Hello Nexians! SWIM had just wanted to share new little pets that SWIM just got(really excited) and ask for some friendly advice. Since pictures speak a thousand more words then can be type here goes:

Now for the questions, so decided to put the Venus fly trap and pet peyote plant into a terrarium that's right next to my west facing window. Also replanted the peyote in a mini cup to start it rooting then reporting it when it roots.

Using a dual 40w 330 lumen light (t10) lights. Wondering if that's strong enough with the combined sun running the lights 5hrs a day from sun up to noon(just recently changed it to be 12hrs today from 7am-7pm(Sun up to sun down). Which seem to suffice for the Venus flytraps but probably not the pet peyote do you have a suggestion what type of light SWIM should use on the cacti for optimum growth during these cold months?(Swim lives near northern hemisphere like Michigan, Minnesota, and Canada area.) Also the tempt inside the terrarium is kept around (night)20c-25c(during the day) with 60-80% humidity(outside terrarium is around 60f).

SWIM has the Venus flytrap raised to possibly gain as much light as possible but should do the same with the pet peyote or does SWIM have to worry about burning the plants the closure it gets to the light (until a proper rack can be built for them)? Also would full spectrum lighting from like 200w(and up) bulbs be enough? A hydroponic store mentioned that it would be pretty necessary to grow both plants in a terrarium with that type of lighting (just quite expensive).

Wanted to know as-well if anyone had a suggestion on books SWIM could purchase for cacti/succulent and carnivorous plant growing? SWIM was suggested the "CACTUS BOOK- The CACTI HANDBOOK by John Ellis " would that give me all knowledge SWIM need to successfully grow a cactus? SWIM also looking for a carnivorous plant book to care for the Venus flytraps better. The VFT has been fed 3 mini crickets. Any information would be very helpful SWIM has been searching online and many confusing/counterpointing advice is given. SWIM truly appreciate any advice given plan is to putt them outside when it warms up due to because its still winter.(Warning beginner grower!) Also SWIM purchased these guys with a dual head Lophophora Williamsii and 5 pachanoii baby cacti all are doing extremely well.

I have advised you to do the small lamp from LED lamp straight on cactus on height 7-10cm above it. For this will approach LED lamp P=3-5w. Better choose on spectrum "warm light" (he contains more beams red spectrum). The Cactuses Lophophora grow much slowly and no sense to grow them in such greater pot as beside you. It is Enough size 5х5...7х7cm (h=6-12cm). For Trichocereus it is necessary will be on measure of the growing to enlarge the sizes a pot. Beside me never was such moisture for cactus, but I think that summer to him this will not damage. In winter all beside me moisture did not rise above 40%. The main at winter months their not to water, but only mildly to spray. In winter they must stop its growing and repose. For this advise to lower the temperature before 12-15'C. By the end of winters they can powerfully wither but this they will not damage. About luminosity I consider that than light more - so much the better, particularly artificial. You did not think to grow the cactuses from terrarium apart? I think that on luminosity, moisture and winter temperature beside them condition powerfully not congruence. Questions?

Better see... Pics 1,2 =Closely and well! Pics 3,4 =In winter Tr.Pachanoi dry out a little, but alive (can not presently find their photo by summer, but they look on all 100% each year). The Red light -a tone special grow-lamp. Pics 5-9 =Little jungle around me.

swimming does not help you in any way shape or form in a court of law. every single person unless they are severely mentally retarded, knows that you are talking about yourself.

just thought i'd throw that out there.
monkeys do not take drugs either, nor do cats or dogs for that matter.
saying SWIM repeatedly just makes you look like a liiiiittle bit of an ass as well as makes sure that a good amount of people simply skip your posts entirely.

just saying. acronyms help nobody in all realistic seriousness, but if it helps your paranoia, go right ahead i guess.
the law enforcement officer reading all of your posts Godly, and tracking your every move, is not stupid...


...he says nice terrarium anyway.
cacti are fun.
(im only joking about them tracking your every move. then again i do not know, they might be. im not law enforcement so i cant say. )

I love the pictures of your little Peyote pets, they looks so nice and somehow yummy.


Kind regards,

The Traveler

Feel free to swim around whenever you like

Nice farm you have there, very beautiful these peyotls

Many thanks! I much love all plants, particularly one, agreed to live with me beside and teach me in response to my request about this! I have else photo and in the best quality, but I simply have not time to their find today. Someday some other time...

are those acacia trees there in your jungle? Looks like they are doing real well.

Wow well Im sorry for being such a SWIMer just thought that was the typical way to do things. I guess not and yes I am a bit paranoid. Also isn't it about what they can prove in court and by not directly saying its I means its not myself or was I just making a fool out of myself by swimming with the fishes?

Yes I do have a couple of questions. How will I know if the cacti is growing healthy because it is so small? Would I be looking at a T5 lamp then instead? My current lamps are an LED and say 7w equivalent to 40w on the package. It looks like they are blue spectrum on the package("daylight 6500K". The pot that was next to the baby peyote was the Venus Flytrap which Ive already started to micro-propagate and seems to be doing well I'm just not sure if they can be grown together with the same type of conditions. I'm only keeping them in the terrarium until summer months come and I can move the VFT outside and either get a stronger lamp or just place the peyote outside aswell.

