Made terrarium. Had no idea I had a hidden jumping spider inside or fruit fly lava. The spider ate fruit flies for about 4 months and it's now may favorite distressing thing to watch
Make sure to keep an eye on signs of lessening fruit fly activity! In a small terrarium predators like a jumping spider might hunt it’s available prey to near extinction levels and then starve itself
Very needed, im 23 years old. I have a patch of moss that is very important to my and older then me. It was living at my grandmas, and i finally decided to bring it home due to it may have been my last trip to my gandmother. It may seem silly but this patch of moss is super important to me. It has always lived outside in a flower pot. When i saw it was turning brown i knew i needed to at fast. I think it is cushion moss, but i cant tell for sure at the moment.
I've made a tiny moss terrarium with a very small clip lid jar (spice jar size) and at first it got moldy, but one sunny day under direct sunlight and leaving it open in the evening till next day fixed it. My moss is thriving! It has a drainage layer with very fine black and pink aquarium rocks, and I've made a substrate barrier with a paper towel since I didn't have any mesh, and it's working alright.
Thanks. Simple terrariums are fun to have. Saw someone post they add isopods (roly polys). They are easy to care for and could add interest. I kept a small fish tank habitat with isopods at school. Kids enjoyed it.
@@yetidoesstuff228I had one, but I forgot to maintain it, so it got cooked by getting too dry. I had a clean up crew, worms, beetles, slugs, snails, moths, and spiders.
I use peanut butter pretzel jars for all 3 of my terrariums. In my first terrarium, i have seen a thriving culture of springtails. In my second one ive seen 1, so im assuming there are more. In my third there is a angry flying bug, so im afraid to open the terrarium and check for springtails.
@@spooky_graves22 Springtails can be found naturally outside and may have made their way in on moss or rocks or something, but most of them were added from a culture I got online.
6:14 root rot caused wilting and browning that is a direct result of overwatering. I might start a terrarium but I want to make it more like an edible one with microgreens in it. Idk if that is doable. I already have a garden and I get fresh chives pretty much daily now so I want something else to sink my time into. Shit I'm gonna go buy those microgreen seeds anyway, they have a massive variety pack at the dollar store. Probably gonna get some chia too. Love these videos, yours are particularly informative.
I once made a terrarium that had a 2 cm opening and was wide 5 cm and instead of putting there some professional plants , I just used some unidentified moss,plants and of course some gooseberry seeds. And the terrarium is doing pretty well, from the day it was planted it’s like 4 months.
i found three garden snails and made a little terrarium for them. got some dirt, moss, eggshells and flowers. it's very small, since it was a makeshift one, but i want to make them a bigger one
New subbie: the tip to use a clip lid glass jar is a big winner! I have always used plastic window screen in the bottom of my houseplant pots to keep the potting mix from falling out the holes.
Hey thanks for the video, I got a question. For a moss terrarium is it a must need for springtails to be living in the soil? I do plan on making a closed moss ecosystem that is why.
im planning on getting everything for my first terrarium this week your videos have been a huge help and i cant wait to finally try it! i had one question i was hoping you could answer because i cant really find it why cant some plants be planted in the subtrate but have to be on rocks? Again a huge thanks for all your videos im hoping everything goes well in my first terrarium keep up the videos!
Thank you so much for that video. I have 2 small terrarium, actually it works well, both are around 3 months. I hope they will survive. I will try another one (or 2 or 3 😅) with your tipps. Thanks and keep up with your great videos! ❤
I’ve always loved the idea of making completely sealed terrariums that can last for years. Especially ones with bugs and stuff. Going to start small and get at least one little one to last then I can work up to bigger ones when I’ve got the experience
All good tips I'm sure, but the problem is getting the materials and plants. I want to make one terrarium so buying tons of stuff I will never use again is wasteful - not to mention wildly expensive. Just to buy the materials suggested requires getting bags and bags of materials that easily can add up to well over one hundred dollars. Then buying all the plants to be able to select exactly the ones I want is again over one hundred dollars. Any suggestions?
Lol yeah. Get everything from outside. I did mine all for free using rocks from outside, soil, moss, sticks, and even isopods and spring tails hiding under rocks.
