Hi, I live in the UK (south) and keep all my VFT outside all year. During the very cold months (whenever / if they arrive!) I wrap the pots in bubble wrap and keep in a cold frame. Some plants die right back to soil level some just lose the odd leaf (I just trim off the dying/dead leaves to prevent fungus problems). All normally survive the winter though and re-grow bigger and better in the spring. I've done this for the last ten+ years and had no major problems and only a very few casualties. Now could be a good time to take the plant outside as the temperature in the UK is quite mild for this time of year although it would probably be enough to start dormancy and give the plant time to adjust before any very cold weather arrives. As for the flower stalk, I'd personally cut it off.

Ohhh most likely a S. x' Scarlet bell ' a slight chance its a S. leucohpylla google the last one and see what you come up with i just got my first one recntly. Hear is a photo of my scarlet bell (im preaty sure its a scarlet bell hybrid) As much as every one wants them indoors, Trust us we all do! They do best out doors in lots of sun! If you cant put them out its ok, you can keep them in but they will do alot happyer if they are indoors, pluss youre Sar will get a bit big for staying indoors. WE would all put out our Neps if we could, but they cant stay out all summer and lighting them during the winter is preaty tuff w/ out a green house. so put out youre Plants, but if you really want them indoors i would get a few lights. Cheers

Hello dano4163, What you are describing is the typical signs of a plant weakening from low light conditions and not going through proper dormancy in a terrarium. For the first couple of years of a Venus Flytrap's life, you can grow it under artificial light as it is quite small and gets more light for it's size than an adult. Once they grow larger, they weaken in such artificial light over time. Eventually, they begin to grow very long thin petioles and tiny trap leaves as they try to reach out and find the light. The soil and water sound good, however; the terrarium is another aspect of the problem. Terrariums reduce the amount of light you can give the plants as full sun would steam the terrarium like a pressure cooker and encloses the plants in a humidity high area that weakens their leaves and encourages mold, something that affects carnivorous plants all too easily. If I were you, I would open up the terrarium a little every 3 days until the cover is completely off and the plants are adapted to regular household humidity after two weeks time, then repot them. Use 5-6 inch or larger pots with drainage holes according to plant size, and use a large tray under the pot to hold excess water. Place the plants in a sunny east or west window the first week, in a south window the second week, then place them outside if you can in full sun so they can grow properly. I do not know if your sick flytrap will survive as it is already very weak from light starvation, but you never know. In that plant's case, you might get it out of the terrarium right away so you can repot it and place it in a good sunny window while you adapt it to low humidity with a plastic bag or cover of some kind. Just remove the cover slowly over two weeks until the plant is exposed to household air and do not place it a direct sun window while it has a cover as that would cook the plant. Hopefully it will hold on till you can get the cover off. All of the plants you named are temperate North American species that grow well in zone 7-9 so long as temperatures do not go above 100 degrees or below 30 degrees for too long. Pots are less insulating than being planted in the ground, so plants can't withstand such low temperatures as they can in the wild. all of those plants can adapt to low humidity and will be healthier without the terrarium. All of those plants prefer and actually need full sun to grow properly. If you can't provide full sun, a south facing window and supplemental florescent light above them will have to do. Basically, growing temperate carnivorous plants indoors would be like trying to grow tomatos and roses inside all year round. Maybe you should try some tropical sundews, butterworts, and Nepenthes. They would grow well indoors. Good luck with your plants.

50/50 sphagnum peat/perlite or silica sand. You can also use LFS (long fiber sphagnum) by itself but IMO the roots will intertwine in it and make it harder to separate them if you ever do a complete media change which is recommended every 2-3 years due to mineral buildup. Yes you're going to have to use distilled or RO water if you don't save rain water. I now save water via a 55 gallon drum. It is possible to distill your tap water but hardly worth it. It will cost more in gas/electricity than just buying the water.