This wonderful planet of ours is covered with a diverse variety of ecosystems that you can imitate in your vivarium; everything from harsh desert to the lush tropics. It all depends on temperature, along with which plants and animals you wish to include in your vivarium. A desert environment will have high daytime temperatures between 85 degrees farenheit and 95 degrees fahrenheit with very little to no humidity. A tropical environment will have daytime temperatures almost as high, 75 degrees farenheit to 95 degrees farenheit, but with plenty of humidity and plants. In between you have the woodland vivarium that imitates the forested, mid-temperature regions of the world. Here temperatures range from 65 degrees farenheit and 75 degrees farenheit. These areas normally experience a change of seasons, including winter, but that won’t be necessary or even advisable for your vivarium.
Plants
Plants for the desert vivarium include cactuses and succulents that come in many surprising and unusual shapes and texures. The one thing they have in common is an adversity to humidity. Some of the best desert vivarium plants are the Chalk Cactus, the Paddle or Purple Hedgehog Cactus, the Golden Barrel Cactus, the Peanut Cactus, the Old Man Cactus, Jade Necklace, the Pearly Dots plant, plus any variety of Aloe or Sedum. There’s a much wider variety of plants to choose from for a tropical vivarium. These love light, warmth and humidity, so much so that you may find that some will quickly outgrow their enclosures. These plants include many of the tropical ferns. Also Caladium, Calathea, Sansevieria, Philodendron, Zebrina, Oxalis, Ficus and Spathiphyllum. Don’t let the scientific names intimidate you, many of these plants can be found in local nurseries or in the garden section of majr hardware chains under their more common names like, "Purple Perfection" or "Orange Prince." If you live, as most people do, in a temperate climate where the seasons change, then you may already be familiar with the plants for your woodlawn vivarium. Plants like violets, Bluebells, Jack-in-the-pulpit, and Forget-me-nots. Pine and fir seedlings, and even the moss and lichens can add depth and interest to a woodlawn vivarium.