The four, in one line each
Terrarium: plants in a closed glass container. Moist soil, no standing water, no animals unless you add a clean-up crew (isopods, or woodlice, and springtails).
Vivarium: a living habitat built for an animal, usually a frog or gecko. Plants, misting and light run as one system around the animal's needs.
Paludarium: land and water in one tank. A stream or pool below, a planted bank above. Home to crabs, small fish, or frogs at the water's edge.
Aquascape: a planted landscape fully underwater. A garden inside an aquarium, with fish or shrimp living in it.
Side by side
| Terrarium | Vivarium | Paludarium | Aquascape | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Water | None standing. Humid air only | Misting, a small drainage layer | A real water section, filtered | All of it |
| Animals | Optional clean-up crew | Built around one: frog, gecko | Crabs, small fish, frogs | Fish, shrimp, snails |
| Equipment | A light | Misting, lighting, ventilation | Pump, filter, lighting, often misting | Filter, lighting, sometimes CO₂ |
| Care | Lowest. A look once a fortnight | Low once set up. Feed the animal | Moderate. Water and plants both | Highest. Regular water changes |
| Bespoke, from | $300 | $1,200 | $3,500 | $600 (nano) |
| Workshop, from | $42 | $480 (tree frog) | $128 (crab) | $128 (shrimp) |
| Best for | A desk, a first build, a gift | Keeping one animal well | A living feature with movement | Underwater colour and life |
Bespoke prices are starting points, quoted to the space. Workshop prices are fixed. Animals are never included in a workshop: a new habitat needs a few weeks to mature first.
How to choose
Start from the animal, not the tank. If you want to keep something, its needs decide the format: a frog wants a vivarium, crabs want a paludarium, shrimp want an aquascape. If you want no animals at all, a terrarium is the honest answer, and the cheapest to run.
Then match the care to your week. An aquascape rewards attention; a terrarium forgives neglect. Everything else sits between.
Not sure? Build one first. A workshop is the cheapest way to find out which of the four you actually enjoy living with.
Questions, answered
Is a vivarium the same as a terrarium?+
No. A terrarium is for plants. A vivarium is built around an animal, so it adds misting, ventilation and a drainage layer the animal needs. Every vivarium contains a terrarium's worth of plants; the reverse is not true.
What is a riparium, then?+
An aquarium with plants growing out of the water at the edges, roots in, leaves out. Think of it as a paludarium with almost no land. We fold it into paludariums here.
Which one is lowest maintenance?+
A closed terrarium. It recycles its own moisture, so it wants a look every fortnight and little else.
Can I keep fish in a paludarium?+
Yes, small ones, in the water section. Fish, shrimp and crabs can share a paludarium; frogs prefer the land side.
Still deciding?
Send us a photo of the spot and tell us what you'd like to keep. We'll tell you which format fits, honestly, and what it would start at.
Reviewed Sep 2026 · Tng Di Kai, founder