minicar: I want to make a mini terrarium that animal could call home. is this possible. I would like something small and cheap. how do i make something like this? what do i need? what sort of animals could live inside?How do you make a mini terrarium and what animals can live in it?Well, you ought to do more research. Your public library probably has a book or two to loan you. Also, what are you interested in? If you like frogs, then that would be different from one that has a lizard or small snake and different from one that has some butterflies and bugs. So you have some decisions to make. Also, you gotta decide how much time and effort you want to put into it. A frog or salamander would need water changes and more attention that one that has maybe a few bugs in it. When you say mini--how big are you thinking? I've seen some really tiny ones, but personally, I'd go with a 10 gallon aquarium. You can get them cheap at yard sales or from friends, especially if they leak too much for fish. A leaky one will work great for a terrarium, just put a lining such as plastic down if it leaks right on the bottom. Then a layer of activated charcoal you can get at any pet supply or discount store that sells fish supplies. Then cover with a layer of dirt or aquarium pebbles. The last one I did, I kept most of the plants in small and medium pots and did not fill the aquarium with dirt, just pretty pebbles, then had vines that trailed across. I still put charcoal in because that keeps it fresh instead of letting it sour. I used some artificial plants too at the back and to fill bare spots and a plastic rabbit peeked out of the back corner. It was cute, even if I do say so myself. It had a fountain in it that I borrowed from a friend, then I had a problem of hiding the cord, so I used an artificial vine to do that. If I had added a little pond, instead of the fountain, I'd have put it in a shallow glass bowl and piled up pebbles to make a 'shoreline' around it. (pebbles and a few bigger stones in it also.) Raising butterflies isn't all that hard, but the caterpillars eat the plants, so you have to replace them. After watching for a day or so, release the butterflies so they can go multiply. Do your research and know what they need to eat. For water for worms or bugs, you just set a cotton ball on a plastic lid, and wet that. Replace if it goes sour. I think crickets are kind-of interesting, or the pet store sells exotic bugs and spiders like tarantulas or giant hissing cockroaches--YUCK!! But may be something interesting. Get more info on frogs, snakes, lizards, bugs etc. so you can be sure to take good care of them. If you make your terrarium with local life, then you can release them if needed, or catch more. Just don't let your terrarium be a death camp, if it takes too much care or you get busy and can't do it, just get plastic animals, OK? Also, don't try to put too many in there, it is better with less. Let me see, what am I forgetting? If it steams up really bad, then open and let fresh air in for awhile. If it is drying out too fast, cover openings with plastic wrap. It is hard to get the perfect balance, so check every day or two to see if water needs added or it is too wet. Maybe this sounds like too much work. It does need some care, a little bit here and there, 5 minutes maybe and a 1/2 hour once a week to clean, pull dead leaves and pinch back plants that are growing too big. Depends on what you have in it. They sometimes advertise ones that need no care at all, but I wouldn't believe it, not long term and happy and clean. It has to have some attention. Live well and do good. Good luck. I forgot to say fish, really small ones or one gold fish or siamese fighting fish in a bowl inside the terrarium. I might try that sometime myself! What about tadpoles?