Never heard of a Terrarium until I stumbled on your channel I’m certainly going to make one 👍🏻 I think your channel is fascinating and really interesting… thank you 👍🏻
i use coffee/pickle/pasta sauce jars.. i leave em to soak in sone soapy water for the night then the next day the label pretty much slips off, then if any adhesives still there a lil scrape with a steel wool gets it good
Could I use an old reptile enclosure as a terrarium tank? It has a mesh top and front doors, so air gets in. What would be the implications of leaving it as is?
If u cant use mesh just use a peics of a plastic bag cut it then get a nail or somthing and poke alot of little holes in it if u dont have really any money
@@dilara6499 I made one for my son about 10 years ago. I put a drainage layer in, then just used potting compost. It lasted quite a few years. The only reason it eventually failed was because in the end, it wasn't getting sufficient light - it wasn't close enough to a window.
I do have a question about moisture levels when setting up new terrariums in sealed Mason jars. (Keep in mind I live in a very dry place, low humidity here.) When I close the jar, they fog up. I suspect that is a Bad Thing, not just because I can't see in. I'm currently leaving the tops open to let them dry out. How little fogging should I accept. Keep drying them out until all fogging disappears? Just a little fogging in the substrate acceptable? Is fogging right up into the jar's stratosphere okay?
Hey man I’m new to this I created a terrarium using rocks to recycle water soil plants and isopods and moss ofc along with some peiges of bark any recommendations
Is i possible to place, for example, a metal piece in the terrarium? I have a medal I'd like to use as a centrepiece, but I'm unsure whether the plants around it will survive.
Hey Just wanted to know... Should I mix 2 parts of sphagnum moss to the substrate, won't it grow back as it touches water ?? Is there any method to prevent it or should I just let it grow ??
I just wondering does my used cut out Chacol face mask can be use for permeable layer? 😂 finally got my used face mask in to use instead just throw it out
Hey anyone! Can I please get some insight from you? Do you have to have substrate? Or can it just be worm castings with some sand mix? My last one I mixed in a dry Spanish/lichen type of moss and it molded up fast in the substrate. So I went and bought coconut fiber and sphagnum but I didn't put it in because I'm worried it will mold fast again. Thoughts?
Should there be any water on the bottom in the drainage layer to indicate there is enough in there or is it better to just go based on the dampness of the base of the substrate layer and use the drainage as a fail safe?
Question; the plants in my terrarium usually die and rot, looking slimey, as if there is too much water. However, I have a drainage layer that always stays dry. There seems to be either too much or too little water, with no room in between. I've had multiple terrariums fail because nothing wants to grow, any and all plants inevitably die.
Do you use Normal soil, they are not good for terrarium and do you even add springtails? They eat mold and dry plants, also there are too much water instead use spray Bottle and spray it 2 or 3 times, i hope this help you also use Lights, sunlight is too far away
Is the lid has to fully sealed or is it okay to have litle gap? I diy my tank and the top level of the side glass is not even, so the lid is not fully sealed, theres tiny gap on it. is it okay?
I do this with smaller cup/ smaller container, but still with that components, but my color is brighter than urs, is that okay? Or i have to cut sphagnum moss into pieces?
Most people live in cities, the key point is where do you want to place the moss landscape? Living room, study, room, balcony??? It is difficult for moss to survive in these places, or even die. Before purchasing, you must first understand whether the place where you live is suitable for moss to survive, or if you have the ability to do so. Create a living environment for moss. Future maintenance is the key to success. The so-called success means that after raising it for more than one year, it can reproduce the next generation.
Couple of questions: . Does window screen mesh break down over time and need replacing? . Is it required or a good idea to introduce small insects to maintain the health of the ecosystem? . Is it a good idea to add fungi to terrariums with plants, or should they be kept separate?
I had the worst hangover in years after playing a drinking game to him say "Terrarium" hahaha great videos though I'm planning on making my first terrarium after my head stop spinning
It's common to have isopods in terrariums. I have isopods, centipedes, springtails, nematodes, woodlice and small earthworms in mine. They are all there because I build my terrarium with materials from the park and a forest.
About worm castings, does the 💩 of super worm and meal worms do de the job ? Cause I have a lot of it and would like to know if I can use it for that instead
How do you keep it from getting overrun by by molds or mildew? I was told I needed more direct sunlight and I baked it 🔥 told I was over watering them so I ended up desiccating.. I got a definite Brown thumb, my terrariums get eaten by mold & my mushroom cultures die faster.
