Vivarium
A vivarium is an area, usually enclosed, for keeping and raising animals or plants for observation or research. Water-based vivaria may have open tops providing they are not connected to other water bodies. An animal enclosure is considered a vivarium only if it provides quality of life through naturalistic components such as ample living space and natural decor that allow and encourage natural behaviours. Often, a portion of the ecosystem for a particular species is simulated on a smaller scale, with controls for environmental conditions such as temperature, humidity and light.
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.
Types of vivarium
Some vivaria can be subcategorized according to 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.Aquarium
An aquarium 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 is glazed to allow viewing of the aquatic habitat from the side as though viewing from underwater. Aquaria are further subcategorized by temperature and salinity.A Dutch aquarium 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 the rear of the aquarium.
Terrarium
A terrarium 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 the ambient environment. Terraria are further subcategorized by biome. A terrarium may feature a horizontal land surface, an escarpment, or a fossorial 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 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 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 is a terrarium or a section of a terrarium where soil, other firm substrate or a tree cookie 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 is an enclosure for housing trapped edible dormice as they fatten in preparation for hibernation.
Semi-aquatic vivarium
A semi-aquatic vivarium is an enclosure for species that live partially submerged or alternate between immersion in water and air. Examples include:A paludarium 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, 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 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 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 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 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.
Pond
A natural, excavated or elevated pond 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 is a pond used for keeping American koi or Japanese nishikigoi.
Aviary
An aviary 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.Other
A nocturnal house 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 that allow the plants to make use of natural sunlight.
A conservatory is a room of a house or of another building, with a glazed roof and wall 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 is a greenhouse, conservatory or outdoor place where many varieties of trees or shrubs are grown.
A desertarium is an enclosure for housing plants and animals native to arid and low-humidity environments like with cacti, succulents, and specific reptiles.
Some animal vivaria are not well-described by their name as related animal species can require vastly different habitats:
- A herpetarium is an enclosure housing amphibians or reptiles. A serpentarium is a herpetarium for snakes.
- An insectarium is an enclosure for housing insects. When used to refer to a facility, it often refers to a facility that houses both insects and other invertebrates. A formicarium or ant farm is an enclosure housing ants.
Size and materials
The floor of 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, or 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, generally have very straightforward, easily removable substrates such as paper tissue, wood chips and even newspaper. Typically, a low-nutrient, high-drainage substrate is placed on top of a false bottom or layer of expanded clay aggregate or stones, which retains humidity without saturating the substrate surface.
Environmental controls
Lighting
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 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 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.