# Live Plants



## SamNabz (Aug 28, 2012)

Not sure if this is the right area of the forum to post this, but I was wondering if anyone keeps live plants in a vivarium and if so what species.

This is probably best suited for frog keepers to answer, but any info. and some setup pics would be great.


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## Red-Ink (Aug 28, 2012)

SamNabz said:


> Not sure if this is the right area of the forum to post this, but I was wondering if anyone keeps live plants in a vivarium and if so what species.
> 
> This is probably best suited for frog keepers to answer, but any info. and some setup pics would be great.



Mr. Blue (Sceleropages) keeps live plants in his set ups... best I've seen around.


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## Justdragons (Aug 28, 2012)

Tru dat ^^


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## SamNabz (Aug 28, 2012)

Yeah but the blue man is hard to reach... Inbox is always full and he seems to be M.I.A at the moment


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## leamos (Aug 28, 2012)

I've tried it a few times, seems they aren't very suitable in enclosures with overhead heating, ie basking lights and particularly CHE's, as they are very drying. In an enclosure with underfloor heating, or damper situations like frog tanks and GTP setups, they'd go pretty well


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## Kc_read (Aug 28, 2012)

Quite easy to get running, i found that the broader leaved plants do alot better. The bromeliad i put in is thriving its already tapped into the tank water table. And the other plant i have is going great. My only problem is fungus growth i might have to do a repot of the tank


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## cheekabee (Aug 28, 2012)

If you want live plants to thrive in your enclousure first you need proper lighting, the best lighting for plant growth is F5 bulbs and the second thing you need is proper soil.


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## No-two (Aug 28, 2012)

I have devils ivy in some of my chondros. Has been growing well for a pretty long time.


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## Mulgaaustralis (Aug 28, 2012)

Broms are easy, 
Java moss also looks great


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## SamNabz (Aug 28, 2012)

Cheers for the replies all. Yeah Hayden Devils Ivy has been recommended by a few people now so will check it out at the local nursery this weekend along with Broms and any rainforest type of small plants they can recommend.

I have had a search through other threads on this subject, most of which were for snake tanks and people complaining about the plants getting destroyed, being unsuitable and overheating etc. but this is not a snake tank and correct lighting/heating will be provided.

Some vivarium setup pics will be good.


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## James_Scott (Aug 28, 2012)

Parlour palms are great for vivariums as are air plants and bromilliads


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## Bluetongue1 (Aug 29, 2012)

Parlour Palms have to be allowed to dry out periodically, a bit like Bird's Nest Ferns, otherwise they develop problems. But apart from that, they are great in low light conditions and limited air flow. Also the minature variety of the Weeping Fig (_Ficus hilli_), smaller Philodendrons (e.g. _P. cordatum, P. erubescens_ ‘Red Wings’), Spathyphyllums (Peace Lily), Arrow Head Plant (_Syngonium podophyllum_), Baby Tears (_Soleirolia soleirolii or Helxine soleirolii_), Cornstalk Dracaena or Happy Plant (_Dracaena fragrans massangeana_), Lucky Bamboo (_Dracaena sanderiana_), Spanish Moss or Old Man's Beard (_Tillandsia usenoides_), Cretan Brake Fern (Pteris cretica), Spider Plant (_Chlorophytum cosmosum_), some mosses... I stop there. Hopefully that gives you a bit more to choose from. Should want any more suggestions just PM me.

Blue


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## Pythoninfinite (Aug 29, 2012)

I've had good results with Devil's Ivy (Pothos) and Arrowheads (Syngonium) in GTP enclosures, they will live happily in low-light for 2-3 weeks as long as you keep them moist (water in the pot dishes). Both these plants will actually live in water, so they're ideal for frog enclosures too. Easy to propagate from cuttings, so you can have any number of them and use on a rotational basis, 2-3 weeks about. When I worked at the Museum in Perth, I had Devil's Ivy in a 6 foot frog tank (Litoria splendida) and had to cut it back almost every two weeks. 