I used a Fiji water bottle with a very small amount of water in the bottom and added the substrate some black sand and some moss and attempted to add a glass bee but it hit the sand with enough force to bury it and I’m going to fetch the tools for easy removal of the moss and then put the bee back in a visible spot maybe remove some moss as most of it is taking up most of the space and I only made it today
Hey where can i find/get moss, also is there an alternative for orchid bark and is it essential in the substrate mix. Also where can i buy these materials in australia like leca i cant find. And where can i get springtails.
I realy struggled finding springtails in australia (mt compass) untill i looked under a wine barrel (cool, dark, moist place) and all you have to do is wait a few seconds to let ur eyes adjust to seeing little white specs on the ground. As for the orchid bark i just use some leaf litter that i have cut up wit scissors
Check out my Ebook, It’s perfect for beginners! terrariumdesigns.co.uk/products/ebook
Awesomeness 🤩
Kind of wish it existed as a physical copy, as I'm old-fashioned and FAR prefer physical books to ebooks.
im getting a water percentage monitor for my vivarium ( lasius niger ants and some moss and clovers ) what percentage is optimal ?
Awesome
M
Made terrarium. Had no idea I had a hidden jumping spider inside or fruit fly lava. The spider ate fruit flies for about 4 months and it's now may favorite distressing thing to watch
Wow
Jumping spiders are neat little critters. Had one in my kitchen window for weeks. Unfortunately, hubby washed dishes and didn't pour the water out. 😢
Make sure to keep an eye on signs of lessening fruit fly activity! In a small terrarium predators like a jumping spider might hunt it’s available prey to near extinction levels and then starve itself
Nice ecosystem!
Needed this. I tried to make one with my kids, and it was a miserable failure. I think it was too wet, and the whole thing was just overtaken by mold.
Glad you found it helpful!:)
U need springtails
@@nachoman9480what are they for?
@@Mason_hammer they eat mold and provide nutrition to the soil
There for u to watch it and NEVER take off the lid and that's how u make a Soler sistum
I’ve tired many times to make one and failed, I watched this video and now I have a beautiful terrarium. Thank you for the tips ❤️
Very needed, im 23 years old. I have a patch of moss that is very important to my and older then me. It was living at my grandmas, and i finally decided to bring it home due to it may have been my last trip to my gandmother. It may seem silly but this patch of moss is super important to me. It has always lived outside in a flower pot. When i saw it was turning brown i knew i needed to at fast. I think it is cushion moss, but i cant tell for sure at the moment.
i dont think that is silly at all ♥️
I hope your moss is well, from HJ the Hippie ❤
That's really sweet
update on the moss?
That's not silly that's true care
These tip so important for the beginners terrarium. So thanks for sharing these knowledge to all of us in this video. Thanks so much guys.
I've made a tiny moss terrarium with a very small clip lid jar (spice jar size) and at first it got moldy, but one sunny day under direct sunlight and leaving it open in the evening till next day fixed it. My moss is thriving!
It has a drainage layer with very fine black and pink aquarium rocks, and I've made a substrate barrier with a paper towel since I didn't have any mesh, and it's working alright.
Thanks. Simple terrariums are fun to have. Saw someone post they add isopods (roly polys). They are easy to care for and could add interest. I kept a small fish tank habitat with isopods at school. Kids enjoyed it.
Wow this is so much more complicated than my method of shoving dirt, rocks and plants I've found into clear containers lol
Your way sounds better. Less controled, more chaotic.
Hey. It works. 👍
They only grow mold like 40% of the time
@@yetidoesstuff228I do that and don’t get mold
@@yetidoesstuff228I had one, but I forgot to maintain it, so it got cooked by getting too dry. I had a clean up crew, worms, beetles, slugs, snails, moths, and spiders.
I use peanut butter pretzel jars for all 3 of my terrariums. In my first terrarium, i have seen a thriving culture of springtails. In my second one ive seen 1, so im assuming there are more. In my third there is a angry flying bug, so im afraid to open the terrarium and check for springtails.
I’m new to this stuff, did you put the bug in there or was that part of the growth and what not?
@@spooky_graves22 Springtails can be found naturally outside and may have made their way in on moss or rocks or something, but most of them were added from a culture I got online.
how to fix third:
electric fly trap. open the jar, put a piece of paper inbetween, and grab a fly shocker.
just take it outside and let it free. :)@@prorandocopier7945
😂
Fantastic!! Thanks for summarizing each part of the process so concisely. Tremendously helpful and useful.
