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44-455: A vivarium may be small enough to sit on a desk or table, such as a terrarium or an aquarium , or may be a very large structure, possibly outdoors. Large vivaria, particularly those holding organisms capable of flight, typically include some sort of a dual-door mechanism such as a sally port for entry and exit, so that the outer door can be closed to prevent escape before the inner door is opened. Some vivaria can be subcategorized according to

88-415: A dish garden . A terrarium, even open, allows for increased humidity compared to the environment outside the structure, whereas a dish garden does not provide additional humidity. Due to the transparent walls of terraria causing magnification of the sun's rays, terraria cannot be placed in direct sunlight because the intense light will cause foliage to burn. A dish garden can tolerate direct sun, as long as it

132-433: A combination of these. The choice of the substrate depends on the needs of the plants or of the animals, moisture, the risks involved and aesthetic aspects. Sterile vivariums, sometimes used to ensure high levels of hygiene (especially during quarantine periods), generally have very straightforward, easily removable substrates such as paper tissue, wood chips and even newspaper. Typically, a low-nutrient, high-drainage substrate

176-424: A frontal opening is preferable because accessing a vivarium from the top is associated by some species with the presence of predators and can therefore cause unnecessary stress. Ventilation is not just important for circulating air, but also for preventing the growth of mold and development and spread of harmful bacteria. This is especially important in warm, humid vivariums. The traditional method consists of placing

220-415: A lid, door, or cork; open terraria have access to fresh air, most commonly by leaving the container open or through a hole drilled into the container. Tropical plant varieties, such as moss , orchids , ferns , and air plants are generally kept within closed terraria to replicate their native humid, sheltered environment in the tropics. Keeping the terrarium sealed allows for circulation of water, making

264-404: A paludarium may house animals such as shallow-water fish and treefrogs. The land area of a paludarium is absent or insignificant, but the term paludarium is often misused to refer to a riparium. A riparium ( ripa = bank or shore ) is a semi-aquatic enclosure with a land area beside a water area. Though often used for semi-aquatic animals such as newts or turtles that alternate between time in

308-432: A plywood vivarium helps to retain the natural effect of the environment. Epoxy-coated plywood vivariums retain heat better than glass or plastic enclosures and are able to withstand high degrees of humidity. They may be cubical, spherical, cuboidal, or other shapes. The choice of materials depends on the desired size and weight of the entire ensemble, resistance to high humidity, the cost and the desired quality. The floor of

352-402: A suction fan (or ventilation slits) at a low level and another exhaust fan at a higher level, which allows the continual circulation of fresh air. Terrarium A terrarium ( pl. terraria or terrariums ) is a glass container containing soil and plants in an environment different from the surroundings. It is usually a sealable container that can be opened for maintenance or to access

396-413: A terrarium. Also, certain plants or diurnal animals need a source of UV to help synthesize Vitamin D and assimilate calcium. Such UV can be provided by specialized fluorescent tubes or daylight bulbs, which recreate the reptiles' natural environment and emit a more natural sunlight effect compared to the blue glow of a fluorescent tube. A day/night regulator might be needed to simulate with accuracy

440-474: A thermostat: heating lamps or infrared lamps, hot plates and heat mats, providing heat at the base or sides of a terrarium, heating cords or heat mats placed beneath the substrate , heat rocks , or more complex equipment generating or producing hot air to the inside of the vivarium. Similar to lighting, a decrease in temperature might be needed for the simulated night periods, thus keeping living species healthy. Such variation need to be coherent to those found in

484-488: A vivarium must have sufficient surface area for the species living inside. The height can also be important for the larger plants, climbing plants, or for tree climbing animal species. The width must be great enough to create the sensation of depth, both for the pleasure of the spectator and the good of the species inside. The most commonly used substrates are common soil, small pebbles, sand, peat, chips of various trees, wood mulch, vegetable fibres (of coconut, for example), or

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528-629: A walkway spirals up through the center of two gigantic cylindrical tanks, the Atlantic Coral Reef and the Shark Alley, which display sharks, sawfish, and other sea creatures. Since then, many new aquariums have sought even greater realism, often concentrating on local environments. Monterey Bay Aquarium in California, which opened in 1984, is an example . The Afrykarium is the only themed oceanarium devoted solely to exhibiting

572-537: Is a pond used for keeping American koi or Japanese nishikigoi . An aviary ( avis = bird) is a large enclosure for birds or other flying, gliding or swinging arboreal animals such as butterflies, bats, flying squirrels or primates. An aviary accommodates the birds' in-flight turning radius, whereas a flight cage restricts the bird to linear flight. Planted aviaries often have a very high ratio of plants to birds as many bird species will completely defoliate sparse plantings. A nocturnal house ( nocturnus = night (adj.))