They are very hardy in normal use, but like any live plants, won't fare well if they're exposed to heavier, active reptiles. GTPs are good because they move around so little compared to carpets and other large snakes.

Jamie


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## fourexes (Aug 29, 2012)

would it be feasible to do away with the dirt and run vermiculite or clay balls? From a hygiene perspective.


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## Pythoninfinite (Aug 29, 2012)

fourexes said:


> would it be feasible to do away with the dirt and run vermiculite or clay balls? From a hygiene perspective.



What would the hygiene problems be with normal potting mix? None that I'm aware of.

Jamie


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## SamNabz (Aug 29, 2012)

Thanks Blue and Jamie, nice list of sp. there.

In regards to potting mix, I've been told to look for pesticide free top soil - is this necessary?


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## Pythoninfinite (Aug 29, 2012)

Most pesticides have a fairly short life once added to the environment, and I know of none that are routinely added to potting mix. Even if they were, they would be well & truly neutarlised after bagging and storage over time. The only additives are likely to be some slow-release fertilizers and maybe some wetting agent, neither of which will harm your animals. Don't forget that people have to handle the stuff as well, so they can't be made toxic. The warnings on the bags relate primarily to inhaling dust and the possibility of contracting Legionnaire's disease as a result, and this won't happen in your enclosure.

If you do go down this path, when you add new mix to a repotted plant, flush it well with clean water (as you would anyway), and make sure you use a good quality name-brand mix - never get the cheap mixes because your plants will go backwards if you do. Good potting mix is a wise investment in plant vigour.

Jamie

Just as an aside - live plants are very good at removing noxious organic gases fron enclosed environments. If they are plentiful in offices for example, there is a measurable drop in vapours such as formaldehyde and vinyl outgassings from such things as synthetic carpets, particleboards, furniture covers etc. If you can keep them healthy in an enclosure, the same benefits will apply...

Jamie


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## James_Scott (Aug 29, 2012)

I try to reduce weight in the exo terras and therefor use the first layer of hydroponic stones. they weigh next to nothing and help with drainage. Then mix orchid mix 30% potting mix 30% and river sand 30%. this stops the stagnant smell.


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## SamNabz (Aug 29, 2012)

Cheers James. Are hydroponic stones the same thing as hydro-balls? And if so, can they be bought at nurseries etc? As I'd much prefer to get from there than the reptile branded ones..

Also with the orchid and potting mix, are there any particular things to look out for when buying them? Or should I just buy the good stuff..?


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## James_Scott (Aug 29, 2012)

Hydro balls are the same thing as far as I can tell. I get 2 litres for $4 at a local nursery. In regards to orchid and potting mix. Avoid the fertilizer and pestisides. The cheaper the better.


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## Bluetongue1 (Aug 29, 2012)

A few points on set ups...

The main issue with growing plants in enclosures is that if you haven’t done it before, you tend to over water and end up with root rot and dead plants. 
You can go about it three main ways, depending on what effect you are after – grow directly in enclosure; grow in pots placed in enclosure; or grow in water (effectively hydroponically). The first is what you are talking about and is the hardest way can look great and requires very regular maintenance. The growing media can vary according to likes/needs – potting mix, orchid mix, pine fines (aged), coarse sand, perlite; vermiculite, granular zeolite, hydroponic media, gravel, pebbles etc or various combination. The main thing you don’t want is organic matter sitting in water deprived of oxygen, where you can get anaerobic breakdown or the roots in same and them dying (= root rot). So you need to have: 1. good aeration (air filled porosity) in the mix; 2. moisture retentive mix; 3. free drainage of excess water.

Due to increased humidity, reduced air flow and more moderate temperatures, water retention in an enclosure tends to be greater than in an open air pot. So many potting mixes may be too moisture retentive without some additive. Depends on your enclosure conditions. 