6:14 root rot caused wilting and browning that is a direct result of overwatering. I might start a terrarium but I want to make it more like an edible one with microgreens in it. Idk if that is doable. I already have a garden and I get fresh chives pretty much daily now so I want something else to sink my time into. Shit I'm gonna go buy those microgreen seeds anyway, they have a massive variety pack at the dollar store. Probably gonna get some chia too.
Love these videos, yours are particularly informative.
That sounds like a really cool idea, good luck!
I once made a terrarium that had a 2 cm opening and was wide 5 cm and instead of putting there some professional plants , I just used some unidentified moss,plants and of course some gooseberry seeds. And the terrarium is doing pretty well, from the day it was planted it’s like 4 months.
i found three garden snails and made a little terrarium for them. got some dirt, moss, eggshells and flowers. it's very small, since it was a makeshift one, but i want to make them a bigger one
I found some snails in my garden right now. So freaking cute!
I was just starting and I found the perfect video explaining important stuff. Thanks a lot!
Glad you found it helpful!:)
I have just made my first terrarium and it looks awesome! Cheers mate
Great to hear!!😃
I just finished one like a couple minutes ago lol
Finally a video with all the detail… TY
Thank you for the awesome help because I am going to make some terrariums today👍🏼👍🏼👍🏼
I’m glad you found it helpful!😃
Thank you I was delayed with making those terrariums but I just got the first one done and I am pretty proud of it
Thank you for this! Somebody just gave me a large jar. It’s perfect for a terrarium I can’t wait.❤❤❤
Those giant anchor hawking jars with the gasket lid the glass ones it was coming like one and 2 gallon sizes. I love those for my terrarium.
New subbie: the tip to use a clip lid glass jar is a big winner! I have always used plastic window screen in the bottom of my houseplant pots to keep the potting mix from falling out the holes.
Such a brilliant video! Thank you very much!!!
Hey thanks for the video, I got a question. For a moss terrarium is it a must need for springtails to be living in the soil? I do plan on making a closed moss ecosystem that is why.
im planning on getting everything for my first terrarium this week your videos have been a huge help and i cant wait to finally try it! i had one question i was hoping you could answer because i cant really find it why cant some plants be planted in the subtrate but have to be on rocks? Again a huge thanks for all your videos im hoping everything goes well in my first terrarium keep up the videos!
Glad you’re enjoying the videos! Some plants rhizomes will rot if kept in the substrate which is why they will be mounted on rocks. :)
you are the best terrarium maker.
Thank you!
Thank you for the tips, you are so accurate!! Did you make a video about keeping moss and plants that are waiting to be implanted?
No problem! I have a video on storing moss: th-cam.com/video/aTg2lafS-p0/w-d-xo.html
@@TerrariumDesigns thank you so much!
Thank you so much for that video. I have 2 small terrarium, actually it works well, both are around 3 months. I hope they will survive. I will try another one (or 2 or 3 😅) with your tipps. Thanks and keep up with your great videos! ❤
You're a Terrarium Hero!
Wow, amazing video keep this content up .Love from belgium here .Hope you all have a amazig day.
I’ve always loved the idea of making completely sealed terrariums that can last for years. Especially ones with bugs and stuff. Going to start small and get at least one little one to last then I can work up to bigger ones when I’ve got the experience
All good tips I'm sure, but the problem is getting the materials and plants. I want to make one terrarium so buying tons of stuff I will never use again is wasteful - not to mention wildly expensive. Just to buy the materials suggested requires getting bags and bags of materials that easily can add up to well over one hundred dollars. Then buying all the plants to be able to select exactly the ones I want is again over one hundred dollars. Any suggestions?
I say get whatever’s from outside, it’s cheapest
@@maryumusman1073 I discovered that. I found some little clover like plant that looks great in my terrarium and also some greek ivy.
what did you use for the one mixture?
@@dilara6499 I used some garden soil and added vermiculite and perlite. Seems to be working ok.
Lol yeah. Get everything from outside. I did mine all for free using rocks from outside, soil, moss, sticks, and even isopods and spring tails hiding under rocks.
Hi, do you have Any advice if Any sort of animal can Go in a 2 liter terrarium? And How big does it Need to be for Any sort of Animal?
