Changed my mind about using sand in terrariums after visiting the coast last weekend

I drove down to Cannon Beach on Saturday and noticed how the wet sand there actually holds moisture instead of draining like crazy. That made me rethink the drainage layer in my closed terrarium, since I always used pebbles but sand might work better for humidity. Has anyone tried using beach sand as a base layer, or is that a bad idea for mold?

2 comments

2 Comments

emmafisher1mo ago

Oh come on, it's not that deep. You saw some wet sand at the beach and now you're rethinking your whole terrarium setup? Sand in a closed terrarium is asking for trouble. It'll get waterlogged and turn into sludge, not a nice drainage layer. Pebbles work fine because they let air move around, sand just packs down. Plus beach sand has salt and stuff in it, which will mess up your plants eventually. Stick with the pebbles, your terrarium isn't broken.

wesleypatel1mo ago

Yeah, but now I'm picturing someone hauling a bucket of beach sand home, rinsing it in the sink, baking it in the oven, and still ending up with a moldy terrarium that smells like low tide. Like, congrats, you made a tiny swamp with a creepy little fern in it. I mean, pebbles are boring but at least they don't try to simulate a coastal erosion event inside your house.