A layer of coarse material in the bottom is often used to allow drainage of excess water away from roots. This is often followed by a layer of charcoal or activated carbon – to absorb any noxious gases that are produced by anaerobic breakdown of any organic matter washed in with the excess drainage water. A thin layer of sphagnum moss or similar – to stop potting mix washing into charcoal and water. Then your growing media. [I am not sure if hydroballs (a clay product) absorb water on their surface by capillary action, but if they do the mix will get a supply of water over time by using these as the drainage medium.]

Coarse material in mix provides aeration and drainage but can reduce water retention eg. Orchid mix, pine fines, coarse sand. Non-organic materials eliminate organic breakdown but are often not water retentive, eg. sand, gravel. However, inorganic products like vermiculite and perlite are water retentive due to their physical and chemical structure. 

Organic material will produce humic acids as they breakdown, which causes water repellence and therefore reduction of water retention. As Jamie suggested, only use a premium grade name-brand. One of the things hey do is age their materials longer so they are more stable and will remain water absorptive for longer, but you have to pay for he time ad effort involved in that (such as regular watering and turning of heaps) even though you cannot see it with the eyes.. Where mixes have developed water repellence, addition of some suspended clay in water (such as potting clay or bentonite (used in drilling and agriculture, so easy to buy) will help overcome it. 

Hopefully that gives a bit of an overview. Bottom line... there is more than one way to skin a cat and you will get various success methods given you. However, there are reasons why certain things work and certain things do not. Also, try some reading on the net and check out the diagrams. Then be prepared for a bit of trial and error. It’s how most plant growers learned.

Sorry about the length...

Blue


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## cheekabee (Aug 30, 2012)

cheekabee said:


> If you want live plants to thrive in your enclousure first you need proper lighting, the best lighting for plant growth is F5 bulbs and the second thing you need is proper soil.


I'm sorry you need T5 bulbs If you want to grow some really nice tropical plants in terrariums. This guy won the 2011 Exoterra competition'do your animals feel at home' he has some nice plant growth in his terrariums and he has a double row of T5 bulbs. 
Exo-terra frog room - YouTube


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## BDkeeper (Dec 23, 2013)

Bluetongue1 said:


> Parlour Palms have to be allowed to dry out periodically, a bit like Bird's Nest Ferns, otherwise they develop problems. But apart from that, they are great in low light conditions and limited air flow. Also the minature variety of the Weeping Fig (_Ficus hilli_), smaller Philodendrons (e.g. _P. cordatum, P. erubescens_ ‘Red Wings’), Spathyphyllums (Peace Lily), Arrow Head Plant (_Syngonium podophyllum_), Baby Tears (_Soleirolia soleirolii or Helxine soleirolii_), Cornstalk Dracaena or Happy Plant (_Dracaena fragrans massangeana_), Lucky Bamboo (_Dracaena sanderiana_), Spanish Moss or Old Man's Beard (_Tillandsia usenoides_), Cretan Brake Fern (Pteris cretica), Spider Plant (_Chlorophytum cosmosum_), some mosses... I stop there. Hopefully that gives you a bit more to choose from. Should want any more suggestions just PM me.
> 
> Blue



How well does spanish moss live in a pygmy bearded dragon tank on the cool side cause i put some in yesterday


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## NickGeee (Dec 23, 2013)

BDkeeper said:


> How well does spanish moss live in a pygmy bearded dragon tank on the cool side cause i put some in yesterday



Moss in a Pygmy bearded tank... They are desert species!


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## Bluetongue1 (Dec 23, 2013)

Spanish Moss needs regular wetting and does best in a humid environment. So, as indicated, you have two organism in the one enclosure requiring very different levels of humidity. Not such a great idea.

There are lots of very decorative grasses and sedges, especially when in seed. By digging out and drying the plants they can make excellent ornaments to landscape a desert style enclosure. I have a small bottle on my desk that contains a variety seedheads from a couple of grasses and a couple of sedges. Been there for years.

Blue


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## BDkeeper (Dec 23, 2013)

I give the cold side a bit of a soak everyday but not sure if that makes a bit of a difference


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