Making your own terrariums is an extremely interesting and creative process. But at the same time, it can be time consuming and require periodical care, such as repotting, watering and checking humidity levels.
While we give advice on creating and caring for terrariums, we also feel interested to talk about and discuss new automated self sustaining terrarium microclimate. In this post, we will discuss automated terrarium, called biOrbAIR by Reef One like this.
These terrariums require little to no maintenance and offer you an amazing 360-degree view of your microclimate. All the systems in biOrbAIR are automated – misting, watering, air circulation, humidity level checks and lighting (24-hour cycle).
DIY self sustaining terrariums
Let’s start with a self-sustaining terrarium. It is possible to create your own self-sustaining terrarium at home. It is typically a closed terrarium, filled with decorations and slow growing humidity loving plants. Closed terrariums can 
last for a year or two, with little maintenance. Water inside the container will evaporate and water the plants again and again, and the dead leaves (compost) will feed the plants.
But still, there are some problems with closed terrariums. These can be condensation on the sides of the jar, and the need to prune or spray the plants from time to time. You will also need to take care of lightning, sometimes having to introduce fluorescent light fixtures in lack of sunlight.
You will also have to open the terrarium to let the air in and out and change the position of the terrarium to avoid the plant from leaning to one side (for sun).
biOrb self-sustaining automated terrarium
Reef One has created a fully automated self-sustaining terrarium biOrb. There is a big range of biOrb automated aquariums and terrariums, that require almost no care from you. They have created an automated terrarium, which is called biOrbAIR. In biOrbAIR, everything is taken care of – including lighting, watering, air circulation and humidity.
So how does biOrbAIR work? + Advantages of biOrb Air.
All the systems in the biOrbAIR are controlled, and include lighting, watering, air circulation and humidity. Let’s discuss each of them.
Watering the plants
biOrb Air uses the capillary mat that is on the bottom of the orb to water the plants though the capillary action. 
Water that you fill in the base reservoir on the bottom of the orb is drawn to the capillary mat though the holes and then to the plants themselves.
The water that goes through the capillary mat waters the plants potted in the special sterilized coir compost made from renewable coconut peat. The capillary mat is also very strong and durable and is made of polypropylene fibers. This capillary mat will be sitting on a support tray.
All you need to do to maintain the watering process is to fill up the base water reservoir from time to time. You can do this by checking the side tube level indicator too see how much water is left in the base.
Adding water is easy – you will need to pour it slowly inside the base from the outside bottom part. Even though tap water is fine for watering plants, it can contain metals and dissolved minerals.
Long-term watering with tap water can cause harm to your plants. Same goes with mineral water, which is a must-avoid for carnivorous plants. Rainwater, distilled or water made by reverse osmosis filter is much better.
Water should last for quite a long time and will depend on number of plants inside. The average time for topping up the water reservoir should be 4 to 8 weeks. Watering is also automated, and the biOrb will sense when the watering is required, so no actions are required from your side. Smart watering also helps prevent rotting of the plant roots.
This is the great advantage – you will be able to leave the ecosystem for a long period of time without supervision. You are also less likely to overwater or underwater your plants – as sometimes it can be hard to tell when to water your plants.
Lighting and heating in the microclimate
biOrb Air takes care of lighting – there is a 6 LED light array on top of the globe. This means that you won’t need to 
think about placing the terrarium on a sunny windowsill for sunlight. The light is also installed in a way to provide light source evenly to all sides of a terrarium. This is the advantage – you will not need to turn the terrarium regularly so that all the plants get some sun for even growth.
Automated light that works all day will stimulate sunrise, daylight, sunset and night. This means that the lights are starting on lower brightness (for sunrise), then it increases for full daylight and decreases again for sunset and turns off for the night.
But even though it is automated, you can reset the cycle by holding the lever on the top lid for few seconds if you wish.
Heating is not necessary in this terrarium, as the conditions will recreate the tropical forest. But if you really require it, you can add a heating cable inside the bottom portal.
Misting and humidity levels in the biOrb Air
The humidity in the biOrbAIR terrarium is set to be 75% RH. Humidity levels are automatically measured, and you don’t need to worry about it.
