# Invert Planted Terraria and Vivaria



## GRB (Jan 24, 2008)

*









Planting a Viv *

Generally, you have to consider planting whilst you are considering décor and substrate, before you add your pet. It’s not a disaster to add plants to an enclosure, but its best to try to keep disturbance to a minimum once established.

Another good idea is to research your animals’ natural habitat and try to mimic it, or use that as a basis for ideas. If it’s a desert animal, then some rainforest plants are not a good idea. 

With planted vivs, you will need more substrate than normal – I’d recommend at least 3” or so to accommodate most small plants. It’s also an idea to leave them in their pots, to allow them to be removed easily for maintenance or in the event of death. 

With T’s that web heavily, its probably a greater challenge to create a planted tank – I’d avoid any small leaved plants and go for big robust, fast growing plants that will deal with the attentions of the spider.

(sorry about the sizes of some of this pics, they looked nice!)


*“Jungle Types”*


What I mean here are conditions where you’re invert will typically be after a normal humidity of 70% + and a temp range of between 14 – 28C or so.

There are lots of options here, but mainly look for plants that will tolerate shade and mechanical damage – my own curly-hair often broke many fern fronds and webbed over them. Having something that tolerates this sort of constant damage is a must. 

Another point is that you'll probably have more success with fewer large plants, and more simple plants such as mosses and lichen. I cant recommend mosses enough - they can be easily collected, store humidity and make a great display when grown alongside larger specimen plants. There's no easier way to get rid of that "sterile" look than by adding some mosses to the container, along with decaying leaves, twigs etc. I really wish I still had my 2ft glass tanks set up to show pics of - alas, my pets are in large RUBs now because I move often. 

*Substrates: *

Coir block and chemical free composts are a good start, especially when mixed with sphagnum moss to retain water. In this sort of setting, it can be difficult not to over water the enclosure, but with practice you can control the humidity and condensation. 

Sand/Grit is a good idea to add – it improves drainage and a 1/2” layer at the bottom of the tank will allow excess water to pool and should stop the soil becoming waterlogged at the risk of your invert’s health. Vermiculite/ perlite (or Hortag) are also good alternatives to grit, and are completely inert so won’t react in any way to damage or poison your pet. 

Light is hard to get correct initially – although if your room is fairly bright, you will probably only have to add a little extra light for adequate growth. Try to keep the bulb at least a few inches away from any foliage lest the plant become overheated or scorched. 

The aim is for the plants to grow slowly, so fertiliser is not needed (and may damage your inverts anyway).

Have a look at this website for some great ideas for viv plants that would be suitable for tropical set ups:

http://www.dartfrog.co.uk/plants.html

The ones I have actually tried include many of the bromeliads and various fern species and numerous mosses. I would stay away from carnivorous plants and Orchids unless you are familiar with them outside of a viv (I‘ll explain later). The names are in Latin, so if you just copy them into google, you will find the exact plant – the common names are often misleading. 

Some suggested plants:

_Cryptanthus sp. – eg Cryptanthus acaulis_
_Neoregelia sp._
_Vriesea sp._
_Tillandsia sp._
_Cissus sp._
_Ficus sp. – especially Ficus pumila_
_Muehlenbeckia complexa_
_Pellonia repens_

_Philodendron sp. _
_Tradescantia sp. _
_Asplenium nidus_
_Athyrium spicatum_
_Tillandsia usneoides (below)_

_Cordyline terminalis_
_Dracaena sanderiana_
_Chamaedorea elegans_


_







_










Above: Too bad this communal H.incei tank uses silk plants, otherwise it would be a great planted viv. Something like this is easily attainable with real plants however and this is a great inspiration for those willing to try the real thing. The basic parts are already there - light, moisture and deep soil. 

Desert / semi arid Types:

By desert, I mean something with humidity <70% and typically with an open, sandy substrate. Think of most yellow scorpions and Solifuge species as typical inhabitants of this sort of invert set up. 

Soil should be well drained and with plenty of added grit. A layer of grit about 3" deep should be placed at the bottom to catch any excess water, and if you have a burrowing animal, then this should really be fenced off in some manner (think similar to undergravel filters in fish tanks). Watering should be seldom, especially if succulents are used.

This type of set up will likely have fewer plants than a tropical set up – if for aesthetic reasons if nothing else. General advice would be to stay away from cacti or spiky succulents. 

Suggested plants would be things like Stone-plants (Family _Aizoaceae_ or _Ficoidaceae_). These are smooth and safe, and because of their deep growing style are unlikely to be damaged too much with the burrowing activity of the animal. 

