Plants

[MikeM670]

I just ordered two types of Creeping Fig off off Ebay. I could not find any local.

Creeping Fig Plant - Ficus pumila - 3" Pot

Mini Oakleaf Creeping Fig -Terrarium/Topi​ary/HousePlant

[poison beauties]

Keep in mind almost everyone kills the oakleaf creeping fig. Its usually a pain to keep thriving without air circulation.

Michael

[j3000]

Thanks alot I love this. It was going to be my next question I learning exactly what I was wondering.

I had a hydra system back in high school but that was for some other green stuff, I useto add blue berry extract too the water..

[clownonfire]

I just ordered two types of Creeping Fig off off Ebay. I could not find any local.

Creeping Fig Plant - Ficus pumila - 3" Pot

Mini Oakleaf Creeping Fig -Terrarium/Topi​ary/HousePlant

Mike, I just planted these two today in mine. The breeder says good light (6700 Kelvin), lots of humidity (2 good mistings per day) and good aeration. I'll keep you posted about mine, and good luck with yours!

[poison beauties]

Both of those do well under a well lit viv and good humidity but well drained soil. The also do well in a clay background. Good air circulation is a must for the oak leaf to thrive. Its a pricier plant because everyone kills it.

Michael

[clownonfire]

Both of those do well under a well lit viv and good humidity but well drained soil. The also do well in a clay background. Good air circulation is a must for the oak leaf to thrive. Its a pricier plant because everyone kills it.

Michael

Michael, as always, thank you!!

[poison beauties]

Are those the only plants your using? There are many Hoya, Dischidia, Philodendron, Peperomia, Pilea, and other species that thrive in vivs. Also many others with larger leaves like palms, Anthuriums, and Alocasia.

Michael

[clownonfire]

Are those the only plants your using? There are many Hoya, Dischidia, Philodendron, Peperomia, Pilea, and other species that thrive in vivs. Also many others with larger leaves like palms, Anthuriums, and Alocasia.

Michael

Michael, wasn't sure if you were speaking to Mike or myself, but the two ficus are just some that I am using... If you visit my thread, you'll see all the ones I've planted and a photo of the viv that I have finished: http://www.frogforum.net/vivarium-te...g-forum-4.html

Now it will settle for 3 months before introducing the plants.

Mike, I'm sorry for taking some of your thread space.

[John]

Oak Leaf = dismal failure for me. "Ordinary" creeping fig (Ficus pumila) is everywhere in my terrariums. I'm looking at a terrarium full of it right now.

[MikeM670]

Michael,

Thanks for the info on the mini oak leaf creeping fig. I was unaware of this issue with needing more air circulation. Now if memory serves me right I read somewhere that a lot of air circulation is not a good thing for dart frogs. Can a balance be achieved to support both in the tank?


Eric,

Your not taking away from me...this was Don's thread originally. Besides with this conversation I have learned something new.

[poison beauties]

Yes air circulation and humidity can be maintained together with a few tricks. vents are one way but it doesnt get the air moving. Computer fans do well but you will need to build a unit to hold it and set mount it in the lid of the viv.
Its not just oak leaf that doesnt do well. Many Bromeliads and other phlos, hoyas, dishidia and orchids need moving air to thrive as moisture on the leafs are a death sentence.

I will set you up with a few links on this if I can dig them up. Otherwise I will include a detailed build of it in the thread Im working on for a monster viv build.

Michael

[MikeM670]

I'll be looking forward to what you can provide information wise.

[DonLisk]

OK, so a 3 hour drive one way turned out to be a great day, just getting home at 9pm and left at 10am.

Black Jungle is pretty awesome. Learned a ton, saw some pretty amazing plants, frogs, and too much to make the mind start spinning on what or home many vivs to do next. Dang, that was or is going to be bad for the wallet :-)

Picked up a Juvi Dendrobates Leucomelas, one new plant, some jungle pods, fruit fly culturing supplies and a new piece of wood for the viv :-)
I'll get some pics up tomorrow on my build thread.

[clownonfire]

OK, so a 3 hour drive one way turned out to be a great day, just getting home at 9pm and left at 10am.

Black Jungle is pretty awesome. Learned a ton, saw some pretty amazing plants, frogs, and too much to make the mind start spinning on what or home many vivs to do next. Dang, that was or is going to be bad for the wallet :-)

Picked up a Juvi Dendrobates Leucomelas, one new plant, some jungle pods, fruit fly culturing supplies and a new piece of wood for the viv :-)
I'll get some pics up tomorrow on my build thread.

