Reptile & Amphibian Forums

first of all i have an unknown species of Bromeliad and id like to id it.i was wondering if anyone knows a place i can go online and see one of the more common Bromeliads available.i bought it in home depot so im sure its common.second question is,it is a nice size but im wondering,as the flower grows taller,if i could cut it off and if i do,will it grow back? i love the flower(its red and fleshy) but its getting too tall and nearly touches the top of the cage.if i cut it off and if it can grow back,how long will that take?can all Bromeliads be mounted on a wall? i bought it and removed the roots from the soil and wrapped them in wet spagnum moss and then attached that to the wall.do you think it will survive like this even if its not an airplant Bromeliad?

The inflorescence will not grow back if you cut it off. The brome will produce "pups" or off-shoots which will eventually bloom if the conditions (namely light) are suitable, while the original plant will gradually die off. Depending upon the species, it may do this either soon after producing pups or much later, perhaps a year or more. Cutting the inflorescence won't kill it. Probably in a small tank, even a terrestrial bromeliad will probably grow on the bark/sphagnum or cocoas sides, since the roots will be able to reach the substrate. Can you post a picture of your brome, including the inflorescence? They are relatively easy to identify at least to genus by the flowers. One can probably rule out Neoregalia, as these blooms remain down in the central cup and aren't conspicuous.
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Patty
Pahsimeroi, Idaho

4 D. auratus blue
5 D. galactonotus pumpkin orange splash back
5 D. imitator
6 D. leucomelas
4 D. pumilio Bastimentos
4 D. fantasticus
4 P. terribilis
4 D. reticulatus
4 D. castaneoticus
2 D. azureus
4 P vittatus

>>first of all i have an unknown species of Bromeliad and id like to id it.i was wondering if anyone knows a place i can go online and see one of the more common Bromeliads available.i bought it in home depot so im sure its common.second question is,it is a nice size but im wondering,as the flower grows taller,if i could cut it off and if i do,will it grow back? i love the flower(its red and fleshy) but its getting too tall and nearly touches the top of the cage.if i cut it off and if it can grow back,how long will that take?can all Bromeliads be mounted on a wall? i bought it and removed the roots from the soil and wrapped them in wet spagnum moss and then attached that to the wall.do you think it will survive like this even if its not an airplant Bromeliad?

If you keep the moss dampened, not soaking wet it may take just fine. If it is allowed to dry out repeatedly things will not go well. If it likes it wjere it is you will see "pups in a matter of weeks. Home- depot carries many of the common varieties of broms, but without a discripition of both leaf and flower identification is impossible. I would bet some species of Guzmania though
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0.1 Colombian Boa-(Boa Constrictor Imperator) "Honey"
1.0 Hogg Isle Boa-(Boa Constrictor Imperator) "Peeker"
1.0 Brazilian Rainbow Boa-(Epicrates Cenchria) "Houdini"
1.1 Argentine Boa-(Boa Constrictor Occidentalis) "Lacie" & "Oreo"
0.0.2 Green Tree Python-(Morelia Viridis)Biak type-"Smog" & Sorong type- "un-named"
2.0 Canines Husky-Cody & Husky/Shepard-Trail
0.1 Wife-Michele
2.0 Kids-Chris & Bodhi(New born 9/14/05)