You are really spoiled for choice within the stone-plants and other related species, I can’t really list too many species here – suffice to say, you are safe with anything that isn’t spiky…

Suggested planting:

_Pleiospilos nelii_
_Senecio mandraliscae_
_Dinteranthus wilmotianus_










Above: This sort of natural planting is a perfect inspiration for a planted viv for something like a solifuge. 

_







_

_A UK plant, Sedum anglicum. This succulent will happily survive in the cooler semi arid viv. _











This is a great little stone plant, and suitable for a desert type viv. 


*Carnivorous plants and orchids*


These can be a bit of a headache at times. 

Orchids: These should thrive, but more often than not, you find people struggling. Obviously, they are rainforest plants, but they often require cooler conditions than people realise and ambient light levels. What is most likely to throw the beginner is the need for winter dormancy in some species.

I would suggest that Orchids only be tried by people who have grown them outside of containers first, or who are comfortable regulating the moisture level within the viv – orchids HATE having their roots permanently waterlogged. 

*Carnivorous plants* – a favourite of mine. These have a tough reputation, in my opinion unfounded. However, in the invert viv, you have to be selective. Many of the large _Nepenthes_, _Sarracenia_ and _Drosera_ are to be avoided – these plants prey on sometimes very large inverts, and your pet is no exception. 

Most carnivores need pretty humid conditions and wet soils, which can be a problem for inverts. 

A quick solution would be to plant the carnivore in a saucer in the viv – the saucer collects more water than the surrounding soil, thus accommodating both plant and animal better.

My suggested carnivores to grow would be:

_Utricularia reneformis_
_U. sandersonii_
_U.__ graminifolia_
_U. calycifida_

Most of the _Utricularia_ sp. The 4 above are easily available and are very pretty plants. 

_Cephalotus follicularis (below)– _this is a tiny austrailian pitcher plant, easy to grow and very pretty. Most adult T’s and scorps will be safe from it, as the traps are only 1cm diameter. 











I don’t recommend venus flytraps, larger pitcher plants (Sarracenia or nepenthes) or sundews. Its too likely that your invert will eventually become prey to these plants as they grow, or at the very least, the mucus from the sundews could stress your pet. Other types of carnivores do exist, but they again tend to be either difficult to get hold of, expensive and ultimately, unsuitable for use with inverts.

If anyone wants advice on culturing specific carnivores, please pm me, I’ve grown many species since I was 14 and have a decent knowledge of how to grow them. 

I’ve left specific growth advice out of this as its way beyond the scope of it to cover all the plants mentioned. Hopefully this will give a decent grounding in how to make planted vivs. 



Good links:

http://www.desertusa.com/flora.html#cactus

http://www.pitcherplant.com/terrarium.html

http://www.dartfrog.co.uk/plants.html

http://hgic.clemson.edu/factsheets/HGIC1457.htm

http://www.blackjungle.com/basics.htm

http://www.hantsflytrap.com/ - Fantastic carnivorous plant website, Matthew is a decent guy, and I used to chat to him at a lot of the Scottish plant exhibitions. His plants are top notch, never had problems from him.


----------



## daz30347 (Aug 30, 2007)

Great Article, Cheers GRB!!!!


----------



## monitorfan666 (Feb 15, 2007)

dude, ive been waiting for you to do this!! haha 

awesome thread, very helpful, needs to be sticky'd


----------



## GRB (Jan 24, 2008)

monitorfan666 said:


> dude, ive been waiting for you to do this!! haha
> 
> awesome thread, very helpful, needs to be sticky'd


Hey dude, thanks.

If you need help with carnivores, i'd be happy to offer advice on specifics. Hopefully this thread will develop into a plant discussion thread and we can get some pics up etc.


----------



## monitorfan666 (Feb 15, 2007)

GRB said:


> Hey dude, thanks.
> 
> If you need help with carnivores, i'd be happy to offer advice on specifics. Hopefully this thread will develop into a plant discussion thread and we can get some pics up etc.


awesome, i have a question lol

regarding venus fly traps, i know you say that inverts may become prey to some species, but for something like an adult Heterometrus Cyaneus, what do you reckon? does it depend on how large the fly traps grow to (which i dont know haha)


----------



## GRB (Jan 24, 2008)

With a venus flytrap, its not so much the possibility that your pet will become prey (the traps are only likely to get 1" big at most), its more that the plant is quite fragile. 

If your Het was to continually walk over the plant, stimulate traps to close without prey inside, break eaves etc, the plant wouldnt last long. 

