Running Waterfalls in a Jar (Moss Terrarium)

[Music] yo what's going on surprise squad tanner here and i'm back with another terrarium build this is a build i've wanted to make for years now last time i tried it was back in january of 2020. long story short it didn't work out the logistics behind this are a little convoluted so took a while to devise a proper solution that begs the question is it possible to put a waterfall inside of a terrarium of course it is and here's how i made it happen it all began with this plastic tray i selected this one because it has a good footprint without being excessively large it's also the perfect size to accommodate this latch top jar the only thing is that it looks terrible for a display piece so i made some measurements that i'll use to create a wooden facade for it i got some plywood and ripped it down on the table saw to the appropriate height [Music] i measured for the width and repeated the process i'll use wood glue to combine the pieces together i applied it to the edges then i lined up the corners and locked them together with a nail gun i checked to ensure it fit over the tray before continuing [Music] allied corner pieces along the edges for a more official look i glued and clamped them down while the glue dried after that i attached trim boards to the top to finalize the look again i applied glue and locked in the corners with the nail gun [Music] i filled the indentations with wood putty and let it dry [Music] then i sanded it down for consistency at this point it was looking good i checked again to make sure the pieces fit [Music] i like the design but it'll look even better with some stain i applied it to the wood with an old rag i let it dry overnight i went back and applied a few coats of polyurethane while that dries we'll take care of the jar the way this will work in theory is simple i'll put a mini pump down on the base of the tray i'll situate the jar at an angle above it like so things would work best if the pump's tube could go through the container so i'll add a few holes i marked for one near the top of the container [Music] i built a dam around it to create a reservoir for water this will keep the diamond tip tool saw from overheating drilled through without any issues now we have a place for water to enter the container but we need an exit point as well i repeated the previous process for another hole on the bottom [Music] i rinsed it off to remove debris [Music] here's the end result now i need to create a support system to hold up the jar i made a few measurements to see what looks good i cut out pieces of scrap glass based on these i went with one quarter inch thick pieces for stability [Music] i sanded them to remove the sharp edges then i did a dry fit to check for placement i went back and secured the pieces together with silicon i applied it to the edges of the middle piece and pressed them together i evened it out and let it dry overnight i checked for placement on the jar using tape rolls to prop up the end it worked but i had to clamp them together before locking it in i applied silicone along the top and situated the jar i left it to dry once more let's see how the pieces look [Music] i put the pump in the tray as well to get an idea of how much room to account for i marked for the support structure on the bottom then i applied silicone to the bottom of the support [Music] i used the end of the sharpie to smooth out the silicone [Music] i let it dry overnight i removed the lid from the container to make the next steps easier [Music] i went through a few ideas but i think the best solution is with expanded pvc board it's cheap and easy to work with anyway i started by cutting out a few pieces of various sizes [Music] [Music] i secured them together with super glue gel i applied it along the edges [Music] then i put the pieces together to create a rectangular shape that will act as an overflow compartment i cut out a section on the front piece for a spillway i placed this first box on a piece of graphing paper i created a template for the second shelf i used this to cut out a piece of pvc board i glued pieces to the sides like before around the back the front is a little different though this time i secured the drop down directly to the front once i finished that i made another template for the third and final compartment here you can get an idea of how the pieces go together looks good to me but i need to waterproof the seams i applied silicone to them accordingly after the silicone cured i gave it a test run i was pleased to see the water flow so well this will be used to create a foundation for the waterfalls to make a better aesthetic i'll use super glue gel to cover the pvc with limestone sand gravel and stones i began with large stones i secured these to the areas where the water starts to flow so at the top of the first compartment and in front of the openings of each spillway these will frame in the water creating a proper waterfall effect i thought it would look cool to integrate drifthold as well i used twigs and scraps of manzanita wood for this one i situated them in areas where they weave into the stones and make a seamless look i wanted them to appear like they've been a