Plants

[Wolf777]

Hi guys I would like to know if the following plants will have any negative effects on my snakes if I use them in a vivarium:



If you have any other plants in mind, I would appreciate it.

[roadkill456]

This is very interresting, after seeing the overseas guys nice natural set-ups.

I would also like to know what plants can or should be used for natural set-ups.

[Fooble]

Do you know what they are called? That may help?
Sorry i know nothing about plants.

I know the Ficus tree's are safe most chameleon keepers use them.

[roadkill456]

Ja, I am also aware that the Ficus is recommended for chameleons, but if you use them, the cage would have to be pretty big for them to fit.

Im thinking some smallish ferns or shrubs...but I also know nothing about plants.

[eyed_lizard]

Most plants are fine but there are the few that are not, no idea what they are, majority of plant's sold for indoor use or "low light" plants are fine, and I have been using some for some time.
But I cannot remember the names sorry, there was site with a list of plants where I got my information from.

[mailjvdb]

The first plant is a Syngonium, and the second one looks like Spathiphyllum. Both would work just fine, but remember that although fluorescent tubes produce the right type of light for plants to grow, that the lights need to be very close (no further than 20cm away, even that is allready streching it a bit) in order for the plants to thrive. Also ventilation is very important when considering a planted vivarium. Other low light plants is Chlorophytum (hen met kuikens) Ophiopogon spp (mondi grass)
most small ferns, and also Monstera (delicious monster) and the Philodendron species would work. Some small species of palms work well, like love palms. Basically most plants that do well in heavy-shaded, moist areas will work fine in vivariums.

If you all need help with plants just ask

[mailjvdb]

Also look into Aglaonema spp. They do well under low light conditions, and as mentioned the small ficus's work well.

I wont recommend cacti or succulents, as MOST have high light requirement, and you will be replacing them all to often, but there are a few that might work.

Try using normal energy saving bulbs (compact fluorescent) The are great for plant growth, better than tubes or what-not.

[Urucone]

Firstly, you need a propper filtration system, next step is to get plant food in a liquid form and you have to mix peat moss with a little potting soil
I recomend aristocrat plants,ficus,star of india,dwarf umbrella plants,elephant bush,baboo palms,dwarf fish - tail palm, philodendron xanado, there is hundreds other's.
It's nice to experiment with live plants, If you add a 2% UVB bulb, it promote's allot better plant growth in your vivarium.
You can run plants on a neodium basking lamp aswell, but the growth is a little less dense.

[mailjvdb]

Bromeliads are also nice, cause they don't need much water, aslong as there is some water in the reservoir in the middle of the plant.b The can also be attached to driftwood or a natural background, as this is how most of them grow naturally. Ivy (Hadera) also work great, even pieces that has been cut off and stuck into the moist substrate lasts weeks, and sometimes even roots.

To create a nice green look on the bottom I always use the Ophiopogon japonicus "mini" (mini mondo grass). I have plenty available at R3.00/1lt bag Plantlant will be asking R20+

[mailjvdb]

And if you really want to go all out... Get yourself a 70w Metal halide floodlight + fitting and ballast. You will be able to grow most plants under the sun in your vivarium, just watch out as metal halides put out a lot of heat. I you want a arid setup with cacti and succulents, use the 70w Highpresure sodium floodlight. Remember Metal halide and Highpressure sodium uses different ballasts!

Metal halide - Good for most plants and vegetative growth

High pressure sodium - Good for high-light plants and flowering plants

[mailjvdb]

Firstly, you need a propper filtration system, next step is to get plant food in a liquid form and you have to mix peat moss with a little potting soil

Just make sure that the plants are not overwatered, and that there isn't any waterlogged soil. Pebbles at the bottom of the viv works well. Most plants hate for their roots to be constantly wet, and the key is to have the substrate moist, not soaked. And then again: ventilation ventilation ventilation. A planted vivarium heats up real quick.
Quick fact: did you know that the temprature inside a leaf that is photosynthesizing may be as much as 35-48 degrees celsius...

I never use fertilizer, and my opinion is a good potting soil has most nutrients as plants tend to use a lot less fertilizer in conditions such as a vivarium. But I would recommend Seagro or Nitrosol to anyone wanting to buy fertilizer for their setup, stay away from chemicals and always use organic.

[Wolf777]

That's the kind of responses I've been looking for, thanks guys. I know next to nothing about plants and the info provided excellent.

[mailjvdb]

Only glad to help. Lol, maybe a bit overeager,hahaha,sorry all!

If any of you need any help with plants feel free to PM or post it, I have some fair knowledge, and hands on experience with plants, and also have some fair know-how of the artificial light needed for plant growth.

If I have enough time, I will try and comply a list of easily available plants that might very-well/possibly work in vivariums, that might be very helpful to all of you. I can also include a list of what types of lights work well for plant growth, and discuss that a bit more in detail, but all in due time

[Hustler]

I've got evergreen grass, and a few different types of plants and moss growing very well. As mentioned, your lighting, filtration and a good potting soil play a very big role in how well the plants grow. I have 1 light saving bulb in the tank, plastic at the bottom of the tank, river sand type stones (I took normal river sand and just shook all the sand off, yes it was tiring lol), then pebbles, that green mesh, then mosquitoe netting and then Sphagum Peat, and then finally the soil. All the plants as well as the tanks inhabitant are all doing very well I hardly ever water the cage at all because I have it as a 30% water and 70% land tank and I have a heating pad heating the water which makes the cage humid and all I do is mist the cage every odd week and everything is still doing extremely well and all keep growing.

[mailjvdb]

Note,I have obviously not tried all of these plants or even half of them, but this is a pretty decent list of plants you guys can try... Bonsais don't work well, as they are trees, and although small at that, they need decent amount of bright light in order to prosper and survive, although a select few species may work.


Plants that would work in theory in artificial conditions. (Reagarding size,use, light & water requirements, and lastly also appeal):
.
A
* Acorus gramineus (goundcover)
*Adiantum (Ferns)
*Aechmea (Bromeliad)
*Aglaonema (Aluminum plant)
*Some small hybrids of Alocasia (Elephant ears)
*Anthurium (Pig-ear)
*Asparagus (Katstert)
*Aspidistra (Pot Iron Plant)
*Aslenium (Fern)

B
*Bambusa (Bamboo)
* Some species of Begonia (Feature plant)
*Blechnum (Fern)
*Bromelia (Feature plant)

C
*Caladium (Angel wings)
*Calathea (Feature plant)
*Callisa (Ground cover)
*Caryota (Feature plant)
*Castanospernum (Feature plant)
*Chamaedorea (Palm)
*Chlorophytum (Hen met kuikens)
*Chrysalidocarpus(Feature plant)(Feature plant)
*Chrysanthemum(Feature plant)
*Clivia(Bush lilly)
*Codiaeum(Feature plant)
*Cordyline(Feature plant)
*Ctenanthe(Feature plant)
*Cyclamen(Feature plant)
*Cymbidium(Orchid)
*Cyperus(Papyrus sp.)

D
*Davallia (Fern)
*Dendrobium (Orchid)
*Dieffenbachia (Very poisonous )
*Dracaena (Feature plant)
*Drosera (Carnivorous)

E
*Eichhornia (Water Hyacinth)
*Epipremnum (Devils Ivy)
*Euonymus (Feature plant)
*Euterpe (Palm)

That concludes my list up to E. Will post more later on, gotta run...