That tip about using charcoal in the bottom layer saved my terrarium

u/green_thumb_gary told me to put a half inch layer of activated charcoal under the soil to stop mold. I was skeptical cause it seemed like extra work for a tiny jar. But after 3 months my closed terrarium is still crystal clear with zero fungus. Anyone else have a tip they ignored at first that turned out to be the key?

2 comments

2 Comments

reese_perry61mo ago

Has anyone else ever skipped a step thinking it was just overkill and then regretted it later? I did the same thing with my first terrarium and ended up with a gross mold bloom that killed everything. Now I never skip the charcoal layer and it makes such a difference.

camerona791mo ago

Heard a terrarium builder on a podcast say skipping the charcoal is like building a house with no drainage pipes. That stuck with me and made me realize the extra step is really about preventing problems later. Once you see how much moisture can collect in a sealed jar, the charcoal makes perfect sense.