I made my first terraumium
ty for the tips
Never heard of a Terrarium until I stumbled on your channel I’m certainly going to make one 👍🏻 I think your channel is fascinating and really interesting… thank you 👍🏻
Where do you generally get the plants from? I was curious on the best way to get varieties that would perform well in a terrarium.
i use coffee/pickle/pasta sauce jars.. i leave em to soak in sone soapy water for the night then the next day the label pretty much slips off, then if any adhesives still there a lil scrape with a steel wool gets it good
Up cycling jars is a great idea:)
🤔 i already do this for my full sized bioactive community terrariums. Definitely good tips..
Could I use an old reptile enclosure as a terrarium tank? It has a mesh top and front doors, so air gets in. What would be the implications of leaving it as is?
You sure could! It’ll just need to be sprayed a little more as water will be able to evaporate
@@TerrariumDesigns Okay cool thanks man!
Ty for the beautiful content! 😄😁
No problem! Thank you for watching!😃
Thank you for all useful tips!
thank you so much this was super useful!!!
Great video and inspirational advice.
Great info, thank you!
very fruitful video for gardening
this is really good- i can try to make one too -
so helpful
If u cant use mesh just use a peics of a plastic bag cut it then get a nail or somthing and poke alot of little holes in it if u dont have really any money
Thank you..I have a limited budget and the mix with spaghnum moss etc. do you have any simpler alternatives maybe?
@@dilara6499 I made one for my son about 10 years ago. I put a drainage layer in, then just used potting compost. It lasted quite a few years. The only reason it eventually failed was because in the end, it wasn't getting sufficient light - it wasn't close enough to a window.
Great video. Thank u!
I do have a question about moisture levels when setting up new terrariums in sealed Mason jars. (Keep in mind I live in a very dry place, low humidity here.) When I close the jar, they fog up. I suspect that is a Bad Thing, not just because I can't see in. I'm currently leaving the tops open to let them dry out. How little fogging should I accept. Keep drying them out until all fogging disappears? Just a little fogging in the substrate acceptable? Is fogging right up into the jar's stratosphere okay?
I love your videos
thank you!
Same!
Fantastic. Thank you.
Understood, thanks for sharing this tips! 😁
I am watching this before a science project so I hope this works
04:05 reminds me about the psychological excitement of trimming the plants whilst have my arm shoulder deep in my piranha aquarium 😂
Really interesting. Thanks
amazing and tips for beginner
I just need u to do a blog on where u get all ur glasses 😂 I can never find rlly cools ones like the ones u have
Sangat indah terrariumnya kawan..
Thank God I found your channel. Subscribed asap.
Hey man I’m new to this I created a terrarium using rocks to recycle water soil plants and isopods and moss ofc along with some peiges of bark any recommendations
Is i possible to place, for example, a metal piece in the terrarium? I have a medal I'd like to use as a centrepiece, but I'm unsure whether the plants around it will survive.
Question can I use a mix of gravel and small rocks I found outside as a drainage layer ?? Without having something separating it from the dirt
Yeah that should work pretty well, I would would use more sand than gravel though. Hope this helps!
hello, any idea how to get rid of mold/white fungus on the glass? I can't seem to find any springtails 😅 does cinnamon water helps?
I’ve never tried cinnamon water. Manually removing whenever it pops up may be your best option:)
Hey
Just wanted to know... Should I mix 2 parts of sphagnum moss to the substrate, won't it grow back as it touches water ??
Is there any method to prevent it or should I just let it grow ??
I just wondering does my used cut out Chacol face mask can be use for permeable layer? 😂 finally got my used face mask in to use instead just throw it out
if i made one when should i water it again? and how do i know its thriving and alive? I'm new to all this
Hi thanks for the tips really helpful. I was wondering do you use springtails in all your terrariums
I use isopods in mine
Hey anyone! Can I please get some insight from you? Do you have to have substrate? Or can it just be worm castings with some sand mix? My last one I mixed in a dry Spanish/lichen type of moss and it molded up fast in the substrate. So I went and bought coconut fiber and sphagnum but I didn't put it in because I'm worried it will mold fast again. Thoughts?
Should there be any water on the bottom in the drainage layer to indicate there is enough in there or is it better to just go based on the dampness of the base of the substrate layer and use the drainage as a fail safe?
I know its probably an stupid question, but can one use the algae buildup and put it in a jar with water to make it grow?