616-514: Is a room of a house or of another building, with a glazed roof and wall(s) that combines growing space for plants with a sitting room or dining area for people. Some conservatories also house animals such as koi, tortoises or free-flying birds. An arboretum ( arbor = tree) is a greenhouse, conservatory or outdoor place where many varieties of trees or shrubs are grown. Some animal vivaria are not well-described by their name as related animal species can require vastly different habitats: A vivarium

660-464: Is a terrarium or a section of a terrarium where soil, other firm substrate or a tree cookie (cross-section or disc) is enclosed in a narrow space between two sheets of glass or two nested jars, for observation of fossorial or woodboring animals such as earthworms, ants or termites. A glirarium ( glires = dormice; plural of glis ) is an enclosure for housing trapped edible dormice as they fatten in preparation for hibernation. A semi-aquatic vivarium

704-423: Is a vivarium if it is sealed from other waterbodies and managed such as by filtration, aeration or additions of animals or plants. A water garden is an ornamental pond and its shore that features plants growing in and around the water, but may also house animals such as goldfish, turtles or mandarin ducks . A fish pond is a controlled pond, artificial lake, or reservoir that is stocked with fish. A koi pond

748-454: Is a windowless building or room for housing nocturnal or crepuscular animals , or nyctinastic plants . Artificial lighting is staggered to the local natural daylight so that the inhabitants experience a natural 24-hour cycle, but their activity is scheduled at a time that is convenient for observers. A greenhouse is an enclosure for plants with a glazed roof and wall(s) that allow the plants to make use of natural sunlight. A conservatory

792-450: Is an enclosure for species that live partially submerged or alternate between immersion in water and air. Examples include: A paludarium ( palus = marsh or swamp ) is a semi-aquatic enclosure with aerial space above and water below, designed to house semi-aquatic plants that are rooted underwater but whose crowns reach above the surface of the water, or animals that do the same such as the mata mata . In addition to semi-aquatic plants,

836-428: Is glazed to allow viewing of the aquatic habitat from the side as though viewing from underwater. Aquaria are further subcategorized by temperature (cold water, tropical) and salinity (freshwater, brackish, marine). A Dutch aquarium (origin = Netherlands) is an underwater garden that features plants, with minimal visible hardscaping and few fish. It is terraced or the back-wall is lined in moss to prevent view through

880-399: Is placed on top of a false bottom or layer of expanded clay aggregate or stones, which retains humidity without saturating the substrate surface. A lighting system is necessary, always adapted to the requirements of the animal and plant species. For example, certain reptiles in their natural environment need to heat themselves by the sun, so various bulbs may be necessary to simulate this in

924-415: Is planted with full sun-tolerant plants. Succulents and cacti are better suited for a dish garden than a terrarium because dish gardens allow succulents and cacti to be placed in the full sun they require without burning. Read more on How long do terrariums last? Oceanarium An oceanarium can be either a marine mammal park , such as Marineland of Canada , or a large-scale aquarium , such as

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968-405: Is usually made from clear container (often plastic or glass). Unless it is an aquarium, it does not need to withstand the pressure of water, so it can also be made out of wood or metal, with at least one transparent side. Modern vivariums can be as simple as a bottle (see bottle garden ) and are sometimes constructed from epoxy-coated plywood and fitted with sliding glass doors. Coating the inside of

1012-725: The Lisbon Oceanarium , presenting an ocean habitat with marine animals, especially large ocean dwellers such as sharks . Marineland of Florida , one of the first theme parks in Florida , United States, started in 1938, claims to be "the world's first oceanarium" Marineland of Florida was developed as Marine Studios near St. Augustine in Marineland, Florida , which was followed in Florida by Miami Seaquarium , opened in 1955 and in California by Marineland of