The other issue is that a venus flytrap grows best when sitting in a saucer of water, under pretty intense sunlight - I dont use ANY shading on my greenhouse, and it gets full sunshine at all times. The plants love it, and grow amazingly. In normal viv conditions that you'd keep your Het under, there probably would be insufficient light unless you want to bake your scorp. I've seen pics of these plants in the wild basically waterlogged under full sun, and they get huge. 

Theres also the possibility that a trap might catch a leg, resulting in stress to your invert, and the loss of the leg. Thats mainly why I didnt suggest venus flytraps. 

They are great plants, and easy to grow, but I dont think they are good for use with inverts. Thats just IMO.


----------



## Sankeo (Aug 4, 2008)

Thank you for reasuring me. I've pick up some air plants as you dont need to put them in soil as they dont grow routs. You can stick them anywhere with special glue and are perfect for the conditions. I shall keep you updated on how they do, and how the little one likes them.


----------



## C_Strike (Feb 20, 2007)

awesoome thread, very informative, personally of the few plants i did try, they all died, i really dont get on with plants, lol 
Definately inspiration to try again at somepoint though.:2thumb:


----------



## monitorfan666 (Feb 15, 2007)

GRB said:


> With a venus flytrap, its not so much the possibility that your pet will become prey (the traps are only likely to get 1" big at most), its more that the plant is quite fragile.
> 
> If your Het was to continually walk over the plant, stimulate traps to close without prey inside, break eaves etc, the plant wouldnt last long.
> 
> ...


thanks alot for that mate, very helpful like always 

a mod needs to sticky this thread so it stays in sight


----------



## C_Strike (Feb 20, 2007)

agreed, is a thread that can be applied to any invert and even vert setups alike. 
:no1:


----------



## daz30347 (Aug 30, 2007)

Deserved to be stickied, so i got it sorted for us, Great thread GRB


----------



## GRB (Jan 24, 2008)

Heh, cool. 

Thanks for reading it. Hopefully there arent too many mistakes 

The next step is to get some pictures up!


----------



## monitorfan666 (Feb 15, 2007)

GRB said:


> The next step is to get some pictures up!


im on it! well once i buy the plants and set them up haha


----------



## roll up boy (Jan 18, 2009)

hi what kind of plant would you suggest for my T.APOPHYSIS

i keep it dry and id be putting the plant in its own pot inside its tank


----------



## ph0bia (Feb 21, 2009)

Pretty nice thread!

My only comments are personal ones - I choose not to use live plants, preferring fakes for a number of reasons. 

Firstly, plants require light, something very few tarantulas enjoy. This can either cause them to live in their burrows or to bake, unless well controlled.
Secondly, the moisture used to feed the plants, unless kept in very careful check, can be a cause of mold etc.
Thirdly, the few spiders I could happily use plants in their enclosures... they're heavy webbers and the webbing is remarkably good at killing off plants. In the wild, this is no issue as a decaying plant is natural. In captivity... well, it causes a lot of issues.

If you can find a way to do a potted enclosure without causing these issues, fantastic and I applaud you for it! It'd be my preference if I could!


----------



## GRB (Jan 24, 2008)

How odd, it appears my thread has been deleted...:eek4: or is my browser just playing up?


----------



## garlicpickle (Jan 16, 2009)

It does seem to have gone


----------



## GRB (Jan 24, 2008)

garlicpickle said:


> It does seem to have gone


Damn!


----------



## GRB (Jan 24, 2008)

Mods: Anyone know what happened to this article?


----------



## snowgoose (May 5, 2009)

The forum pixies came and ate it :O

I didn't even get a chance to read it


----------



## GRB (Jan 24, 2008)

I'm just wondering if I infringed copyrights or something. I can't remember if all the images were free access from wiki or not.


----------



## steven_law (Nov 1, 2009)

i love the idea of planted vivs i plan to have a go this week.


----------



## GRB (Jan 24, 2008)

steven_law said:


> i love the idea of planted vivs i plan to have a go this week.


Good luck - if you get them right they look amazing and watching the plants grow alongside your animals is worth the effort


----------



## steven_law (Nov 1, 2009)

GRB said:


> Good luck - if you get them right they look amazing and watching the plants grow alongside your animals is worth the effort


i got a small bonsai i started a few years ago i wana put in it


----------



## GRB (Jan 24, 2008)

Interesting.

Which species of tree btw? What type of set up are you aiming for (temperate forest?)?


