Native Plants All Year in Vivarium

[Larry Wardog]

I am making this to share with everyone my experiences working with one of the most wild and native vivariums on here. I am using Myrtle/Perriwinkle
Dragon's Tail Ferns
Blue Fescue Grass
Water Lettuce
English Daisy
And leaf litter.
I am going to see how these plants will do over the fall and winter months. This is a side thread of the
75 Gallon PA Woods Vivarium thread I have going on here. I will answer questions hopefully if there are some, give updates on plants and the cultured insects. To hear about the American Toads &
Northern Leopard Frogs you'll have to see the thread below. Now for the insects, I have a few groups in here as well. Woodlice, Crickets, & Night crawlers. I am hoping to keep them in the tank and breed. Some people feel the crickets could get out of control. There are 4 Amphibs in this enclosure, some evasive stone centipedes (I think one was pregnant and had some babies), and not to mention the larger crickets will eat them if they are hungry. I have not seen the crickets go after the Woodlice or any plants. I have a seed for birds called Millet Spray which the crickets have been eating. If they would get bad I'd give some to my WTF tank with a pair of hungry tree frogs, it wouldn't be too bad. So far both plants & insects meaning all 3 insects and the water lettuce and Myrtle are reproducing like crazy. I'm hoping this keeps up and in the spring it will get the frogs & toads to mate. I feel the plants and animals are perfect for this setup. If I want to chill the tank and make an "artificial winter" I can. Everything can take it. All of the insects but the crickets can as well. I am going to attempt this in the early spring. Maybe all of march to mid april chill the tank and then see how everything does. I wouldn't let it go down past 40's for fear it's too cold in my house haha, since it's in an attic I can make it get lower than any part of the house. Might only be able to get it to 50's but it is worth a shot. Hopefully the plants will continue to grow and they will stay healthy in this enclosure. I am using untreated topsoil and eco earth as substrate. Topsoil is beneath Eco Earth. Below them are large river rocks. So good drainage and good soil for plants. In the upcoming months I will be breaking down parts of the Viv on here an on the other thread.


Here is the main thread
75 Gallon PA Woods Vivarium
http://www.frogforum.net/showthread.php?t=34251

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