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need advice on bromeliads, airplants, and prayer plants
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need advice on bromeliads, airplants, and prayer plants
#1
I plan on getting some tiny bromeliad plants for my frog's new tank but want to avoid a problem I've had in the past: the plants have stayed too wet in the middle and in the soil, leading to quick rotting of the bromeliad. How can I keep the plants from rotting like they did before? I also want to know how to add airplants to a piece of cork bark that is to be added to the tank by december. Also, I recently got some small prayer plants from one of the local chain stores (you know, Walmart, Kmart, etc.) and want to know if it requires any extra care and if I need to change the soil due to possible fertilizer in the soil. The tank is a 10 gallon tank with a wire lid. Any advice would be appreciated.
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#2
hey,

I have tried several different tank styles and it seems to me the best way to keep the aroids stationary and stable is to drill holes into the bark where you plan on attaching the plants. This will help secure the roots and give the cork bark a good look. I used this technique with my Azureus and she actually took up residence behind one of the aroids. She sleeps there every night. I would recommend using fishing line or something comparable to secure the plants though, she gets in there and pushes until she has just about dislodged the plant. Nothing that can't be put back, but it makes the maintenance easier. I would also recommend looking at Black jungle for some how to's. I used their 4 ft tall tank as a guideline for a couple of tanks. They turned out great and the plants are doing really well. As far as the Broms go; I have lost a few with trial and error too. I had the most success using clay pellets on the bottom of the tank with a screen layer in between the coco substrate and the pellets. This gives you a buffer zone and the roots don't sit in the water. Broms typically need the water in the middle, so I think if you try it this way you might be successful too. Lastly, I would highly recommend using all glass or at least plexiglass for all or most of the top. Two reasons for this. First, the frogs need high humidity levels to be maintained properly. If you use screen across the entire top, you will not be able to maintain proper levels. Second, Fruit flies are small and notorious for getting out of even the finest of screen mesh. When I first got into PDF's I used a mesh top for about 2 days. Every time I put flies in the tank they would scurry up the sides and out into the living room where my tanks reside. Needless to say, my fiance really had a problem with the frogs after that. I quickly switched to all glass and haven't had those problems since.

Just a thought or 3,

Brent
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#3
Brent,

Do you have any vents in your tank? Or is there adequate oxygen even if the tank is completely covered in glass?

I'd prefer to go the glass way completely, but I didn't want to risk smothering my frogs...

Thank you!

Jason
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#4
tons of folks use all glass....it's very hard to make an airtight seal, so don't worry about the frogs. i like a bit of ventilation (small 1/2 to 1 inch strip), but it is to have a bit of air movement to help the plants with mold and other issues. mini orchids and other plants commonly used in vivs need a bit of airflow to keep from rotting. also with plants bought from commercial nurseries you have to worry about pesticides as well as fertilizer. one trick is to replant with as little soil as possible, and put the plants in your shower under running water for 30 minutes-ish. a better solution is to look at dart-specific sites like galss amazon (aceking in this site), black jungle, or cloud jungle epiphytes.

signed holly woodlawn's panties
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#5
I finally fixed up the tank. I changed to a 20 gallon tank to allow for more plants. I used a mixture of half peat moss, half cypress mulch, mixed altogether for the bottom layer of soil. Then I mad a mixture of half peat moss and half fine coconut orchid mix (chopped coconut pieces, alifor, charcoal, and sponge rock) that were mixed together for the top layer of soil. The plants that I decided on for putting in the tank were Tillandsia cyanea '3D', a small bromeliad, Frittonia 'White Brocade', Frittonia 'Red Vein', Peperomia 'Golden Gate', Silver Philodendrum, and Creeping ficus. So far, the frog's favorite plant is Creeping ficus that it likes to hide in. I also have a cocohut and water dish in the tank. Except for the Tillandsia cyanea and small bromeliad, the rest come from Exotic Angel. I did let the plants keep their original soil, though. The small bromeliad came from some company that was selling them at last year's fall festival. I'll post pictures of it when I get the pictures up on my website.
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#6
hello alexislake, sounds like a very nicely planted viv. what is alifor? i really like gardening, but just have a few orchids and just know what i need to to keep them alive(not much). anyway i'm interested in soil mixes, and was just wondering. also is sponge rock the small grained lava rock which is sometimes called pumice?
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#7
Thanks mack!

I like your signature on that last one! LOL...

I planned on having most of my top covered with glass and remainder covered with mesh or screen of some sort (want to avoid having fruit flies crawling all over my house!).

Also, I plan on buying most of my plants from a local nursery who doesn't use pesitcides, but even with that, I'm still going to clean them very well (who knows what happened to them BEFORE they got to this nursery!).

I'll be posting pics as soon as I get my viv up and running. Just have to round up coco bark and and driftwood and I'll be ready to go!

Jason
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