My terrarium + Having issues with a vine.

[mywholeeternity]

[mywholeeternity]

Hi guys, I'm new here so bare with me as I try to work my way into learning how to use this forum.
Anyways, this is my terrarium. It currently contains 4 new luecs.
I posted this here today because I'm having issues with this vine. It is a lance leaf ficus pumilia vine. I have two 2 inch diameter black net pots set into the background about four inches from the top of the terrarium, both of which are planted with this. The plant on the left was planted more recently and just hasnt done well at all. One part of it is completely dried and basically a twig and the other is having the same issue the bigger one on the right is having. The one on the right has been planted there for several months now. At first it was doing fine; it began to take off a bit and then immediately halted at this size. It still tried to grow, but when it creates new leaves they almost always begin to turn yellow and fall off. You can see them at the very top of the image of my terrarium in the first image. I also posted a photo of what the yellowing looks like that takes place. The yellow doesnt start at the tips or at any specific spot, instead its as if the entire leaf started to yellow all at the same time. You can see the progression of this in the image of my hand. My intention in planting this was for the vine to spread and cover the walls of the background, as well as slightly drape forward over the branch below it.
Is it too close to the light (three cfls)? Should I try cutting it back to see if pruning will induce it to take off? If it wont do well there, any suiggestions as to what I could replace it with that will either drape forward/ climb the bg AND handle being a few inches below the lights?

[deranged chipmunk]

Ficus are finnicky plants. They like a lot of indirect light. So that shouldn't be your issue. What is your watering regime? Too much water will make them yellow and drop leaves, but so will under watering. Another possibility is lack of fertilization. What are they planted in? Lastly, how big are the plants? A 2" pot is really tiny for something with such an extensive root structure. A 2" pot is good for one stem, but not really enough for a decent sized plant. It could be feeling root bound.

Like I said, they are very finnicky and when they get stressed, will yellow and drop leaves really quick. We just need to figure out what is stressing them out.

[Tongue Flicker]

Like Bill said, re-evaluate your watering regime. Majority of ficus are very definite when it comes to the water they can tolerate and thus the leaf problem. Do you let it dry out in between watering?

[mywholeeternity]

The 2in pots are filled with ABG soil and dressed with long fiber sphagnum as a thin top layer. The pots have drainage holes in the foam leading to the outside of the background so excess water can drip down the background wall if over watered. Fertilizer is limited due to frogs so its pretty much whatever organic mater is in the ABG/ insect and frog droppings/ springtails and such that crawl into the soil and die.

Before getting the frogs I put a dead cricket on the top to decay and fert. The plant on the right pot fills the pot while the left pot is just a thin stem or two. I'd say it dried out alright being so high on the wall and close to the lights.

I still mostly feel as though its the lights killing off the chlorophyl in the leaves. Some of the leaves that are a bit more shaded by other areas of the plant stay green. Should I remove them and plant them on the floor? This way theyd have plent of root space and be further from the lights. I have no problem doing this, but I dont want two bare net pots just filled with soil in the top middle of the wall. Any suggestions as to what I could replace them with? Like a hanging type plant or a plant that will dangle/ hang tendrils down from the wall?

[mywholeeternity]

This is my first terrarium btw
I'm happy with it for the most part. My only regrets are the pond in the back right (cant quite see it in the image), using so many types of plants instead of using a few plants in higher quantity for a more natural look, and those damn vines lol!
Oh! Also, the entire back ground was first coated with a mix of organic, fine black compost and wood glue and THEN a layer of cocofiber mixed with the wood glue. I used the compost so that over time through run off the compost might release nutrients to the plants. The larger vine on the right actually threw out a root that has traveled all across the wall

[deranged chipmunk]

I've grown quite a few cultivars of ficus pumila under much more intensive lighting (I run 4 36" t5ho bulbs over my tank) with zero problems. You can try moving them, but I really do not think it's a lighting issue. 3 cfl bulbs are not really that bright, as where par values are concerned.

You did mention one thing that struck a chord that it dried out being so high in the tank. Have you tried watering them more? Not just misting, but truly watering them. (Sometimes people don't get the difference, only reason I say that) under watering will cause the same conditions as over watering in a ficus. Like I said before, they are picky. Lol
If that is a truly dry spot though, you may just want to relocate them and put something a bit more tolerable to drier conditions up there, like a dischidia species. Most of them will even grow epiphitically.
I am a big fan of moving plants around to different locations and even different vivariums to see where they are happiest. So don't be afraid to experiment.

[deranged chipmunk]

And btw, the tank looks great! Especially for a first tank. My first Viv was an ugly mess!! LoL