What’s about the rocks from outside did you putting into the hot water so they’re with no microbes
Question; the plants in my terrarium usually die and rot, looking slimey, as if there is too much water. However, I have a drainage layer that always stays dry. There seems to be either too much or too little water, with no room in between. I've had multiple terrariums fail because nothing wants to grow, any and all plants inevitably die.
Do you use Normal soil, they are not good for terrarium and do you even add springtails? They eat mold and dry plants, also there are too much water instead use spray Bottle and spray it 2 or 3 times, i hope this help you also use Lights, sunlight is too far away
Can a old pickle jar work as well?? ( I cleaned it out and ther is no site of any vinigar left...complely "new" )
Yes you can
Thank you so much😍
Thanks for sharing 🙏☺️
Is the lid has to fully sealed or is it okay to have litle gap? I diy my tank and the top level of the side glass is not even, so the lid is not fully sealed, theres tiny gap on it. is it okay?
yeah btw you earned a subscriber hell yeah brother.
Thank you!
I do this with smaller cup/ smaller container, but still with that components, but my color is brighter than urs, is that okay? Or i have to cut sphagnum moss into pieces?
Most people live in cities, the key point is where do you want to place the moss landscape? Living room, study, room, balcony???
It is difficult for moss to survive in these places, or even die. Before purchasing, you must first understand whether the place where you live is suitable for moss to survive, or if you have the ability to do so.
Create a living environment for moss. Future maintenance is the key to success.
The so-called success means that after raising it for more than one year, it can reproduce the next generation.
Couple of questions:
. Does window screen mesh break down over time and need replacing?
. Is it required or a good idea to introduce small insects to maintain the health of the ecosystem?
. Is it a good idea to add fungi to terrariums with plants, or should they be kept separate?
No
Yes
Sure but spores are in soil so it will come by themselves.
@terrariumdesigns Can hessian be used as a substrate barrier instead of window screen mesh?
I had the worst hangover in years after playing a drinking game to him say "Terrarium" hahaha great videos though I'm planning on making my first terrarium after my head stop spinning
this seems like a pretty cool hobby
what kind of charcoal do you use?
Brilliant 👌 thank you 🙏 👍
Could it be inhabitable for very small fauna? Like slightly bigger than microfauna?
It's common to have isopods in terrariums. I have isopods, centipedes, springtails, nematodes, woodlice and small earthworms in mine. They are all there because I build my terrarium with materials from the park and a forest.
Hi! could you tell me how to make cohesive soil , for moss,.. thank you
About worm castings, does the 💩 of super worm and meal worms do de the job ? Cause I have a lot of it and would like to know if I can use it for that instead
Should I use handkerchief instead of substrate filter?
How do you keep it from getting overrun by by molds or mildew? I was told I needed more direct sunlight and I baked it 🔥 told I was over watering them so I ended up desiccating.. I got a definite Brown thumb, my terrariums get eaten by mold & my mushroom cultures die faster.
springtails will eat it
Is a plastic container a problem? I have this big old bug container from when I was a kid & shape wise it’s solid, but is the material an issue?
Question, is just normal soil okay or is it necessary to get all of the other things
can you use a substrate barrier made of metal mesh? or will it rust and ruin the substrate?
What Type Of Light we Need Please?
Thanks For Sharing.
what other materials can we use instead of orchid bark?
Most bark chips are a suitable replacement:)
Where would be a good place in America too buy the plants?
where did you buy the materials for your substrate?
I used a Fiji water bottle with a very small amount of water in the bottom and added the substrate some black sand and some moss and attempted to add a glass bee but it hit the sand with enough force to bury it and I’m going to fetch the tools for easy removal of the moss and then put the bee back in a visible spot maybe remove some moss as most of it is taking up most of the space and I only made it today
Where do you get your acrylic lids
I get mine from eBay & Amazon, they are usually reasonably priced😃
Hey where can i find/get moss, also is there an alternative for orchid bark and is it essential in the substrate mix.
Also where can i buy these materials in australia like leca i cant find. And where can i get springtails.
I realy struggled finding springtails in australia (mt compass) untill i looked under a wine barrel (cool, dark, moist place) and all you have to do is wait a few seconds to let ur eyes adjust to seeing little white specs on the ground. As for the orchid bark i just use some leaf litter that i have cut up wit scissors
for substrate can i use dirt from the outside?