Terrarium, aquarium, vivarium - what's the difference? (2023)

Most people are familiar with the term aquarium as another word for aquarium. But what is a nursery? And what is a terrarium? To show you the main differences between a terrarium and an aquarium, we have put together this informative article.

In this guide, we explain to youDifferences and similarities between a terrarium vs aquarium vs nursery, and shows you how to incorporate one of these various mini-ecosystems into your home.

Quick Comparison Table

Here you have a comparative table that illustrates the inhabitants of aquariums, terrariums and nurseries in general.

What is a daycare?

AccordingOxford English Dictionary, the term “nursery” is defined as follows:

“An enclosure, container or structure adapted or adapted for keeping animals in semi-natural conditions for observation, study or as pets; an aquarium or terrarium.

Nurseries come in many different forms and are named for the type of habitat they provide and the type of creatures that inhabit the area. These biotopes serve to shelter fish, corals, crustaceans, reptiles, plants and amphibians and each one has its own name.

What is a terrarium?

The term "terrarium" comes from the Latin word "terra", which means "earth". The suffix "arium" applies to any noun that describes an artificially created habitat in which plants or animals are kept. For example, you can see that the word "aquarium" clearly means a habitat that contains water (aqua), so it is used to house aquatic life and plants.

accidental discovery

According to historical records, the first terrarium was accidentally created in 1842 by a renowned botanist.Nathaniel Bagshaw, an English physician.

dr. Bagshaw studied the behavior of insects and stored his samples in glass jars. He left one of the vials unattended, resulting in a random plant spore germinating and growing into a plant. This glass became the world's first terrarium!

terrarium environment

A terrarium is primarily a dry environment with low humidity.contains live plants🇧🇷 Basically, a terrarium is a small greenhouse that reproduces the natural environment and habitat of plants. Terrariums can also be used to keep certain species of animals.

There are two types of terrariums; sealed and open.

sealed terrariums

ONEclosed terrariums can only be used for plants🇧🇷 A sealed glass container is a self-sustaining ecosystem in which living plants, growing medium, air and water work together through the hydrological cycle, photosynthesis and respiration. However, a terrarium has a hinged door that allows for maintenance if necessary.

Please note that only terrestrial plants can be grown in a terrarium.

open terrariums

Terrariums are sometimes used to house small land animals such as lizards and the like. These types of tanks need airflow, so they usually come with a mesh ventilation panel on the top as well as the bottom.

Animal species commonly housed in a terrarium include land snails, land crabs, spiders, ants, lizards, praying mantises, and scorpions.

Can a terrarium be used as an aquarium?

If you're thinking of setting up an aquarium from scratch, be very careful.Don't buy a terrarium by accident🇧🇷 Some terrariums may resemble a traditional glass aquarium or bowl, but are generally made of thinner glass and are not designed to withstand the pressure and weight of water and substrate.

How to care for a terrarium

Terrariums are generally low maintenance, although some attention is needed to keep the plants inside healthy.

Trim away excess growth to prevent the terrarium from becoming overcrowded, and remove any brown and yellow leaves that appear, as this could be a sign of disease or pest infestation. If you have a closed terrarium, you will need to remove the lid from time to time to allow fresh air to circulate.

Mosquitoes or mealybugs can sometimes infest terrariums. You can often solve this problem by using insecticides, avoiding over-watering the plants, and using rocks and pebbles to repel mosquitoes. However, if this strategy fails, it is better to remove the affected plant.

What is an aquarium?

An aquarium is the correct term used to describe a glass, acrylic or plastic container used to house fish, corals, sponges, invertebrates and aquatic plants.

Modern aquariums are equipped with a filtration system to keep the water clean and free of harmful toxins, a heater to keep the water warm for tropical fish, and a lighting unit to encourage the growth of live plants.

Who invented the aquarium?

The first aquariums are believed to have appeared in England in the mid-17th century, where glass bowls were used to house goldfish imported from the East. But it wasn't until nearly a hundred years later that fish farmers understood more about how to maintain a healthy, closed ecosystem of fish and aquatic plants.