part of the waterfall for ages i attached a small piece near one of the spillways as well i continued onward painstakingly fitting pieces together [Music] i also sprinkled sand over the glue to conceal the smaller cracks it was mostly done at this point but there's a gap behind the rocks in the top compartment left as is this would cause the water to flow behind the structure instead of spilling over i filled it in with hot glue to ensure the water flows properly here's a closer look [Music] i had to make this in pieces because the container's opening is small this way i can retain the scale by reassembling it all inside of the jar i also only had to cover parts of it with stone because the rest will be concealed by plants before then i checked the fit unfortunately there was a bit of an oversight and the middle section was too large now to address the problem i simply cut off the front corner then i glued a new piece to the front and sealed it up with silicone like before after some modification it fit well [Music] before we can install the falls i have to adjust that overflow hole from earlier water needs to flow through while everything else stays in the system a filter sponge seemed like the best solution now i can build up a foundation i guess you could call it a false bottom but it won't quite serve the same function as usual this layer of sand is basically just being used to create a beach area of sorts with that in place i added the waterfall compartments the second layer would be top heavy as is so i added a block of foam behind it [Music] with those in place i did another water test i'll have to adjust the flow later on but it looked pretty good to me to keep it all secure i'll use expanding foam i sprayed it behind the middle of the structure then i let it set up for the remaining steps i started by evening out the sandy beach [Music] i also added sand to the bottom of the compartments to cover the pvc i placed a few small stones as well [Music] to build up the land i'll primarily use dam sphagnum moss i started in the back and built up a substantial layer this made it really easy to hide the sides of the pvc structure i repeated the process in the front [Music] from there i worked larger stones into the back of the scape in doing so i followed the details of the other pieces i added a larger branch as well let's get it planted i'll go exclusively with moss on this one i have fern moss haircap moss and hypnomoss i used various tools to place the moss throughout the escape i mixed them together as i did to create textural contrast i added more stones as well [Music] i also got some thread moss to add more texture i placed it near the edge of the polling area [Music] i put a few patches down on the beach as well as i added things in the front i had to include more sphagnum moss to build up the topography i finished it off with more branches moss and rocks until the terrarium was full [Music] let's finish up the details on the outside the first thing to address is the pump tray i traced its outline onto a block of filter phone i cut out the center and a slit on the side for the cord this was an easy way to create a barrier around the pump to keep debris out i put a little piece over the top as well i filled the remainder of the tray with lika this will fill in the space provide surface area for beneficial bacteria and act as a great growing medium for moss since they wick water i decided to add a few stones in the tray as well i wanted them to look like an extension of the escape they also give the illusion that they're holding up the jar which is pretty neat i topped off the lika with sphagnum moss to create a barrier for more moss [Music] i covered it up with java moss it will take a little while to look its best but long term it will look much better than it does now the pump's tube is composed of an air line inserted into a larger vinyl tube i taped the two together i also sealed off the gap in the back with duct seal putty from there i reinstalled the lid [Music] the last thing i did was add springtails as always these will help keep the system clean and mold free [Music] [Music] [Laughter] [Music] introducing the waterfall terrarium it was a challenging project to pull off but i'm really pleased with the result i wanted it to look like large falls on a densely planted hillside i went exclusively with moss to help retain that sense of scale i also really like how the outside of the piece blends with the inside the only thing about it is that the wooden trim causes a reflection i covered it up for this footage i want to know though what do you think of the finished piece let me know down in the comments also be sure to leave the video with the thumbs up and subscribe if you haven't already to help support the channel that's all for now as always i hope you all enjoyed the video and learned something new until next time surprise squad take care and peace [Music] you

Channel: SerpaDesign

Views: 172,266

Rating: 4.9768229 out of 5

Keywords: terrarium, waterfall, waterfalls, bottle garden, mossarium, closed terrarium, sealed terrarium, mountain, nature art, moss, mossy

Id: x4AdOSY1XFk

Length: 16min 55sec (1015 seconds)

Published: Sat Sep 18 2021