Terrarium plants

[Luca Brasi]

Hi

I'm going to attempt a natural Exo terra viv measuring 60 x 60 x 45 soon and wondered what kind of terrarium plants would be best. I plan on using 2 x 14 watt fluorescent tubes and so lighting will be on the low side.

Does anyone know what terrarium plants will so well in a low light level set up like this?

Also, I have access to around 500 different species of aquarium and terrarium plants and wondered if anyone had ever tried to grow some aquatic plants in a high humidity vivarium. Such as Anubius and some of the more exotic mosses such as christmas, weeping or flame moss instead of the more commonly available java moss?

Thanks in advance
LB

[ipreferaflan]

Depends on the size of the animal you're housing with them really. Big tree frogs like White's and White-lippeds need something with large leaves (like a prayer plant), whereas reed frogs would probably be alright with a parlour palm or summink.
I also have a paludarium style viv for my mossy frog. I grow Java fern and spike moss in there, but only added them quite recently so I can't see how well they'll do, and of course they're in the water.

[Bearnandos]

Erm with that type of lighting - you will be restricted on the plants that will thrive in your viv on the long run.....most may live but slowly the leaves will get 'leggy' and their colours will dull......why not plan to get a stronger lighting and open yourself up to a vast amount of plants that will thrive? 26W x 2 would be great.
If not and you want to stick to 14w - then you may be ok with many of the broms, several of the more common orchids and maybe ficus.
I have tried christmas moss and I do prefer it to java - but the humidity for the aquatic type plants need to be at least 85% to really grow and flourish.....otherwise like in my pygmy Cham viv (average 70%) - it kinda dwindles overtime - never really thriving...just kinda clinging onto life......
Which phib are you considering keeping?

[Luca Brasi]

Hi

The viv is actually for a juvenille green tree python. I posted the question in this forum as phib keepers are far more interested in botany than the rub brigade in the snake section.

I want a natural rain forest type viv. Only the lid will also be housing a rep radiator and mister so there won't be that much room for additional lighting hence the two 14 watt tubes.

P.S Bearnandos I think you may have sourced your java moss from me! PM to follow.

[Bearnandos]

Ahhhhhhh - what type of temp and humity are we talking about???

[Luca Brasi]

Temperature will be between 76f and 86f (They'll be a gradient) and humidity between 70% to 80%.

[LIZARD]

did u see march's Practical reptile keeping mag? there was a dude in there that created a semi natural set up with live plants, maybe that would help. If all goes well with my first planted tank im deffo gonna use live plants with my Amazon tree boas

[Bearnandos]

Originally Posted by Luca Brasi

Temperature will be between 76f and 86f (They'll be a gradient) and humidity between 70% to 80%.

Wow thats pretty much like many phibs temp/humidity.
Well if you choose the taller plants - and place a few planters onto the background just to raise them closer to the light source - so at least around 45cm from light, I suppose you can keep most if not all the plants that many of us use.
Not sure how your mosses will fair on the ground on the long run - as I haven't used mosses with under 26W for that height viv.
The best thing is - as yours is for boas...I presume you don't feed them locusts or crickets - so you can in fact prolly keep more plants then we can as we have to make sure that our plants cannot be edible to insects as well as poisonous to frogs.....otherwise the insect eats poisonous plant and frog eats insect...not a pretty thought.
So to make it easy - heres a link to plants that can be kept.
Vivarium Plant Pricelist

Good luck

[brynley]

Bit off topic but just to add, i got a big 12inch prayer plant for 3quid at b&q yesterday

My grays are loving it