Build upwards without taking over your shelf with the ProRep Mini Terrarium 20x20x30cm. This tall, narrow glass enclosure offers a 20cm square footprint and extra height for a small fern, upright foliage or a light arrangement of planted wood. It is a useful shape when you would rather create a vertical scene than spread a collection across a wide surface.

Make the height part of the design

A slender piece of cork bark placed towards the back could provide the main line of the display. Keep the foreground low, allowing the eye to travel from the growing surface towards the upper leaves. An open space alongside the bark can be just as valuable as another plant, both visually and when it is time to maintain the setup.

The 30cm overall height provides more room above the same footprint than the shorter 20cm cube. It is still a miniature enclosure, not a tall growing cabinet. Allow for the depth of roots, growing medium and decoration when assessing how much space a mature plant will actually have.

Choose small plants with an upright habit

A genuinely compact tropical fern could create the main foliage layer, with a restrained patch of suitable moss below. Check the fern's eventual frond length and spread before buying: many ferns sold as small starter plants become much too large. Choose a plant that fits the space rather than relying on repeated severe cutting back.

Alternatively, consider a small epiphytic plant grown on an appropriate mount. Epiphytes naturally grow attached to other plants rather than rooted in ordinary ground soil. Their needs vary, so choose one whose light, moisture and temperature requirements match your setup. Mounting a plant higher up does not remove the need for regular watering and inspection.

Top access and ventilated construction

The tempered glass sides keep the vertical arrangement in view, and the sliding mesh lid opens from above for planting and care. Position bark and leaves so that you can still reach the lower section with suitable tools. Fixed decoration should not force you to dismantle the display just to remove a fallen frond.

Raised feet provide an air gap underneath the base. Ventilation within the enclosure comes through the mesh top; the feet do not aerate the growing medium. Moisture loss and humidity will depend on the planting and surrounding room, rather than being controlled automatically.

Balance light, water and usable space

Plan the lighting before filling the terrarium. Upper foliage can shade the plants below, so keep the design open enough for the lower planting to receive suitable light. Use a separately chosen grow light where necessary, installed according to its guidance, and avoid placing the glass in strong direct sun.

Rooted plants need an appropriate growing medium and controlled watering. Check mounted plants separately because their roots may dry differently from compost at the base. Remove decaying material and keep foliage clear of the lid's movement.

Choose planting materials and any equipment separately. This model makes a compact plant-only display; any animal use must be assessed against the particular species' adult size, behaviour and care needs.

Dimensions: 20cm wide x 20cm deep x 30cm high (200x200x300mm).
Product code: TPM223.