally well for terrariums. Soak aqua soil in some filtered water, after a while crush it using a mortar & pestle to a granular clay like consistency. Mix in some cocopeat for water retention and little sand for aeration and wah! — your terrarium soil is ready.
Now that the substrate is ready, it is time to start layering.
- THE DRAINAGE LAYER: The bottom most layer is the drainage layer, made up of LECA balls or small stones and gravel. The drainage layer holds excess water from the terrarium and keeps the drained water separated. Add small pieces of charcoal to prevent odours from stagnant water.
- THE SEPERATOR LAYER: Place an inorganic mesh or landscaping cloth above the drainage layer to keep soil from falling through and to allow excess water to drain. At Tapovanya we use Hygrolon fabric (coming soon to our shop). Choose an inorganic material so it won’t mould or rot, while maintaining permeability for water to flow down.
- THE SUBSTRATE: Now add your nutrient-poor soil. Mix in some coconut husk powder to provide aeration to the soil and add more charcoal for its antifungal and antibacterial properties. Charcoal is the unsung hero of terrariums – protecting plants from disease, bad odours and more.
While the above is just a blueprint of basic terrarium layers, it is important to know that not all terrariums look the same. Some house drift woods to mimic natural rainforest tree trunks, some include cloud forest like misting mechanisms, while others shape soil to make mounds and give the terrarium a rolling hills like terrain. The best part about this is that it is up to us on how to shape our terrarium. This is where we get to be the most creative and build a rainforest that we can call our own.
Rainforests often have nutrient poor soil due to the constant rain that washes away any and all nutrients, but their soil is also topped with a layer of nutrient rich humus that is acidic in nature due to the slow decomposition of dead organic matter like leaves, tree trunks and animal carcasses, and plants thrive on this acidity. To encourage acidity in the terrarium, add 2-5 drops of diluted coffee in the soil away from plants.
NOTE: Avoid adding organic materials like untreated wood or acorns to the layers, as they can mould in heat and humidity.
Step 4: Water & Moisture
Water is the element that keeps our terrariums alive. The best water is rainwater – slightly acidic (from atmospheric carbon) and low in minerals. Set up a simple rainwater harvesting system if you can. Otherwise use filtered, distilled or mineral-free groundwater. Please avoid using tap water at all times, it can create mineral build up and potentially damage the little beautiful plants.
If plants struggle, test the mineral content or pH (it should be neutral to slightly acidic, around 5.6). Terrarium plants often absorb nutrients from atmospheric moisture, so water high in minerals can damage them.
For misting, the same water should be used. And be sure to not mist the plants too much. We often get too excited to mist our plants (as much as possible), but this only promotes root rot if there is a water buildup in the terrarium. Mist only when the plants are visibly dry.
NOTE: Avoid letting water pool at the bottom. Stagnant water rots plants.
Step 5: Plants!
Now for the best part: choosing plants for your tiny rainforest!
First assess your terrarium’s size, light levels and substrate, then select plants accordingly. This is the fun, scientific quest of terrarium building.
Good beginner choices include:
- Mosses: Antitrichia spp. (spreads quickly)
- Ferns: Adiantum and Polystichum spp. (easy care)
- Lycophytes: Selaginella for its unique foliage
Step 6: Location
Where should you keep your terrarium for maximum longevity?
In cool climates, terrariums do great. In hotter regions of India, place them in rooms on the west side of your home, which tend to be cooler and receive less intense morning–noon sunlight.
The key is a stable environment—no direct sun, no drafts, steady temperature and humidity, and voila – your terrarium is ready! With regular misting and weekly upkeep, your terrarium will soon thrive.
There are some other components essential for a healthy terrarium like springtails that eat any fungus or molds and isopods that eat decaying plant matter, we speak about them in our other blog: Terrarium101—Advanced Terrarium Making, check it out and keep growing!
