Creating a SIMPLE But BEAUTIFUL Ecosystem: Step-by-Step Terrarium Guide

In this video I'll be showing you how I made this fallen log terrarium. My goal for this build was to make a super simple but beautiful terrarium that anyone can easily replicate. Let's get straight into it. I'm going to start off by making a drainage layer at the bottom of the tank. For this I'm going to be using leaker, you can use any rocks or stones that you've got lying around. This layer will provide a place for excess water to sit instead of it sitting in the substrate. After I poured a generous amount in I used my hand to gently flatten it out to make sure there was no high or low points. For this size terrarium the drainage layer doesn't need to be too thick. If I were to pour the substrate in now it would fall through all the gaps in the leaker. To stop this from happening I'm going to put in a substrate barrier that would sit on top of the leaker. For this I'm using window screen mesh, it's very easy to cut and its holes are big enough to let water through while still holding back the substrate. I use a sharp blade to cut it out. Be sure to use a cutting mat to protect the surface underneath. This is a super old desk so I'm not too worried. After cutting it out I placed it inside the terrarium to see if it fit. It was still a little too big so I used some scissors to trim off some more. Now it fits in perfectly. With the substrate barrier in I can now add in the substrate mix. I'm using my usual mix which I'll put up on screen now. It holds moisture well, is well draining and provides nutrients for the plants. These are key characteristics of a quality terrarium substrate. I pour in a generous layer and then gently compress it with my hands. I'll be adding more later but this will be enough to start designing the hardscape. Talking about hardscape here's what I'll be using. This is a cork bark branch and I'm simply going to be using just this for today's terrarium build. This would be a good example to show you just how easy it is to make a simple but beautiful terrarium with limited hardscape. I place the cork bark inside and experiment with a few different layouts. After a short time here's what I came up with. It's a very simple design that anyone can easily replicate. I'll be adding a little more substrate at this end to make it sit a little bit higher. Once again I poured some in and gently patted it down. As you can see there's now much more of a slope which will help improve the sense of depth. I place the cork bark back inside and gently push it down into the substrate. I then want to build the substrate up even higher on both sides. This will allow me to have plants sitting higher up at the back of the tank which will help them cover more of the background and create a more dense foresty look. As you can see it's much higher. With the hardscape done it's now time to start getting some plants in. This is a tricolor fern. As this plant starts to mature it will have leaves that are in shades of bronze red and green. I'm going to start by taking it out the pot and removing all the soil until it's down to its bare roots. It's a good idea to do this as it will reduce the chance of pests being introduced. Also some companies use fertilizers that can be harmful to the inhabitants we want to introduce later. After removing all the soil I then carefully split the fern into two separate plants. Using some tweezers I dug a small hole into the substrate. Then I took the fern and planted it inside. I then planted this smaller piece towards the right side. I followed the same process as before. When adding plants to a terrarium it's a good idea to have the same plant on either side of the scape. This helps create a more natural looking terrarium. Even with just these two plants in the terrarium has already transformed. Next I'm going to plant this crypt. It's an aquatic plant species that will have no trouble growing inside this terrarium. I'm going to plant most of it right next to the fern on the left. Once again I dig a small hole and then plant the roots down into the substrate. Its leaves are a bit all over the place at the moment but with some time it should sit more naturally. I planted a smaller section over on the right side. Next I went on to plant this hygrophila. I really like the shape of this plant's leaves and think it'll be a great addition to this terrarium. Here's a quick tip to get more plants than what you paid for. Simply take the stem and cut it in half. As you can see on the bottom half it's got these small growth points which will grow in no time and the top cutting will send out new roots from the node in as little as a week. This essentially gives you two independent plants from a single stem. I used some scissors to cut off any damaged leaves and then I went on to fill the background up with more hygrophila. That's pretty much all the background plants in and the terrarium is really starting to take shape. Now it's time to introduce the moss. This is fern moss and it's one of my favourite species to use inside terrariums. It has a very natural appearance and will really help bring out a foresty look inside this scape. I'm going to plant it all along the foreground of the terrarium. I place it inside and then gently press it down onto the substrate. This will help it wick up water from the substrate and prevent it from drying out. Whilst I'm planting this moss let me quickly tell you about my terrarium making e-book. It contains everything you need to know to make and keep long-lasting healthy terrariums. With 25 of the best moss and plant species to use, which types of microfauna to introduce, exactly how to water and care for a terrarium and everything in between. If you're interested it'll be at the top of the description and in the pinned comment. I think the moss on the cork bark really makes it look like it's being taken back by nature. With the moss in I then went on to add some smaller plants to help accent the scape. Once again this is an aquatic plant that should have no trouble growing inside this setup. So long as the humidity is kept high it will thrive. Next I'm going to plant some small cuttings of Ficus Quercifolia or more commonly known as Oakleaf Creeping Fig. This plant has miniature dark green leaves that I think will look great growing on the cork bark. I placed the cuttings on top of the moss. This will help keep the stem humid and promote new root growth. Next I planted a few cuttings of Baby Tears. This plant has tiny green leaves which I think will look nice growing amongst the moss. I placed some small cuttings throughout the terrarium. They will soon root and grow. Next I planted in this MacGravia cutting. It is a little bit pale due to excess light in the tank I just pulled it from. It was growing right at the top directly underneath the light. I placed it on the moss on top of the cork bark. The moss will help keep the roots damp. Now it's time to add some springtails. In case you didn't know these are tiny bugs that will literally clean the terrarium 24x7. They will eat any mould and decaying matter throughout the tank, process it and then poop it out in the form of fertilizer for the plants. Next I went on to give the terrarium a good spray down. When watering a terrarium remember it's very important not to overwater. Only water until the substrate is damp and not wet or soggy. If you're ever in doubt it's much better to underwater than overwater. Left as it is the terrarium would dry up and die in no time. So I placed on a glass panel which is simply held on by a piece of tape. I then left it to grow in for three weeks. Three weeks later and the fallen log terrarium is doing great. There has been a few leaves die off here and there but that's completely normal for a new terrarium and all the plants are showing signs of new growth. The fern moss has began to grow and creep up the cork bark. This moss can grow quite stretched out and leggy but I'm not too worried about that at the moment. The hygrophila is doing a great job of slowly covering the background. When looking at the back you can see that some of the plants have already developed a healthy root system and the stem cuttings I planted have done a great job at rooting themselves as well. As you can see the tricolor ferns have sent out new leaves which is great to see. With time they'll grow bigger and have a range of color to them. I'm really happy with how this terrarium is looking and think with a little bit more time it would truly look like a slice of nature. Thanks for watching. Check out this video to watch another terrarium build.