RETF vivarium needs plant ideas!

[tinkgirl77]

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[tinkgirl77]

Hey guys, I'm new to building a living vivarium. So naturally I'm seeking ideas for plants for our RETF habitat build. We have an 18 x 18 x 24 exo terra tank. I already know about pothos. I am also looking for suggestions on where to purchase them from for a good price! I am also taking suggestions for substrate/floor filtration etc! Any and all suggestions welcome. Thanks in advance for any advice you want to share!

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[deranged chipmunk]

pothos is a very common houseplant that you can get almost anywhere that has a garden dept. walmart, Home depot, lowes, ect. they all sell quite a few plants you can use, such as ficus pumila (creeping fig), hoya, diffenbachia, numerous ferns, dracenas and a few others. Ebay is also another good source, if you know what species you are looking for. also, garden centers or plant shops that have terrarium depts. are a gold mine for vivariums. terrarium depts specialize in miniature sized plants. as far as online goes, here are a few links for you, some places i have ordered from in the past, some i have not:
Welcome to Black Jungle Terrarium Supply - The Natural Choice!
Buy Rare and Exotic Tropical Plants Online|Begonias|Episcias|Peperomias|Gesneriads
Tropicals – Jungle Box
Plants for Terrariums and Wardian Cases
Teresa's Plants & More Store
last, but not least, my favorite orchid guy
Andy's Orchids - Orchid Species - Orchid list of miniature orchid plants

that should get you started on plants. as far as the actual build. i highly suggest reading over some of the build journals on here. get some ideas and then go from there. there are so many variables, that it is hard to make recommendations until you have a design and somewhat of a game plan. most important is research. read as much as you can about retf's and their natural habitat, look at pics, ect. first, it will give you much useful knowledge about the frogs and what kind of environment that will make them happy. second, you'll have something pop into your head as far as design goes. keep us posted

[tinkgirl77]

Thanks so much again, you're again, an awesome help!

[tinkgirl77]

Bill, You seem to know your stuff on plants... any specific plants that you would consider easier/beginners? I love the orchids and bursts of color but My full size orchids have not been doing so hot lol.

[deranged chipmunk]

pothos are easy. almost impossible to kill. almost. ferns are pretty much autopilot plants. just remember that most ferns WILL grow huge if you don't keep them under control. i have a soft spot for prayer plants. i forget the species name, but a prayer plant was the first plant my mom gave me to grow when i was but a wee lad. diffenbachia as well. diff's will also grow huge, so trimming will eventually be required. these are all easily purchased at big box stores. depending on your locale, some places still have some nice plants in their garden centers, even at this time of year.

you can also use some bonsai plants. however, do research on these first. very important because some bonsai plants are of the pine family and they would only rot and die in a humid environment. i also believe pine is toxic to some frogs? but there are bonsai plants like ficus benjamina (which grow to 100+ feet in the rainforest) that can be trained to stay within the confines of a vivarium.

remember that orchids are cyclic plants. they bloom in cycles. they flower, then go dormant for a bit, then bloom again. my guess is you are growing phaelenopsis orchids and they are at the end of their bloom. just be patient, water it once a week and it will bloom again

[Heatheranne]

Bill is your man for the plants. Donlisk too.

Pothos are easy and do not require much light. Even I don't kill them, which says a lot, lol! No green thumb here .

Bill? What are these?

I've used them before. They seem to like the moisture and have nice heavy, broad leaves.

I also use dracaena and snake plants. I keep the snake plants in the areas that drain well. Broms are nice too.

I have some nice plants waiting patiently for their big tank .

[deranged chipmunk]

Heather, that looks like a Aglaonema Commutatum. i am probably wrong....lol it also looks a bit like some species of spathipyhyllum. i think someone posted a thread about that same plant a week or so ago. they said they id'd it, but never said what it is.

[deranged chipmunk]

oh yeah, i forgot, and thanks Heather for adding it. Broms are great starters. easy to grow, but slow growers. and then there are tillandsia (air plants). for the life of me, i cannot grow those stupid things. personally, i think broms and tilly's are used way too much. but they do look nice

[tinkgirl77]

Awesome! I think I'm going to drag the hubby to Lowe's to get some stuff to start making a false bottom and get some starter plants too! I'm so freaking excited, I don't think my hubby had any idea how much I was going to get into this! Ok Heather, Lynne, Bill... from the bottom of the vivarium to the top layer... using a false bottom (probably eggcrate) what do you use or you recommend?

