Reptile & Amphibian Forums

hello, its me again.

i have some questions on plants.

today i jost got three small broms from bachmans. i'm pretty sure that they have all sorts of chemical bunk on them.
so i was wondering what should i do before placing said plants in my vivarium?

also how well do hoya plants do in a viv. i'm doing no soil as a substrate so any plants that will grow hydroponicly will suit me well.

thanks
again

ashley
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"I’m scared of those nasty big-eyed grey aliens, too. I think it’s that I don’t understand their motivations. I am confident of my ability to out-think, out-con, or if need be, tire-iron-upside-the-head demonic forces, ghosts and goblins, things that go bump in the night, etc. It’s the notion of something that doesn’t have any desire to talk to me except via anal probe that freaks me out"

You can just wash off the bromes in relatively hot soapy water, rinse and attach them to your backgrounds. Just peg them to it, and they will take hold. The epiphytic bromeliads are the easiest in this respect, as they don't have to be rooted in soil. Hoyas will not do well in most vivariums. They need a lot more light than we can provide in a dart frog situation--even full sun for part of a day. They also generally grow too large for a confined environment.
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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

thanks for the reply.

what other fun epiphytic plants could i add to my back ground? right now i have airplants, an ant plant, a tropical cactus, a cost rician peperomia. what other plants would be a fun mix for hydroponics beside pothos, philodendrons, and ivies?

thanks again
ashley
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"I’m scared of those nasty big-eyed grey aliens, too. I think it’s that I don’t understand their motivations. I am confident of my ability to out-think, out-con, or if need be, tire-iron-upside-the-head demonic forces, ghosts and goblins, things that go bump in the night, etc. It’s the notion of something that doesn’t have any desire to talk to me except via anal probe that freaks me out"

The tropical epiphytic cacti Rhipsalis sp. are fun and interesting. R. paradoxa is one of my favorite. It looks like soda straws that have been pinched in alternating directions. Some other bromes like Tillandsias, while not providing water filled axils, may do well close to your light source. There are hundreds of different species. Most of the blooms are pretty and interesting, and many of them are miniatures. The wooly leafed ones need to dry off between mistings. It you have a high, relatively dry location, you might try Ceropegia woodii. I have grown the group as house plants, and tried the C. woodii in one vivarium. However, I had it placed near some falls and think it got splashed too much, so rotted. It is somewhat succulent, so doesn't appreciate wet roots at all. However, it is a fascinating little vine that looks like strings of small reticulated hearts, and the red-brown/checkered blooms are unique, for lack of a better term. They are of the same family as Hoyas (Asclepidaceae). The stinky succulent Stapelias, which blooms smell like carion are also related, but are decidedly cacti-like, so much of the family demands sun and somewhat dry conditions over all. I'm going to try the C. woodii again in a better location with my next project before giving up on it. The photo is a rooted cutting, but it is definitely a hanging vine with maturity.

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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

Depending on the brom, if it is stoloniferious (spelling??) I just shove the stolon into the foam.. those with roots, I usually use goop (a silicone like glue that dries clear, and pretty quicky) to mount them. Sometimes I will use bamboo stakes or thread to help hold the brom in place until the goop sets up. You can also use a small piece of weed eater line to hold them in place.. just bend the line into a horseshoe shape and shove it into the foam with the brom in the middle..

As for cleaning them.. warm soapy water.. rinse them well..
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