Carnivorous plant question

[Rhea’s mum]

So we have come to the point the soil gnats are out of control and now venturing outside the room.

I have ordered a load of carnivorous plants to place around the house and I know that they need nutrient poor water. We are going to rig something up to put outside to catch rain water but I was wondering if the water collected from the drainage out of the Viv would be suitable as well?

I currently water the teeny tiny sundew I have with the water collected in the dehumidifier which manages to keep it moist and seems to be keeping it alive but there is only enough water out of that for the one small plant.

I am really struggling to find anywhere that sells distilled water or RO water in the UK.

 

[jamest0o0]

Drainage water will be loaded with minerals. You'll want distilled or ro water. I use dehumidifier water for mine. You can get distilled anywhere. Target, whole foods, grocery stores, etc

 

[nightanole]

Rain water is fine. If you give them high mineral water, or soften water, they're gonna die. And your viv drainage water is very nutrient rich, my pothos have no dirt and just live in the collection basins, they live off of just mister run off.

In other news you can feed them fish flakes if you run out of fruit flies

 

[caroline?]

soil gnats? what are those?

 

[ERKleRose]

If they’re fungus gnats, you can use Mosquito Bits from Summit! Just add on top of the soil and water, easy peasy!
Edit: adult gnats will need a fly strip and/or fly trap with a light though. And the Mosquito Bits go in the vivarium plants’ pots and cover with rocks or screen so your cham won’t try to eat them

 

[jamest0o0]

Oh yes rain water is fine too

 

[Rhea’s mum]

I had a feeling the drainage water would be a no go. Rain water it is then for the time being.
All I can get over here in the uk is mineral water in our stores, like Evian or . I can’t seem to find anywhere that sells distilled.
I can get some off Amazon but it’s stupidly expensive. It works out to around $11 for 5L (basic conversion). Even the shops that sell marine and reef aquariums and fish don’t do it they just sell the kits or chemicals to put in your tap water.
Thank god for British weather is all I can say

 

[ERKleRose]

You can always buy your own RO/DI unit, though depending on how long you need it for might not be worth the cost, unless you use that water for your chameleon, too (I do)

 

[Rhea’s mum]

It is something I have thought about but funds are currently a bit low for it. I shall stick to the free rain water for now.

Thanks for confirming my original suspicions everyone

 

[caroline?]

i just realized that soil gnats are what my room is infested with....

 

[Flick boy]

It is something I have thought about but funds are currently a bit low for it. I shall stick to the free rain water for now.

Thanks for confirming my original suspicions everyone

Hi I bought a distiller last year for my mister and fogger £60 . It has worked out cheaper and with lock down more convenient. But anyway yeah rain water im going to connect a water butt up at some stage.

 

[snitz427]

I have a “Katchy” device from amazon that works well. You can also water the soil (not the foliage) with mosquito bit tea, which contains a bacteria that kills gnat and mosquito larva. It takes a few waterings but the bacteria will build up in the soil to rid the gnats.

it is supposed to be safe for everything else, since if is a bacteria not a chemical.

 

[Klyde O'Scope]

I was wondering if the water collected from the drainage out of the Viv would be suitable as well?

My concern would be that runoff from the viv could contain gnat eggs. That might only exacerbate the problem.

Fungus Gnats

Attracted to the moisture of potting soil, adult gnats lay their eggs (up to about 200) on organic matter near the soil surface. After about three days, the eggs hatch into larvae, which burrow into the soil to feed on fungi and decaying plant material. Two weeks after that, adult gnats emerge from the soil to repeat the process.

I am really struggling to find anywhere that sells distilled water or RO water in the UK.

Try some of the places named in these articles.
distilled water Derbyshire, UK

 

[cham girl]

So we have come to the point the soil gnats are out of control and now venturing outside the room.

I have ordered a load of carnivorous plants to place around the house and I know that they need nutrient poor water. We are going to rig something up to put outside to catch rain water but I was wondering if the water collected from the drainage out of the Viv would be suitable as well?

I currently water the teeny tiny sundew I have with the water collected in the dehumidifier which manages to keep it moist and seems to be keeping it alive but there is only enough water out of that for the one small plant.

I am really struggling to find anywhere that sells distilled water or RO water in the UK.

I use the tapwater but I let it sit in my reptile Room for a couple days it dissipates chlorine and the like and seems to be OK

 

[Klyde O'Scope]

I use the tapwater but I let it sit in my reptile Room for a couple days it dissipates chlorine and the like and seems to be OK

If you'd like to check what's in the tap water where you live...
https://www.canyoudrinktapwaterin.com (anywhere in the world)
For the UK specifically:
Do you know what’s in your tap water?

 

[cham girl]

Thank you it is disgusting what is in our tapwater but I know carnivorous plants need to stay moist or they first lose their pitcher then soon die so it just if there was no other options

 

[cham girl]

Those of you that have a distiller where did you get it and how much did it cost please

 

[ERKleRose]

Those of you that have a distiller where did you get it and how much did it cost please

Costco, Walmart, Kroger, HEB (Texas only), fish stores, etc. But I bought a RO/DI unit, and we make our own water for everything

 

[Flick boy]

Ebay 60 pounds 4 liter capacity. Probably best to work out how much water you use a week or 2 whatever. You never see it from day to day or week to week but it actually works out at a reasonable amount in electricity in a year which would have paid for a ro system which could be beneficial to the family also just a thought

 

[PoseidonTheChameleon]

soil gnats? what are those?

Very very annoying little flies that can get out of control due to wet soil so irritating