Alexander Demchak

If anybody would like to follow along, I've got a buy list! The minimum basics are:

• Glass Container
• Gravel/Rocks
• Activated Charcoal
• Sterile Potting Mix
• and of course: Plants!

There's a few other things that are helpful and or nice to have:

• Tools: Wooden dowel/stick and long tweezers, spray bottle
• Different sizes/colors of gravel
• Sand
• "Aeration Medium" (pumice, perlite, leca balls, etc)
• Decorative elements (crystals, figures, etc - non bio-degradable!!)!

Glass Container: Just about anything will work, with or without a lid. I prefer a loose fitting lid. You can use a mason jar too (just poke a hole in the lid). Any clear glass will work, however. Fish bowls, terrarium specific glass, hollow glass lamps, cookie jars, etc. Just make sure it's clear and not tinted! https://www.amazon.com/CYS-EXCEL-Glass-Container/dp/B08H3MY9V4/ https://www.amazon.com/Anchor-Hocking-2-Gallon-Heritage-Hill/dp/B000KKI7GY/

Gravel/Rocks: Having some nice river rocks and aquarium gravel is two-fold. It prevents stagnant stinky water in the base, and gives you some aesthetic elements on the top. No links - just get some rocks/gravel you like!

Activated Charcoal: Useful for drainage, soil aeration, and most importantly - plant health! https://www.amazon.com/TerraGreen-Creations-Horticultural-Activated-Conditioning/dp/B095J8FG4P/

Potting Mix: Some will have activated charcoal and perlite in them, but they're still good to have separately as well. Make sure whatever mix you get does not have fertilizer additives in it. https://www.amazon.com/Terrarium-Soil-Terrariums-Filtering-Charcoal/dp/B091S7SFX9/

PLANTS: Most any ground plants that are not succulents will work great! Thinks like Nerve Plants, Polka Dot Plants, Goldfish Plants, Spidermoss, Creeping Fig, Clubmoss, Ferns, African Mask, etc - all do really well. A local nursery probably has a great selection for cheap (~$2-$5 per plant), but you may be able to get some from "the big box store" garden center too. https://www.amazon.com/Terrarium-Plants-Garden-Assorted-Varieties/dp/B07GBBZN8D/

---- Optional/Helpful Things ----

Tools: Long tweezers are great. A long dowel is great for digging holes. Curved long-handle scissors for trimming is great. There's a million kits out there but something like this is great: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07BBFZB4F/ - Also a spray bottle will make watering it much easier

Sand: Basically, even smaller gravel. This is mostly an aesthetic element to help fill in some bare dirt spots on the top, I just like the way it looks!

Aeration Medium: Many soils will have one in them, but having some extra for underneath and or breaking up soil is nice. Either pumice, perlite, or LECA balls work really well.

Decorations!! These are purely aesthetic! Find something you think is cute/cool and stick it in there! Just make sure it's not biodegradable, otherwise it will rot and cause damage. Things like shells, crystals, or figurines are great!

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If you want to be super prepared, be sure to boil any solid things you get and plan to put in. (Rocks, gravel, crystals, figures, etc) - Since these are semi-closed and semi-self sustaining, any yuckies you introduce will thrive (mold spores, fungal spores, etc) Side note, you can "get along" with, at a minimum:

• a Mason Jar
• Terrarium Soil
• Plants
• Some rocks from the backyard

Ever since I've been trying to cultivate a fun, positive, non-toxic atmosphere online (largely around programming and gaming communities) - making emotes for Twitch and Discord has been enormously fun!

I've been starting to try and publicize resources when I end up helping someone, whether that's with a walk-through video, or StackOverflow answer.

If you have any questions or want to get in touch, feel free to contact me below. (Note: Do not send me credentials through this form! If you need to send me any login credentials, please use the form located here: xhynk.com/keygen/)