[deranged chipmunk]

first, i recommend you get wider pvc pipe than you would think you need for your support struts under the egg crate. so that gives us now the egg crate false bottom. is this tank going to have a water feature? how far from the false bottom is the water going to be? the reason i ask is the "wicking factor". if your water level is too close to the egg crate, it will wick up moisture from below and you will have a bog, instead of a well drained tank. a few ways to combat that are to keep the water level at least an inch below the egg crate, or add hydroton (clay pellets) as a drainage layer on top of the egg crate before adding soil. a lot of people will tell you that that is not necessary, but if you are keeping a close tolerance with water levels, then i think it is necessary to avoid having soggy substrate. remember, soggy substrates grow nasty bacteria, which could affect the health of the frogs. RETF's are sensitive enough without adding another complication.

as far as substrate materials goes, you have a whole lot of options there. your best bet is start building the false bottom. take one step at a time. don't rush anything. keep in mind, this is not an instant gratification hobby. i like to call building vivs "the long con".

[tinkgirl77]

LOL Bill you are definetly right. I'm open to whatever... I'm working with an Exo Terra 18x18x24. .

I'm thinking of doing a little false bottom like this... but much, much simpler.

[tinkgirl77]

The little open part I was going to fill with large river rock pebbles (larger than the little RETF can eat). and put a filter in the corner. The pond area would give me an area to siphon the water from when needed. Do you think I need a water feature? or should I just use the filter like an exo terra repti-clear to keep it clean?

[deranged chipmunk]

i'd stay away from a water feature on your first build. they can be major headaches. what kind of filter did you plan to put in the corner? you would have to lay the repticlear on it's side, otherwise, it stands 9" or so. here's the problem, only you know what you want your tank to look like, so until you have some sort of structure built, i can only give you general ideas. the easy way out would be to get one of those rock waterfalls that holds the filter in it and utilize it flowing into your pond area. don't get me wrong, there is nothing wrong with going the easy route on your first build.

did you read over my mantella tank build yet? i think alot of your questions may be answered in it. i wrote it as a step by step detailed tutorial. and it incorporates a lot of the features it sound like you are looking for. i normally don't direct people to my build threads, but i think in this case, it might be helpful

[tinkgirl77]

Hey all what type of silicon is froggy
safe if I want to make a rock lined pond?

[tinkgirl77]

Bill, I'm not sure, how do I find it? I was thinking of a very small filter ( smallest I can find) doesn't have to be repti clear. Or I'm contemplating skipping the filter and siphoning the pond often and using eggcrate with the hydrballs on top of it. What do you think?

[deranged chipmunk]

http://www.frogforum.net/vivarium-te...aludarium.html

skipping the filter is an option, but remember that you'll have to change the water often. just take your time, plan everything out. draw it on paper if you need to. sometimes it's easier to wrap your head around the whole thing that way.

[tinkgirl77]

Hey Bill, Heather or Lynn. Are any little ferns ok? Or are there any ones that are toxic I should avoid? And y'all said for instance "begonias" does that mean all lil begonias in the terrarium section of Lee's are ok?

[deranged chipmunk]

I am not aware of any ferns that are toxic to frogs. Just remember that down the road, all ferns grow big. Expect it to die off the first few weeks, then you'll start to see new fronds appear. Most begonias will be fine. They tolerate humidity rather well. Some do get large, so research the species before you buy. Violets would also work, but they really don't like staying wet, so if you go with violets, they need to be in a dryer section of the enclosure, if there is one. Episcias (?) Are also good, as well as jewel orchids

[arielgasca420]

pothos are easy. almost impossible to kill. almost. ferns are pretty much autopilot plants. just remember that most ferns WILL grow huge if you don't keep them under control. i have a soft spot for prayer plants. i forget the species name, but a prayer plant was the first plant my mom gave me to grow when i was but a wee lad. diffenbachia as well. diff's will also grow huge, so trimming will eventually be required. these are all easily purchased at big box stores. depending on your locale, some places still have some nice plants in their garden centers, even at this time of year.

you can also use some bonsai plants. however, do research on these first. very important because some bonsai plants are of the pine family and they would only rot and die in a humid environment. i also believe pine is toxic to some frogs? but there are bonsai plants like ficus benjamina (which grow to 100+ feet in the rainforest) that can be trained to stay within the confines of a vivarium.

remember that orchids are cyclic plants. they bloom in cycles. they flower, then go dormant for a bit, then bloom again. my guess is you are growing phaelenopsis orchids and they are at the end of their bloom. just be patient, water it once a week and it will bloom again

Bill is totally spot on witht he plants and speaks my kind of language.
Maranta Leucoreua is the prayer plant. I may have mispelled it...They are awesome looking tropical plants and more vibrant than pothos. Be careful with Dieffenbachia. If you have sensitive skin like me then it is best to keep away. and by no means should you or any of your pets ever ingest this plant. There is a reason they call it the "Dumb Cane"
The bonsai family is a tough one and requires experience and constant attention and the only problem I could see is that they put off phenols which can cause respiratory problems in animals. Bill is absolutely right about Ficus benjamina. There are a few other types of plants out there that can be bonsai(ed)?