Pitcher Plants Safe?

[Poliwag]

Just wondering if it's safe to have a pitcher plant in my frogs enclosure, anyone know if it could harm them?

[Mentat]

Pitcher Plants are a threat to very small froglets. From reading here PPs don't do well in some vivarium environments and have special survival needs like a seasonal cool down period.

[Bruce]

Depends on the type. This was my old hobby before frogs and tropical pitchers (Nepenthese) are divided into 2 catigories, Highland and lowland. Highland does better as a house plant and what I focused more on. Lowland likes it warmer and humid, so some slow growing, small lowland species may be ok, such as Nepenthese Ampullaria.

[UncleChester]

Some info on carnivorous plants in the vivarium (including pitcher plants): http://www.frogforum.net/vivarium-te...a-vivaria.html

[deranged chipmunk]

The thought in the hobby was originally that the frog could fall into the pitcher and be consumed. That's since been proven false. In fact, quite a few hobbyists are keeping darts with nepenthes species and they not only have not had any problems, but find their dendrobates spending time hiding inside the pitchers.

Just keep in mind that wen adding a carnivorous plant to an enclosure, that you are adding another mouth to feed and plan accordingly.

[Bruce]

Just keep in mind that wen adding a carnivorous plant to an enclosure, that you are adding another mouth to feed and plan accordingly.

Its not as much as you think, 2-3 insects enough is more than substantial.

[deranged chipmunk]

Very true bruce! Depending of course on the size of the plant and insects. I've seen a few people lose nepenthes because they were feeding dubias to their animals, and they were juvenile nepenthes, and the dubias were just too big. Of course, it took quite some time before they really showed sign of malnutrition.

[Bruce]

Thats true, also though, if the frogs are hanging out in the pitchers, odds are they're defecating in the water, and that in itsekf would be enough for the pitcher

[deranged chipmunk]

Oh, those weren't. It was in a white's tank. They weren't fitting in those pitchers lol

[Bruce]

Those fatties, no way! :P not unless you have a vivarium large enough for nepenthes Rajah... hmmm....

[deranged chipmunk]

Oh, I wish!! Lol

[Bruce]

Wish you build that or wish yiu had the time to wait for one to grow that large/the money to buy an adult? Haha!

[deranged chipmunk]

All of the above! Lol I saw a nepenthes on eBay a few weeks ago, I don't remember what cultivar it was, but it was rare and an adult plant. It sold for over $6000!!! I wish I had a spare $6k lying around to throw at a plant lol

[Bruce]

Black jungle has some oretty expensive ones from time to time. The most expensive one I had was N. Hamata

[GrifTheGreat]

You will have to pot the Pitcher plant in the soil that it relies on. They must have nutrient poor acidic soil. Otherwise the plant will die. You will also have to be sure that you water the plant with distilled or R/O water or it will die. They have very specific needs that have to be met and some do not coinside with the frogs needs such as the mineral lacking water source.

Keep that in mind.

[deranged chipmunk]

Grif brings up an excellent point about their soil. A nice mix of peat and sand works well for nepenthes. And if going with a sarracenia sp. Pitcher, some of them prefer a moist, bog like substrate.

[Bruce]

Ive had nepenthese do well in almost a coconut mulch substrate (much larger chunks than eco earth) but yes it would need to be potted.. as for the water, I CAN tolerate normal water, that being said it will be much better off with R/O or distilled water. If you still choose to use normal water, change its soil often and throughly rinse its roots with distilled or R/O when transplanting.

[deranged chipmunk]

I have heard of people growing them in sphagnum as well. I have never had any luck with them unless they were in a peat/sand mix. And it only use distilled water for them. There's always too long of a line at the r/o station at the reef shop I go to.

[Poliwag]

One of my nepenthes cuttings is growing still in the ecoearth that I have in my pacman frogs enclosure. I just dont want anything from the plant to hurt him

[deranged chipmunk]

I would be more worried about the frog hurting the nepenthes. Lol