If you attach Bromeliads to driftwood, you can use some long brown sphagnum wrapped around the driftwood and attach both moss and plants with dental floss or cotton string. (The cotton string will eventually disintegrate by the time the roots secure the plant.) If the Bromeliads have been in soil, trim the roots back before attaching. New ones will start for securing the plant. Another good epiphyte media is pressed cocoas fiber board that can be siliconed to the back of the tank. The bromes can be pegged to this with toothpicks or bamboo skewers. They are watered by the misting you will be doing for your frogs, with a little extra squirt into the leaf axils.



Some of my favorite plants that tolerate wet soil are the Selaginellas. They are ferny and dainty. Lilianopsis braziliensis. Mondo grass and Java moss like boggy conditions. Cyperus fertilis is a nice dwarf cyperus that sends out arching stems with tiny new plants on the ends. These are easily controlled by simply clipping off any you don't want to root. Chlorophytum composum tolerates a lot of water. There is also a neat little "duck foot" ivy with tiny leaves that will creep along the ground to form a nice groundcover. Pileas and Peperomias tolerate damp conditions. Reserve any ferns for the better drained areas, but most of the dwarf tropical species do well in terrariums. Avoid the larger species of anything, of course. Heart fern, tropical maindenhairs (Adiantum sp.) are nice. The list of great plants is nearly endless. I've used everything from different species of Gesneriads (lovely blooms) where there is good light, dwarf begonias, to the smaller orchids. My advice would be to stick to the dwarf species of anything, however. Things can get really rambunctious under tropical terrarium conditions.



The substrate that was suggested to you works just fine, is clean and drains well. I prefer Jungle Mix, which is a potting soil type substrate without added fertilizers, over a gravel/charcoal base, but there is more than one way to do it.



To me, the plants are nearly as much fun as the frogs--but not quite. If you are interested in sources for the more rare terrarium species, e-mail me and I'll send you a list of some of those that have web site catalogs and don't charge an arm and a leg.



Have fun and be sure to post some pictures if you can.
-----
Patty

Lost River, Idaho



D. auratus blue

D. galactonotus

D. imitator

D. leukomelas

D. pumilio Bastimentos (soon)

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