The first recognizable glass aquarium was created by a French naturalist in 1832.El poder by Jeanne Villepreux🇧🇷 However, before carefullyaquarium with landscapingLarge display aquariums were created as public access displays to become a common sight in homes. Many major cities around the world followed suit with the Regent's Park Aquarium in London, England, which opened in 1853.

The famous circus owner P.T. Barnum opened America's first show aquarium in 1856 at the American Museum in New York. The floodgates for fish farming were opened and before World War II there were 45 public aquariums in cities around the world.

How to care for an aquarium

even onesmall nano aquariumit requires regular maintenance to keep the environment safe and healthy for the fish and other creatures that live there.

Every week you will need to change up to 25% of the water in the tank and vacuum the aquarium gravel to remove fish droppings, food scraps and general debris. If you have live plants in your facility, they will need to be pruned and tidy to prevent overgrowth. And about once a month, you should rinse the filter media with aquarium water to remove sediment that would otherwise clog the filter.

Differences between terrariums and aquariums

Therefore, there are a number of important differences between terrariums and aquariums:

construction

Terrariums are usually made of glass.aquariumsIt can be made of glass, plastic or acrylic.

Fundamentally, the glass used in aquarium construction is more resistant than the glass used in terrarium construction, as it must withstand the pressure and weight of water, substrate, etc. inside. Consequently, aquariums are generally heavier and less portable than terrariums.

Form

Terrariums can be bowl-shaped, multifaceted, square or rectangular. Aquariums are usually shell-shaped, rectangular, parallelepiped, arched and multi-sided and are usually taller than terrariums.

access

Terrariums are usually open at the front, allowing air to circulate around the plants and access for maintenance. However, some terrariums are closed and those that contain creatures such as spiders, lizards and the like are sealed with mesh inserts to allow air circulation and prevent occupants from escaping.

Aquariums are usually completely enclosed to prevent water evaporation, keep residents safe, and prevent dust and debris from falling into the water.

Waterproof

Since terrariums are not designed to hold water, they are not sealed. Aquariums must be properly sealed and completely waterproof to prevent leaks and breakages.

Other types of nurseries

So you learned that nursery is a collective term used to describe a container in which animals and/or plants are kept for study or as pets. In addition to aquariums and terrariums, there are many other types of aviaries, each with its own name:

Mossary

Mosses are rootless plants that get the water and nutrients they need through their leaves. Moss typically grows in moist, shady, low-light environments.

A mossarium is the name for a self-sufficient mini-ecosystem in which mosses are grown. The environment in the mosaic is kept humid. As the water evaporates, it condenses on the walls of the glass container, forming droplets that are absorbed by the mosses that grow inside.

Ozeanarium

An oceanarium is a saltwater aquarium used to display marine animals and plants. The world's first large public oceanarium was built in 1938 near St. Augustine, Florida.

malaria

A paludarium contains semi-aquatic or aquatic plants and species, usually amphibians, fish or reptiles such as killifish, tree frogs, salamanders, grasshoppers and the like.

banco

A riparian is a planted pond that may contain swamps, streams, and a shoreline for marginal plant growth, including submerged and terrestrial species.

Curious to know how Riparium compares to Paludarium? You mayLearn more about it here.

insectary

As you might have guessed, an insectarium is used to keep insects for study or as pets. For example, many science school labs maintain a simple stick insect insectarium.

anthill

A formicarium is a nursery that houses colonies of ants.

Penguin

You guessed it again! A penguin house is a nursery designed to simulate the natural environment of penguins.

Dolphinarium

A dolphinarium is an aquarium in which dolphins are kept, often as part of an oceanarium complex.

Finally

So now you know that a vivarium is any container used to create a habitat in which animals, insects and plants can be studied. A terrarium is used to accommodate land plant species and some small creatures such as insects,frogs, snails and the like. And an aquarium is a waterproof nursery that contains fish, aquatic life and plants.

Hope you enjoyed our guide and learned a lot! If so, remember to share this article with your friends and share your thoughts in the comment box below.