potted plants not doing well,low nutrients?

[Griffin]

Hey guys,Happy new year

My potted plants on the GS and cocoa fiber background in my 30gal hex aren't doing so well.when i first started the tank the plants were doing great but now the growth has stopped and some leaves don't look so good.even the creeping charlie not doing so good.the potting mix is just cocoa fiber and sphagnum and for lighting i have 20 watt spiral 6500k bulb and 1 florescent tube 15watt 5500k.i read that fish tank water and old coffee grounds are good natural fertilizer so i did both.

is there anything else i can do or does anyone have any suggestions for me?

thank you
Griffin

[ApxWingman]

I am by far no expert in this matter, however, have you thought about changing the soil in it to a organic mix that has nutrients? Like from home depot or another flower shop? To me, it seems like they are hungry for some nutrients.

[flybyferns]

Hi Griffin,
I have several plants in my enclosure.
I, personally, would not use anything but (Zoo-Med) Eco- Earth ( loose coconut fiber substrate) for potting enclosure plants,as this is safest for your frogs.
If you do not want the frog near the eco-earth, you could plant ( in the same container) smaller, lower growing plants to cover it. ie creeping fig or cover the eco-earth with leaf litter. The plants would get a little additional nutrients as the leaf litter breaks down.

My rule-of-(green)thumb is: If the plant does not survive it the eco-earth -it get rejected, gets the boot , and recycled to family or friends.
However, every plant I have currently in my enclosure is doing quite well in the Eco-Earth for many, many months.

I have one plant recently that is not doing well and removed from the enclosure. My new artillery plant.
It may not be the soil though as I have learned it is not an easy plant to keep.
I left it in the eco-earth and have it under a plant light in my little nursery area. We'll see.

You need plant light if you do not have one. For best results the light needs to reach the plants through a screened area not through glass or plexi.
There are lots of bulb choices at a home depot type store, depending on the fixture you have available.

Above my enclosure are 2-48 inch florescent type plant bulbs about 10 " above the screened top:

http://www.frogforum.net/members/fly...exo-terra.html

I'm sure you know- for new plant prep: rinse entire plant including the roots, re-pot in a CLEAN container.
I wait a few weeks, even after this procedure before putting the plant into the enclose.
All nurseries spray insecticides and feed plants fertilizer which, if our frogs were exposed to, would not be a good thing

Lynn

[Heatheranne]

I have also found that if the plants do not like a moist "soil", keeping them in the pots (after rinsing as noted above in Lynn's post) allows them to stay a little drier.

I had trouble with a few plants too and just took them out.

I'll be updating mine soon .

[Heatheranne]

Try saving some of your frog poo and putting into the substrate near your plants. Luckily my baby retf always poos in his water making it easy for me to use it for the plants. If cow manure works for fields of planting why can't frog poo work for viv plants, right?

[flybyferns]

Try saving some of your frog poo and putting into the substrate near your plants. Luckily my baby Red-Eyed Leaf Frog always poos in his water making it easy for me to use it for the plants. If cow manure works for fields of planting why can't frog poo work for viv plants, right?

Hey Heather !!!!! Great idea How could a little 'moo moo' (that's what we at our house) possibly hurt ?

[Griffin]

Thanks for the help guys,iam going to try to get more nutrients in the the pots if t hat doesn't work i will try some new type of soil

[thadmy]

No to steal your thread but I have a vertical tank that I just set up and have a UVB bulb on top of it for my plants. I haven't noticed anything wrong with it but the light is shinning down through the glass is this ok or will my bulb need to shine through the screen

[flybyferns]

No to steal your thread but I have a vertical tank that I just set up and have a UVB bulb on top of it for my plants. I haven't noticed anything wrong with it but the light is shinning down through the glass is this ok or will my bulb need to shine through the screen

Hi thadmy,

This is a really great site , regarding uvb and uva light.
I forget how much information is here regarding light specifically for plants though.
I have a russian tortoise and found very useful information on this site regarding proper lighting as his light is blocked by chicken wire covering his enclosure. (He is still a young man- I have had him for 15 years )
You WILL find information here regarding how glass blocks UVB light.

UV Guide UK - Ultraviolet Light for Reptiles - UVB reptile lighting on test

There must be some good indoor gardening/ greenhouse sites ? Let's poke around

I have found that florescent "plant bulbs" work well for plants. I use the long ones (48inches) that go into an overhead/ basement fixture --over my heavily planted enclosure/through screen. A portion of the screen top is covered w/ plexi during the winter.
If you need a brand name let me know. I get them at Home Depot. GE makes a regular base plant bulb as well that you will also find at home depot for about 4$. You might consider having one of these regular base bulb in a clip fixture above the plants that are being prepped for your enclosure(s) and/or pointing at the plants in the enclosure? I sprout edible flowers for my tortoise on a regularly under one of these little lights ( not blocked by glass). So, they do work well.

For reptiles enough UVB cannot penetrate through glass, and it can even be partially blocked with fine mesh but the UVA is not blocked. UVB bulbs are specially made, so UVB can pass through the glass they are manufactured with. (so they say)

UV can go through glass enough for plant growth though. ie- a plant will do well next to a window in the kitchen
Also, UVB bulbs don't last forever. After several months of use, they start to decrease in output. Plan on replacing your bulb about every 10 months. Replacement information pertains more to maintaining proper UVB/UVA lighting for a critters though.

Lynn

[flybyferns]

indoor gardening / lighting / bulb info
I just found a link to this site in my "froggy" folder. Looks good!

ACF Indoor Plant Grow Lights & Information Guide

[kueluck]

In my tree frog and toad tank I've used a 50/50 mix of eco earth and organic compost (wholefoods). Read the ingredients to make sure there is no vermiculite or perlite in the mix. Just because it says organic doesn't not mean it's good. I wish I could remember which one I had, but anyway, my plants are doing great and so are the critters.

[flybyferns]

In my tree frog and toad tank I've used a 50/50 mix of eco earth and organic compost (wholefoods). Read the ingredients to make sure there is no vermiculite or perlite in the mix. Just because it says organic doesn't not mean it's good. I wish I could remember which one I had, but anyway, my plants are doing great and so are the critters.

I agree Gail
My plants do very well , also, in JUST the "Eco Earth/loose coconut fiber substrate" made by Zoo Med.
I sprout seeds in it!
I think the right amount of water is more of an issue than lighting and nutrients.
Most of the plants we used in our enclosures will not do well if the roots just sit in poorly drained soil.
Lynn

[kueluck]

Lynn...this is true about water logging the roots and yes to the lighting. Also seeds will sprout on a damp sponge but in order to keep your plants growing and going they also need nutrients. The plants I use are all low light and I also use a natural sunlight bulb.