1056-628: The New York Stock Exchange ) in 1976. They purchased Marineland of the Pacific in 1986 and closed the park . They had opened SeaWorld San Antonio in 1988. In 1989 they sold SeaWorld (San Diego, Aurora, Orlando, San Antonio) to Anheuser-Busch , the world's largest brewer and owner of the Busch Gardens Safari Parks, for US$ 1.1 billion. In 2001, Anheuser-Busch sold SeaWorld Ohio to Six Flags , which combined

1100-462: The Pacific , opened in 1954 near Los Angeles , and Marine World, Africa USA , opened in 1968 near San Francisco . SeaWorld San Diego was opened in 1964, developed by four fraternity brothers Milt Shedd, Ken Norris, David DeMott and George Millay. SeaWorld Aurora opened in 1970 near Cleveland , Ohio . SeaWorld Orlando was opened in 1973. SeaWorld (San Diego, Aurora, Orlando) was sold to Harcourt Brace Jovanovich (a publishing company listed on

1144-873: The Singapore park was surpassed by the Chimelong Ocean Kingdom in China, the current record holder, with a total water volume of 48,750 m (12,880,000 US gal). Modern marine aquariums try to create natural environments. A host of marine animals swim together in the four-story cylindrical tank of the New England Aquarium in Boston , which opened in 1969. At the National Aquarium in Baltimore , which opened in 1981,

1188-404: The alternation of light and dark periods. The duration of the simulated day and night depends on the conditions in the natural habitat of the species and the season desired. The temperature can be a very important parameter for species that cannot adapt to other conditions than those found in their natural habitat. Heating can be provided by several means, all of which are usually controlled by

1232-420: The ambient environment. Terraria are further subcategorized by biome (tropical/temperate desert, rainforest, grassland, etc.). A terrarium may feature a horizontal land surface, an escarpment (steep slope or cliff), or a fossorial (underground) section. A Wardian case is a 19th-century sealed terrarium used for transport or display of plants or small animals such as moths under conditions where ventilation

1276-632: The habitat or lifeforms enclosed within. A vivarium that contains multiple components may be named according to its primary component, or simply called a vivarium. Each subcategory can refer to either an individual enclosure, or a facility that encompasses numerous like enclosures. An aquarium ( aqua = water) is a water-filled enclosure housing aquatic plants and/or animals such as fish. A bioactive aquarium would additionally house micro-organisms such as beneficial bacteria, and janitor animal species such as caridean shrimp , boxer shrimp , algae-eating snails and burrowing snails. At least one side of an aquarium

1320-604: The jar grew and germinated into a plant, becoming the first known terrarium. The trend quickly spread in the Victorian Era amongst the English. Instead of the terrarium, it was known as the Wardian case . Ward hired carpenters to build his Wardian cases to export native British plants to Sydney , Australia. After months of travel, the plants arrived well and thriving. Likewise, plants from Australia sent to London using

1364-528: The moist environment of closed terraria; open terraria are better suited for plants preferring less humidity and soil moisture, such as temperate plants and plants adapted to dry climates. Open terraria also work well for plants requiring more (but not direct) sunlight, as closed terraria can trap excess heat, potentially killing the plants inside. While open terraria require more watering than closed terraria, they have reduced risk of disease due to their lower humidity. An open terrarium should not be confused with

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1408-458: The natural habitats of the species. Thermo-control systems are often used to regulate light cycles and heating, as well as humidity (coupled to built-in misting or rain systems). Light-dependent resistors or photo-diodes connected to the lighting are frequently used to simulate daytime, evening and nighttime light cycles, as well as timers to switch lighting and heating on and off when necessary. Many plants and animals have quite limited tolerance to

1452-590: The park with the neighboring Geauga Lake to form Six Flags Worlds of Adventure. The animal aquatics portion of the park closed prior to 2004 when Six Flags sold the park to Cedar Fair . When a new 170,000-square-foot exhibit at the Shedd Aquarium in Chicago opened on April 27, 1991, it debuted as the largest indoor marine mammal facility in the world. The position as world's largest oceanarium has since shifted repeatedly in recent years. From 2005 to 2012 it

