Good water is a factor in succesfully raising carnivorous plants. They are sensitive to chemicals and minerals in water, and hard water or water treated with chlorine generally should not be used. Rain water is excellent, and bottled water is second best, make sure it contains no added minerals. Usually purified drinking water or distilled water if the best to use if you can't collect clean rain water. If you must use city water or hard well water, it is best to flush out your plants from time to time to wash out excessive buildups of anything harmful. If you have chlorine in your water, at least let it set for 24 hours so that some of the chlorine may evaporate. It really is best, especially for beginners, to stick to bottled or rain water.

There is never a need to fertilize any carnivorous plants. This can be especially stressful on them, and while they may show an initial spike in growth, in the long run the fertilizers will most likely prove to be too much for the plant to digest. Some experienced growers will use fertilizers in diluted amounts, but only at their own risk. As a general rule, beginners should never fertilize their carnivorous plants.

Terrariums are great for growing carnivorous plants indoors, though some species are better suited to it than others. A terrarium can be as simple as a small fish tank with a plastic lid. The idea is to keep the humidity high for your plants this way. But, be careful that your terrarium doesn't get too warm, especially if in sunlight. If you are concerned about having enough light, flourescent lights work nicely when placed 6-12" above the plants.

Some species, such as venus flytraps and sarracenia, require a dormancy period each year. During this time they will stop growing, and may appear to be browning and getting a bit ugly. This is natural, as each year's growth dies off, and the plant stores energy deep inside, waiting for the following spring to resume growth. It is best to provide 3-5 months of dormancy for your plants.

Carnivorous plants will grow flowers like many other plants. You might not expect some of the dazzling floral displays that sarracenia are capable of, or the charming tiny pink and white flowers common to sundews, but they do grow them. For beginning growers it is best to remove flower stalks before they develop, as they will focus alot of the plant's energy into growing the bloom. By removing the bloom, more of that energy will go towards general growth, increasing the chance of success for your plant overall.

As tempting as it is, you really shouldn't force feed your plants. You do not need to feed them for them to survive, they do quite well on their own, even without eating many insects. You may be surprised by what they catch on their own.