My Phelsuma nigristriata.

Phelsuma-Lygodactylus

Phelsuma-Lygodactylus

New member
I love Split Leafed Philodendrons, they're awesome! But they're much too large.

I have a small division of Peperomia griseoargentea 'Silver Dollar', a Coleus hybrid (it's a cross between some of the variants of Solenostemmon scutellarioides - believe it or not, these are actually tropical plants), Fittonia verschaffeltii, Selaginella kraussiana, and an unidentified species of moss.

I just need some nice epiphytes that stay small, so I was thinking some of the epiphytical ferns like Lemmaphyllum microphyllum or Pyrrosia spp. to put on the grape wood pieces. Perhaps maybe something like Crypsinus trilobus to mount onto a piece of cork bark and stick it onto the moulded background that came with the tank.

The Philodendrons available here are just too large for the tank I have.
 
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hexentanz

New member
Phelsuma-Lygodactylus said:
I love Split Leafed Philodendrons, they're awesome! But they're much too large.

I have a small division of Peperomia griseoargentea 'Silver Dollar', a Coleus hybrid (it's a cross between some of the variants of Solenostemmon scutellarioides - believe it or not, these are actually tropical plants), Fittonia verschaffeltii, Selaginella kraussiana, and an unidentified species of moss.

I just need some nice epiphytes that stay small, so I was thinking some of the epiphytical ferns like Lemmaphyllum microphyllum or Pyrrosia spp. to put on the grape wood pieces. Perhaps maybe something like Crypsinus trilobus to mount onto a piece of cork bark and stick it onto the moulded background that came with the tank.

The Philodendrons available here are just too large for the tank I have.
Click to expand...

It is possible to clip Philo's back a bit when they get too large.

What about Philodendron scadens? I am not sure about the size of your tank, but I am sure I have some smaller ones for youngsters here which have this plant in their tank. When it grows in it looks like a mini jungle in the tank and the geckos love weaving in and out of it. :D

I know it may not tickle your fancy to put something in there you do not like, but it is about making her feel more secure, which I hate to say should have been thought out long before you got her.

A small silver dollar really will not cut it to help make her feel secure enough until you can afford what you really want.
 
Phelsuma-Lygodactylus

Phelsuma-Lygodactylus

New member
Thank you Maureen for the suggestion of the Philodendron scandens. I think something like this species is available here locally, but the one I'm thinking of has red undersides. It does trail quite a bit. I may have to cut a small section and mount it.

My tank is only 12" x 12" x 18". With the pieces of grape wood and the current group of plants, it is very crowded in there.

There are actually orchids that grow in a clumping manner and stay under 18" high that have fairly large leaves. I may consider those too, a bit later.

I was not told how nervous this particular species was. I asked which species of Phelsuma they were the closest to in relation, and I never got an answer. I was persistent in asking whether they were more closely allied to Phelsuma ornata compared to the other Phelsumas, (I think I asked this question a total of 5 times, if not more), and the question kept getting danced around.

The reason I asked that question was because I actually knew how nervous Phelsuma ornata gets - this one I was told about by someone else. The whole time I was thinking - if they're closely allied, they'll most likely have very similar dispositions.

Had I had known what the nigristriatas were like, I would've gotten a much taller tank and stocked epiphytical plants first.

Like I said, Phelsuma laticauda laticauda was my first and only experience with Phelsuma, (about 15 yrs ago, other species were near impossible, if not, impossible for me to find), and they were not shy.
 
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hexentanz

New member
Phelsuma-Lygodactylus said:
Thank you Maureen for the suggestion of the Philodendron scandens. I think something like this species is available here locally, but the one I'm thinking of has red undersides. It does trail quite a bit. I may have to cut a small section and mount it.

My tank is only 12" x 12" x 18". With the pieces of grape wood and the current group of plants, it is very crowded in there.

There are actually orchids that grow in a clumping manner and stay under 18" high that have fairly large leaves. I may consider those too, a bit later.

I was not told how nervous this particular species was. I asked which species of Phelsuma they were the closest to in relation, and I never got an answer. I was persistent in asking whether they were more closely allied to Phelsuma ornata compared to the other Phelsumas, (I think I asked this question a total of 5 times, if not more), and the question kept getting danced around.

The reason I asked that question was because I actually knew how nervous Phelsuma ornata gets - this one I was told about by someone else. The whole time I was thinking - if they're closely allied, they'll most likely have very similar dispositions.

Had I had known what the nigristriatas were like, I would've gotten a much taller tank and stocked epiphytical plants first.

Like I said, Phelsuma laticauda laticauda was my first and only experience with Phelsuma, (about 15 yrs ago, other species were near impossible, if not, impossible for me to find), and they were not shy.
Click to expand...

Mmmmmm yeah. 12x12x18 is a little small for these guys. You can do fine with it for now but if you want to get a pair later, best go with the 45x45x60. These guys are not shy all the time, seriously just give her time to warm up to you. The nigristriata are my absolute fave gecko (Please don't tell my klemmeri I said this :coverlaugh: ) as they are the friendliest ones i have.
 
Phelsuma-Lygodactylus

Phelsuma-Lygodactylus

New member
I just got a couple of the Philodendrons at the local nursery.

They turned out to be a variant of Philodendron "scandens".

The correct name is Philodendron hederaceum var. micans (syn Philodendron scandens var. micans).

Even this plant is much too large for my tank. I ended up cutting a small section and put some rooting hormones on it.

The gecko is being more brave and coming out more often, she doesn't hide as much any more.

I will have to get a small sized orchid with broad leaves at an upcoming orchid show in a couple of weeks.

I saw my baby girl crawl into a gap between the cork bark I mounted the Philodendron to and the foam backdrop.

With the mounted orchid, I will have another one of these crawl spaces.

Hopefully by a couple of months, my tank will be completely planted with small epiphytical ferns and miniature orchids.

Maybe by next year, I will find them a larger tank and use the one I have for some small arboreal snakes I plan to get.

Thank you Maureen and Kevin, I appreciate both your patience with my inquiries. :)
 
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PassPort

PassPort

New member
No worries. It sounds like you're right on track now. Also, I forgot to ask, are you using any bamboo in your viv? In the wild they are found in patches of bamboo forest, much like klemmeri. That could be part of her issue as well. I know Julie uses bamboo and PVC to simulate bamboo, so the little one was probably used to it as well.
 
PassPort

PassPort

New member
Hey, I think we've all bought animals we didn't know everything about ;)

At least not knowing they're exact habitat isn't nearly as bad as having a completely wrong set up.
 
meloha

meloha

New member
Congratulations on your new nigristriata -- what a cutie! Where are you getting the epiphytical ferns? If it's a website I'd like to check them out.
Thanks,
Melody
 
Phelsuma-Lygodactylus

Phelsuma-Lygodactylus

New member
This sucks...

I don't know what happened.

She passed a couple days ago.

She had gotten loose one day, and I found her alive and well. Shooed her back into the enclosure. Never saw her after that.

Just cut back the overgrown bamboo today to see her partially buried beneath the substrate dead. :(

Had to get it off my chest.
 
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