1496-418: The plants inside; however, terraria can also be open to the atmosphere. Terraria are often kept as ornamental items. A closed terrarium's transparent walls allow heat and light to enter, creating a very favorable environment for plant growth. Heat entering the sealed container allows the creation of a small water cycle due to evaporating moisture from the soil and plants. The water vapor then condenses onto

1540-452: The rear of the aquarium. A terrarium ( terra = land) is an enclosure for a land habitat for animals, plants, fungi, lichens or any combination thereof. A bioactive terrarium would additionally house soil microorganisms and janitor animal species such as springtails and terrestrial isopods . It is distinct from a pot plant or animal cage by being enclosed to an extent to permit maintenance of temperature and humidity levels different from

1584-551: The same method were received by Ward in pristine condition. His experiment indicated plants can be sealed, without ventilation, and continue thriving. Wardian cases were used for many decades by Kew Gardens to ship plants around the British Empire and were also used during European colonization of Africa to bring African goods, like spices and coffee, back to Europe. Terraria are typically classified into two categories: closed and open. Closed terraria are sealed shut with

1628-454: The terrarium requires water; watering is primarily done using a spray bottle . Closed terraria benefit from specific soil mixes to ensure ideal growing conditions and reduce risk of microbial damage; a common medium used is peat-lite: a mixture of peat moss , vermiculite , and perlite . The mixture should be sterile to minimize risk of introducing potentially harmful microbes to the terrarium. Not all plants require or are suited to

1672-419: The terrarium self-sufficient. The terrarium may be opened once a week, allowing evaporation of excess moisture from the air and walls of the container, to prevent growth of mold or algae , which may damage plants and discolor the sides of the terrarium. Springtails may be used to consume mold or fungi within the terrarium. Any wilting plants or absence of condensation on the walls of the terrarium indicates

1716-418: The variation of moisture. The regulation of humidity can be done by several means: regular water pulverization, water evaporation inside (from a basin, or circulation of water), or automated pulverization systems and humidifiers. Access inside the vivarium is required for the purpose of maintenance, to take care of the plants and animals, or for the addition and withdrawal of food. In the case of some animals,

1760-452: The walls of the container, eventually falling back onto the plants and soil below. Light passing through the transparent walls allows photosynthesis . Open terraria are not sealed and are better suited to plants requiring a more arid environment. The first terrarium was developed by botanist Nathaniel Bagshaw Ward in 1842. Ward had an interest in observing insect behaviour and accidentally left one of his jars unattended. A fern spore in

1804-412: The water and on land, a riparium can simply be an aquarium-terrarium combination set together for visual effect or to use the water area as means to help increase the humidity for terrestrial species. An oceanarium is a semi-aquatic marine (saltwater) habitat, with aerial space above the water for animals such as dolphins which emerge wholly or partially above the ocean surface, and/or a land area beside

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1848-418: The water to accommodate semi-aquatic species such as seals or penguins that emerge from the water to rest on land. An oceanarium can also house fully aquatic marine animals such as sharks and rays where the aerial space above the tank is designed only to accommodate the observer. A dolphinarium is an oceanarium for dolphins, a penguinarium is an oceanarium for penguins. A natural, excavated or elevated pond

1892-480: Was more harmful than beneficial such as where ambient conditions were too saline, dry or polluted to support delicate species. A bottle garden is a small sealed glazed terrarium, an actual glass bottle or otherwise, in which all water and nutrients that will be required for future growth of the plant(s) and soil microorganisms are sealed into the vessel at the time of planting, the only required care being management of light and temperature. A sandwich-style terrarium

1936-629: Was the Georgia Aquarium in the United States with an initial total water volume of 32,000 m (8,500,000 US gal), later it expanded to 38,000 m (10,000,000 US gal), and home to 100–120,000 animals of 700 species. In 2012 it was surpassed by Marine Life Park in Singapore with a total water volume of 45,000 m (12,000,000 US gal) and over 100,000 animals of more than 800 species. In 2014,

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