Comments on my plant selection for first frog viv!

[mark97r6]

Hey guys, after a bit of help here! Man researching the plants seems harder than when i was doing it for the frogs!!!

As well as various moss' this is a list i have come up with:

Neoregelia olens (cream edge)
Catopsis morreniana
Guzmania minor
Anthurium mini
Ficus pumila
Tradescantia fluminensis (tricolor)

I also really like the orchids, butt don't know if i dare try them in my first viv! What do you think are they generally difficult?
The ones i was thinking of are:

Encyclia cochleatum
Masdevallia aquarius

What do this list read like? Any suggestions on placement would be appreciated. Any changes you would make? If so why?

Cheers guys. The viv is going to be a 30g 36"x12"x18"
With probebly 4 or 5 D.Auratis

although i have been offered a 20" high 43g 'jewel' tank to play with! Though i didnt want to go 'too' big on my first set up, the 'jewel' does look good!! and has a lot more scope for the taller plants.

Ohh choices.... and the viv selection was sposed to be sorted!!!

Anyway what do you guys think of the plant list?

Thanks alot for reading.

[Darks!de]

Sounds good Mark, since you are doing cork bark, you can drill a small hole into it and place the neoregelia into that, keep it in place with staples or sticks for a few months to let it anchor itself. The Catopsis might be able to grow on the wall also, but I would plant it in the ground. I would put the Guzmania in a corner in the substrate, it could get big. The Ficus and Tradescantia will cover your cork bark eventually, so plant them along the back wall. Depending on how much light you decide to put on the tank, they might take over the tank fairly quickely without pruning. I personally don't like those anthuriums, but you could plant that in a wet substrate close to a water feature.

I wouldn't attempt orchids in a first tank. They are very touchy in such an environment and require a very good air circulation, like a fan. That would be a pain for you to incorporate into the viv, and might greatly lower your humidity. There are not many sp that would do well in there anyway.

Luke

[mark97r6]

Thanks again for the reply Luke, and for all the comments!

Thats what i thought about the orchids! I probebly have enough on my plate being new with the frogs.

Would this mix be considered a low/high light tank? Will the 100watts be ok?
Does this sound like a nice mix to you? Or does it need a bit of something else? Maybe some ferns for a bit of texture?
I find it very hard to visulise the plants together.

Also i think i am going to stick with the 3' 30g tank, as i can get a bit of cash for the Jewel one to fund the project. And i dont want to lose my frogs in their!
Thanks again

[Darks!de]

Maybe get something like a lemon button fern and also look at some saginellas to cover the substrate a bit.

Your plants would grow pretty crazy under 100w, you would be fine with 50-70 also.

Luke

[mark97r6]

Ok cool, thanks again for the help and i will look those plants up.

Stay near that keyboard Luke, i may(read definetly will :lol: ) need to keep picking your brains over the next few weeks!

Thanks again

[AceKing]

im going to push my own tastes.

Neos
EOZ, and other varigated varieties (not real familiar with olens)

Background,
peperomias (japonica, nitidia, mettalica columbiana, the watermelons, sp costa rica,) and dischidia ruscifolia, java moss

terrestials

V. Racinae, Guzmania minor (nice choice)

foliage.
standard philos cheap and easy. also i like begonias alot

jewel orchids are cant miss. get a standard one it will grow like a weed.

[alexislake]

I would recommend Fittonia and peperomia plants. Also, Ludisia discolor is a good terrestrial orchid that's easy to grow. It likes shade and moist soil. Encyclia cochleata might get too big if you don't have a big tank and Masdevalia orchids are very finicky about the temps they like. Miniature dendrobium species like Den. jenksii might work. Also, small orchids like mounted pleurothallis and platystele might work. Dendrochilum orchids might like the moistness and humidity of a tank. Bromeliads and moisture loving begonias might also work. Ferns are supposed to like frog tanks.