# Net Pots for Vivarium



## Aurust (Mar 4, 2017)

I've read about people using net pots in foam to plant the background of a vivarium. What is the consensus on this? Do they work well? I was wondering about waterproofing the inside/foam or allowing drainage. What size is common for these?


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## traelan (Feb 22, 2017)

A small drainage hole will be a good thing, that way the plants in the pots won't get overly wet.


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## Aurust (Mar 4, 2017)

I was thinking a hole was a must, otherwise roots would rot. Is there a good way to go about this with the pots being so far into the foam?


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## dmb5245 (Feb 7, 2014)

Aurust said:


> I was thinking a hole was a must, otherwise roots would rot. Is there a good way to go about this with the pots being so far into the foam?


I poked a couple long holes with a kabob skewer if I remember right. I also put in some gravel for a mini drainage layer.


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## jgragg (Nov 23, 2009)

Drainage is a must unless you're using plants (e.g. Pothos) that can grow in nothing but water. Even those plants tend to be happier with lots of air in their substrate (if using water, you could add an airstone - I have done this and it works well too).

In my backgrounds I often use a mix of polyurethane and polystyrene foams (recycled packaging and/or blue or pink board, plus Great Stuff) so I try very hard to keep my foam encapsulated and dry. To do that, I use either multiple layers of drylok, or more often, a thin layer or two of sculpting epoxy). A "back and sides" planter solution I have used a number of times now, is combining a waterproof container with a length of rigid or flexible tubing, for drainage. 

The planter container can be anything - usually I just go to my recycling bin and grab a plastic water bottle, butter tub, milk jug, whatever shape and size I need. (These are all food-grade so I figure they're reasonably animal-safe. I'm doing snakes though, not amphibians.) I cut that container down to the height I need - often it's at an angle, sometimes an acute one. Drill or saw a hole in the bottom that will barely accept your tubing. Push the tubing in, at whatever angle is required to have the other (bottom) end of the tubing come out flush with your background. Push the tubing far enough into the planter so that there will always be a little standing water in the bottom of the planter. Seal the joint - maintaining that angle - with your favorite nontoxic adhesive. I still like epoxy - for this application, a putty is best. A gel cyanoacrylate could also serve well - whatever you use, make sure it'll work well with the material of your container (HDPE or whatever). 

Just foam the planter/tubing assembly into your background, "as usual". And cover your foam, again, "as usual".

Personally, I use a wicking lightweight mineral substrate like LECA, pumice, or Growstones in the planter. The little bit of standing water in the bottom ensures the medium is always humid; the tubing and the well-drained substrate ensures I don't drown or root-rot my plants. A coarse organic substrate would serve well here too - but in that case I'd shorten the length of tubing sticking up into my planter, so there's little or even no standing water in the planter bottom. Organics in water get to stinking...

The end result is happy plants in your background and ephemeral "springs" beneath them. My "springs" just drain into either 1) my substrate or 2) a terminal planter with no drainage, and either way help keep the atmospheric humidity at a nice level.

You follow me? Sorry, I don't take many pictures and I don't really do drawings either.

good luck


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