Reptile & Amphibian Forums

Yay! I got my supplies in the mail today, so now I can set up my cage. I plugged in the powersun and am figuring out where the most appropriate basking spot is. I have a thermometer positioned about a foot under the bulb and it reads 90 degrees. Doesn't feel that hot on my hand. I'm about ready to crawl underneath it and bask myself, it's only 60 outside right now. Anyhow....

I am definately in need of more folage. I know that after buying a plant, you should wash all the leaves and repot it. But is it okay to use after that, or should you wait to let the plant get any bad stuff it may have absorbed from the soil get out of its system? How exactly does a plant get something out of its system anyhow?

Well I have read up a lot on this topic and do recall that some people left it out of the cage a few weeks before using it. I also noticed that out of all the web sites and forum threads I have read that most people just used it right after the cleaning. I know that you can get some pesticide free plants at reptile depot. I myself just used it after washing them each a few times each with a good rinse. I changed the pots and replaced the top soil with pesticide and plant food free organic soil. I have seen my veiled eat the leaves a few times and eat the soil and he is just about 6 months now and doing fine.

-roo

Thanks for your reply.

A couple days ago the grounds crew was trimming garden ivy and I picked up a couple of vines to grow in my room. I looked on the interet and as best as I can id it is Hedera colchia. (note: it's the common climbing ivy, not poison ivy that give you a rash) I couldn't find it on any poisonous plants lists. But a post above says that ivy is poisonous, what ivy exactly are they talking about?

yes, Hedera spp. are toxic. Do not put it in with a veiled - also keep away from children, cats and other animals.

here are some sites for you: http://www.akca.org/library/poison.htm
http://www.naturallyhealthypet.com/toxic.htm

safe plants: http://www.geocities.com/chameleoncreatures/nontoxicplants.html

lele
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0.1 veiled - Luna
0.2 house geckos - Gaia & Tia (both MIA
0.2 felines - Kyndra and Líta
1.0 African Clawed Frog (for summer)
0.5 Mad. Hissers (for summer - all girls, no little ones, whew!)

Thanks Lele. I was using the plant links from Kammerflage Kreations, and didn't see Hedera or pothos on either of those. But the links you gave listed both as poisonous. So now I am not sure about the pothos Epipremnum aureum either. It seems like a lot of cham owners use them, but....

Looks like I'm gonna stick with Ficus benjamina, Shefflera, or Hibiscus. Now to try and find a pesticide-free greenhouse...