hey clint,thanks for the help and advise.as far as a green tree not benifiting from a vivarium,well i couldnt disagree more.as long as the plants are chosen and mounted with the snakes ability to disrupt them in mind,there is really no problem.live plants as well as cleaning the air and producing oxygen,also boost and maintain humidity much better than a typical pvc perched chondro cage.many people ,and it seems you too,tend to think that because most chondros and pythons for that matter,are housed in steril,easy to clean setups,thats the only right way to do it.its not that at all.the reason that most snakes are housed in these types of enclosures is only because they are easy to clean,easy to maintain,cheap,inexperienced owners can have succcess,and problems are more easily noticed with less in the tank.as far as mico organisims,viruses and bacteria.well,there are no plant illnesses that can be transmitted to reptiles ,and as far as mold,well,considering chondros high humidity needs,mold has always been a problem in my traditional setups.in a live vivarium,there is a natural ecosystem that is created,that combats the mold and is the reason why most new vivariums produce mold,only to have it dissapear and never return once the ecosystem develops.anyway,i have always kept live potted plants in with my chondros(based on trooper walshes advise)and have never had a single problem.there is no problem that can turn up in a vivarium,that wont turn up with a tank containing potted plants.i think that not only will a chondro living in a properly setup vivarium be safe,i feel its a far better choice than a setup containing plastic perches and plastic plants.when these plastic items collect dirt and feces in a creases that cant be cleaned,there is nothing prohibiting disease from growing.in a natural setup there are many benifical organisims working 24/7 cleaning and breaking down all debree.i stress properly setup and a chondro living in a dart frog setup will develop problems.the cage must be made with a chondro in mind.a false bottom with a misting system is a great way to keep the ground clean.now dont get me wrong,the snakes feces with be collected and removed.large python feces will be a problem for the tank to clean itself.basically i have kept chondros for over 10 years and now have my first pregnant female.im very excited.i know that the large breeders dont have the time to maintain a natural setup and the plastic types are their only option.but i feel that the average owners should not always follow suit and mimic these breeder setups by assuming that because they are doing it,you should to.they have a very good reason for it but the average owner will see how a chondro is a nice humid,well planted vivarium will benifit greatly.some breeders who dont use live plants,will introduce them to the enclosures because they boost chondros breeding responce.one of the most respected chondro breeders(signal herp)uses a huge live planted vivarium as a breeding chamber because they noticed how much healthier as far as mentally ,their chondros are in that setup and copulation happens a lot more often.anyway clint,i appreciate the advise as far a the broms go,(i have no experience with them) but as far as my chondros,well like i said i have been keeping them for 10 years and i feel i have a strong grip on their needs and requirements.

I never said anything about benefiting. I was speaking more in terms of balance. "If" you can achieve that balance they will not only benefit, but thrive. Leave the ego at the door, i was just pointing out a potential problem(s). Your asking alot of questions concerning basic horticulture as well putting one of these setups together is the easy part, getting things to thrive is quite another. I was just looking out for you and yours. There is a big difference between an animal living in mother nature and one living in one of our boxes. Clint
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0.1 Colombian Boa-(Boa Constrictor Imperator) "Honey"
1.0 Hogg Isle Boa-(Boa Constrictor Imperator) "Peeker"
1.0 Brazilian Rainbow Boa-(Epicrates Cenchria) "Houdini"
1.1 Argentine Boa-(Boa Constrictor Occidentalis) "Lacie" & "Oreo"
0.0.2 Green Tree Python-(Morelia Viridis)Biak type-"Smog" & Sorong type- "un-named"
2.0 Canines Husky-Cody & Husky/Shepard-Trail
0.1 Wife-Michele
2.0 Kids-Chris & Bodhi(New born 9/14/05)

i didnt notice anything in my responce that was rude.i was just stating that many tropical reptiles are far better off in a live planted vivarium and chondros are one of them.im sorry if you think it was rude but i dont feel i have an ego.im not saying you,but many people just speak for the sake of speaking and assume things that are just not true.nowhere in any of the chondro literature does it state that a chondro would be better off without live plants and many of the top keepers and breeders insist on using live vegitation for many of the same reasons its important to use vivariums when keeping darts.like i said before,plant diseases cannot be tranfered to reptiles and you also mentioned viruses.well,reptiles are cold blooded so viruses are not a problem for them,and even if they did commonly get viruses,it would be impossible to catch one from dirt,bugs,plants and water(with the exception of snake mites and ticks ,that cannot be transmitted anyway other than contact with another infected reptile).you did state "do yourself and your snake a favor and dont put him in a vivarium".i was just correcting you by stating that by providing him with a natural,live panted vivarium,i would infact be doing him a favor and he'd more likly thrive,breed and be happy.much more so than in a pvc cage.pvc and plastic harbors bacteria,does not hold humidity well,heats and holds heat unevenly and just plain does nothing to stimulate natural behaviors.now you mentioned that by providing a chondro with a natural planted vivarium id be opening the doors for all sorts of pathogens,viruses,a disease.if you could explain exactly what diseases can be transmitted to my reptile any faster in a planted cage,well maybe id understand more.like i said,as far as im conserned none.in the case of bacteria and infections,well its common knowledge that plastic does a poor job of keeping bacteria to a minimum.thats why reptile owners so often have to clean their cages with bleach ect.by doing this they not only hurt their animals by exposing them to toxic fumes,they kill off any "GOOD" micro organisims that may keep bacteria levels down.vivariums,once stablized,are great at destroying harmfull bacteria and mold.i didnt mean to insult you but i felt it important to correct you,not for my ego,but for the sake of a new owner reading what you said and taking it for the truth.its not my intention to start an argument with you and again im sorry if i came off rude,it was not my intention.