With the lamp lights I should be placing it much closer to the plants because of how weak it is and I don't have to worry about burning the plants? Your also saying that my current setup is not ideal for growing the cacti at all? Can I use the cactus soil is that a good enough median since I see a lot of pictures with using rocks it looks like? I just wanted to trick them into thinking it still summer so they can grow until it really is summer. Sorry if I didn't completely understand you Lost travellier your wording kinda confused me a bit but Im sure mine did as-well.

Is there any books anyone would suggest for specifically understanding these two species or should I just relay on the internet like I have been?

i was just winding you up a bit, i dont really care

nice plants you guys. LT that is a buttload of peyote's!

jamie wrote: "are those acacia trees there in your jungle? Looks like they are doing real well".
- Certainly. It's A.Obtusifolia. Their height - before 1m. Later I shall do the photo A.Obtus. better. I several straiten in choice of the picture to avoid the spare personal subject around. So my hero do not get the maximum artistic presentation, but something I shall presently be able to add more.
Godly, I tomorrow try to answer all questions.

Godly wrote:..."Yes I do have a couple of questions. How will I know if the cacti is growing
healthy because it is so small? Would I be looking at a T5 lamp then instead? My
current lamps are an LED and say 7w equivalent to 40w on the package. It looks
like they are blue spectrum on the package("daylight 6500K". The pot that was
next to the baby peyote was the Venus Flytrap which Ive already started to micro-propagate
and seems to be doing well I'm just not sure if they can be grown together with
the same type of conditions. I'm only keeping them in the terrarium until summer
months come and I can move the VFT outside and either get a stronger lamp or
just place the peyote outside aswell.

With the lamp lights I should be placing it much closer to the plants because of
how weak it is and I don't have to worry about burning the plants? Your also
saying that my current setup is not ideal for growing the cacti at all? Can I
use the cactus soil is that a good enough median since I see a lot of pictures
with using rocks it looks like? I just wanted to trick them into thinking it
still summer so they can grow until it really is summer. Sorry if I didn't
completely understand you Lost travellier your wording kinda confused me a bit
but Im sure mine did as-well"...

- These 2 types cactus one of the most unpretentious so problems to be must not. The main - not to water them under T=12-15'С. If the temperature of the contents in winter above (before 18-25'C) that much little water possible. But better only sprinkle water (once in 4-10 days).


- Your illuminations must be enough, possible not to change the lamp. (I think your lamp gives directed downwards light and is located not further 15 - 25cm from plants? All LED and Fluorescent lamps (t5, t10 & e.t.c... do not give the heating and their possible dispose on distance 7-15cm from plants.


- No a big difference in spectrum 6500'K and 3500'K. Only hereinafter when buying the new lamps better to choose 3200 - 3500'K.


- I too use prepare ground of the cactus (in my country she is identified "Kaktus+".


- Time of the illumination lamp for all their own plants I install 9-10 hours a day, regardless of external illumination for window. (At winter period I do not speed up the growing of my plants. They grow summer, when much lights and heats.


- a Books on cactus - a good reading, there - best answers.


p.s: Apart want to say about A.Obtusifolia: I did not expect that this three big plants will be enough at winter time whole 20W+20W LED lamp lateral illumination + little lights in room! They look wholly to be sound at moisture in room beside 30%. It Is Got that their wholly possible grow in usual premises (in room). Besides - they fine carry the pruning (summer they on balcony reached the heights more 1.5m and so their happened to little abbreviate)...

Woah! you surprised me with that cat!

Really gorgeous garden. And great cat photo - hard to get a face closeup like that between cameras that won't focus (or fast enough) and cats that won't hold still . . .

Enormous thank you! I in a figurative sense "father" for it, since have found it in cellar about month of the age and with bouquet of the diseases... Now it already more than 10 years. But the main - it like sleep on back and sees the ACTIVE-DREAMS up to 10 once at day!! As i envy her... // Much apologize for offtop. //

I am loving your garden, beautiful. Hopefully at some point in the future I will be able to give a room to my spikey friends too.

Shall pleased come in handy advice!

Thanks Lost Travellier very informative!

I shall stop watering my little buddy so much as I have been quite often. I'm still not sure how to tell if the baby cacti is rooted or is doing well in the little cardboard cup thingy so I can repot it into a soil. Its currently .7cm large since Ive received him and hasn't grown since. He looks so much greener with white little furry dots all over.

The lamp setup is approximately 10-12cms away from the him so that is optimum.

I love my pussy aswell!!!

Very nice catctuses, and pics The Venus fly trap is sick.! i am hoping to have a cactus garden of my own started one day, a Terrarium like the one you have would probly work out for me, on the other hand i do live in the desert, so growing cactus shouldn't be too hard.

Ooo, Godly, Great cat! In these animals i find something beyond of mirror. Particularly to bewitch the glance some, like your cat. Very nice picture. I save it in its album.