If for any reason the humidity levels drop below 75% RH (due to dry air etc.), the automated ultrasonic misting unit on the top lid (in misting reservoir) will emit a swirling water vapor. Even though the misting unit is automated, you can touch the button on the back of the top lid to emit more vapor if you wish.
You will have to top up the ultrasonic misting unit with the special solution called HumidiMist. You will get two 500ml bottles when you purchase your biOrb.
There is also an option to purchase it separately when your bottles finish. You will need HumidiMist to top up the misting reservoir only. One topping up will last for about three weeks to a month.
You are probably asking, ‘can I just use tap or mineral water instead of HumidiMist?’. This would not be a good idea, as HumidiMist is a special remineralized water that has low amounts of minerals for low conductivity and clarity.
Normal tap or bottled water will not create a mist as they are high in minerals and electrolytes, while distilled water – too low in them. You can try using reverse osmosis filter water, which is quite low in minerals. But, overall, getting a HumidiMist once in a while is not too expensive and will work the best for your terrarium.
Air circulation in biOrbAIR
If you are thinking about air circulation in this terrarium, then this has been planned too. There is a fan inside the biOrb, which circulates the air inside the globe. This prevents condensation inside the terrarium and creates fresh air. The replaceable carbon filter helps to circulate and recycle the air inside the terrarium. While the fan makes a little bit of noise, it is convenient and doesn’t cause any disturbance.
And now, some more questions…
How big is biOrbAir?
biOrbAir is very large. The biOrbAIR terrarium is 16 gallons (60 liters) and around 55 cm wide.
Which material is biOrbAIR made of?
biOrbAIR is made of durable acrylic that provides the terrarium with extra clear glass for a 360-degree view. It is also strong (much stronger than glass) to prevent breakage.
Which plants and creatures should I use for my biOrbAIR?
You can use various plants for your biOrbAIR. Try picking slow growing, miniature and humidity loving plants. This way you will be to keep them there for few years without them overgrowing, blocking other plants and ruining the design.
You will also be able to place different ornaments inside the terrarium, like rocks, mini branches and figurines. You can even create a habitat for colorful poison dart frogs or fruit beetles! These can also be other small creatures, which inhabit rain forests in the wild.
Plants that you can choose for the terrarium are miniature orchids, carnivorous plants, mosses, ferns, fittonia, starfish plant, air plants, miniature begonias and many more. Don’t choose cactuses (cacti) for the biOrbAIR, as they don’t like humidity and will start rotting inside the closed terrarium.
How long will the plants last inside the biOrbAIR?
If you keep the track of filling the water and misting reservoirs and pick the right plants, your landscape can live for 3-5 or even more years.
How to set up the biOrbAIR?
Setting up your biOrbAIR is not too hard – you will need to take a support tray and wear a capillary mat on top of it. Then, you will have to place it on the base of the orb and prepare cork soil by rehydrating it in the water.
After that, you will have to start placing your plants and decorating the terrarium with ornaments. The next important step is to water the plants and fill up the water and mister reservoirs. Then, you will have to connect the biOrbAIR to power and start the lighting and misting cycles.
You can see a full video on setting up a biOrbAIR below:
https://youtu.be/vtJ8y8QKl1s
What are the disadvantages of the biOrbAIR?
There are definitely more advantages to this product than disadvantages. But some of the cons include:
- The need to top up the ultrasonic mister with the specific product – however not too often.
- The fan inside the terrarium can be a bit noisy. Newer models have a fan that is not louder than a laptop fan – which is fairly quiet. You will get used to it in some time. Mister doesn’t make much noise at all – just few flipping sounds when mister activates.
- You will need to replace the carbon air filter every 5-6 months. You can purchase new ones from the company or replace it yourself with new carbon sponges.
To sum up, biOrbAIR is an amazing addition to your house. You get to choose the plants and design the landscape in the terrarium, as well as enjoy its views through the clear glass for months and years to come! It can also make an amazing gift.
With automated care systems, you will be able to leave it any place, like a dark living room or even basement for weeks without any care. biOrb terrariums currently come in white or grey color like this.