Very nice Don. Can't wait to hear about it all!

[DonLisk]

It was definitely a long day of driving but well worth the trip.

We departed at 10am not sure if Black Jungle would be open since they do not open when they are doing shows. I left them a message at 10am that if they were open, please call since I would be two hours into the trip. They called right at 12 noon, when they opened.

What a nice shop and very friendly and informative. The frog breeding and display area is pretty much the whole store. Beautiful vivs, many breeding pairs of frogs and tadpoles and clutches everywhere.

If its for building a viv, or caring for a frog, they probably have it.
We selected a few supplies for making our own cultures since I learned the cultures I set up had dye in the excelsior. We also picked out some wood and then added in the last Bumblebee dart they had available. Hes a tiny little one :-)

We then went into their plant section which was a jungle in itself. Producing plants everywhere. They definitely have some of the coolest plants and we had to bring one home.

After seeing too much to fathom, my head spun with the though of how many vivs I could do after seeing theirs.

We left and started back when we realized that our granddaughter was to be coming home from staying with relatives about 1 hours out of our way. Snows coming so we call and try to coordinate the pick up. 1 exit before having to select north to home or south to get her, we get the call to make it happen.

Good thing for phone GPS systems. We got into Brockton Ma and called to get directions or an address. It was a really lucky day since we plugged in the address and we were only 4 blocks from the house. Nice.
Well, the day ended getting in just before 9pm. I did a few changes to the viv, adding the plant, removing the coco hut, removing the cork bark that was on the right side floor, and adding in the jungle pods and piece of wood we bought.

I then decided to put the dart right in, hes definitely healthy, coming from a place that knows darts, and did not seem to stressed at all.

I set the cup in and he stayed there for a few minutes and then made his way into the viv.

I left things be and this morning he was ready for some fruit flies :-)
When the two met, they had no interest in anything other than, wow, food.

Both are out now, no confrontations, both have no fear of standing next to each other so I think things went well.

This was absolutely a great day.
New pics can be found here of the viv changes.

New pics of the little dart can be found here.

[clownonfire]

It sounds like a wonderful day, Don. I did see the same thing as you when I visited the breeder yesterday: how wet the terrariums were, not just humid. You could see the soil damp...

Looking forward to a trip like yours. E.

[MikeM670]

Don,

Your so lucky with a place close enough to visit and experience such a place. Just the fact you could see their viv's and learn from that would of been worth the trip. I probably would of burned the plastic a bit too much there if I had gone.

[DonLisk]

Don, have you worked a bit on your plants after this thread? As your viv must be my favorite one (sorry, everyone else...), I'm curious to see if you made any modifications.

Have you ever used moss too? Or try to attach some on wood? I'll attempt this today while planting the plants to mine.

Well, the plants in the viv have gone nuts so I just cut some back last night.
The Creeping fig is going across the back of the viv as hoped but has also gone in many other directions.

Hypoestes Polka Dot has grown to the top glass and I cut that way back. I'm hoping it will stay lower and spread mor across the bottom.

The Lemon Button is doing awesome and has covered most of the stump it was planted into. I trimmed some of that back also.

The Cryptanthus is looking great and the pup that was buried in with the larger plants has finally sprouted new growth from the center. (Fig was beginning to grow over it so that was trimmed)
Viv is looking great as are the darts its home too.


Hows the new viv there? Once spring comes I may collect some local moss and try moving some into a viv to see how it takes.

[DonLisk]

Don,

Your so lucky with a place close enough to visit and experience such a place. Just the fact you could see their viv's and learn from that would of been worth the trip. I probably would of burned the plastic a bit too much there if I had gone.

I think once my job closes and I become unemployed this summer, I may use some of the severance to make a new large planted viv from the plants at this place. Its 3 hours one way but definitely worth the trip.

Mike, hows the moss doing? I can't wait to see more videos :-)

[MikeM670]

Don,

So sorry to hear about your pending job loss. Do you have any plans for something new?

The tank looks great but the pump went belly up already. Last night I turned the power off for a few seconds and it did not come back on. It might just be must clogged. I turn off the power every few days to let the water in the vertical pipe back flush down out of th filter and remove any stuff up against the intake. sponge filter around the pump. If its fried I will be off to the local Lowe's for a more heavy duty water pump.

It was a bad night as one of the tubes on my compact florescent light went out. I decided to bring up the light from my daughters unused tank to put over it for the time being. It's too big to really use long term.