----------



## steven_law (Nov 1, 2009)

GRB said:


> Interesting.
> 
> Which species of tree btw? What type of set up are you aiming for (temperate forest?)?


was thinking of putting either the rain tree in the (SAMANEA SAMAN) or the dwarf pomegranate (PUNICA GRANATUM 'NANA')


----------



## agreendream (Dec 8, 2009)

Real great post, You give great structured advice!


----------



## GRB (Jan 24, 2008)

agreendream said:


> Real great post, You give great structured advice!


Thanks! 

I was thinking about re-writing it since I've got more tips since I wrote this.


----------



## agreendream (Dec 8, 2009)

Please do, if you have more information I am sure people would be as glad as they where with this first copy.
Can I be greedy and ask for pic's where you can do.

:2thumb:


----------



## Chaika (Jun 5, 2009)

Has anyone else had a go at planting something in their T's enclosure? Just though it would be fun to add some of our own pictures to the thread .

Here are some of my efforts. I have a feeling that I may have posted these in some other thread before but I just didn't notice that there was a sticky for it :blush:.

Anyhow, here's the original tank that I set up for my subadult _Avicularia sp. avicularia_. I really liked the idea of a bromeliad in there as they are almost certain to come across these often in the wild and the water in the centre of the plant would do as a natural water bowl.









Unfortunately the avic didn't stay there for long as I'd used 3mm acrylic sheets to build the tank with and after a couple of days (!) the sides started to warp with the humidity...:censor:. So the avic went into a planted up ExoTerra like this:









My longest running enclosure with plants was actually set up for my toads. I kept it going for over 5 years but eventually had to give up as my PhD was taking up too much time,.. so I don't keep toads anymore. However, I really loved their tank, and all the plants there did very well 

















Just recently I was down at the local botanical gardens and they were selling some really nice air plants,.. and I just couldn't resist adding them to my sub-adult Sericopelma rubronitens enclosure . Lovely little things, and I have a feeling that being this close to a window they might do well


----------



## Stelios (Aug 28, 2009)

Very nice, perhaps the names of the plants used should be included?









P.Formosa and the plant is a Ficus.


----------



## Chaika (Jun 5, 2009)

Looks like a variegated _Ficus benjamina_ 'natasha', a lovely dwarf ficus. I've got a non-variegated version that I've been growing as a group bonsai for the last 16 years . 

Oops! Putting plant names didn't occur to me fast enough to be able to edit my post :blush: but the plants I used were...

Avic enclosure 1: 
_Guzmania sp._ not sure which species exactly but it was one of those ones that you can buy for £2 at the supermarket 

Avic ExoTerra: 
Same _Guzmania sp._ + _Aglaonema sp_. 'Chinese evergreen' not sure which species either but I think most of them would do well in a terrarium setting.

Toad tank: 
_Chlorophytum comosum_ 'Spider plant' lol, the non-variegated version would do better if the tank was any darker.
_Saintpaulia onantha_ (cultivar) 'African Violet',
_Asplenium nidus_ or possibly _Asplenium australasicum _'Bird's nest fern', do well but since they can grow large given the right conditions, this plant needed to be moved after a year or so.
_Spathiphyllum wallisii,_ also a temporary resident due to eventual size.

I would always recommend using plants with non-variegated leaves (without any white) in a vivarium setting unless you are using a good full spectrum bulb for illumination or the viv is very close to a natural light source such as a window. Variegated plants have much less chlorophyll in their leaves and therefore need more light that the all-green varieties. I have rarely had a variegated plant last for long in shaded conditions


----------



## Stelios (Aug 28, 2009)

Wicked I will see how it gets on.


----------



## Stelios (Aug 28, 2009)

It's doing really well lots of new growth and bushing out.
It's not in direct sunlight but seems to be going great guns.


----------



## bothrops (Jan 7, 2007)

30cm cube exoterra plus this lot and some excavator sand.

The stone plants are _Lithops lesliei _and _Lithops fulviceps_

As you can see the grass is not technically a 'live plant' but it is real. I just gave one of the random ornamental grasses at work a little haircut! 









from front...









from left (burrow to be screened with black card to allow secure creature and quick viewing opportunity when desired!)









from the top...


----------



## bobby (Sep 26, 2006)

bothrops said:


> 30cm cube exoterra plus this lot and some excavator sand.
> 
> The stone plants are _Lithops lesliei _and _Lithops fulviceps_
> 
> ...


Very nice, what lives in there? :blush:


----------



## bothrops (Jan 7, 2007)

bobby said:


> Very nice, what lives in there? :blush:


nothing yet!....waiting for the BTS


----------



## bobby (Sep 26, 2006)

bothrops said:


> nothing yet!....waiting for the BTS


What do you plan to put in it?


----------

