suitable live plants for a crested gecko

[rocketqueen]

hello everyone,

just a quick question about live plants. ive already been given some suggestions about what type of live plants to put in my tank...right now i have mostly twigs and some cork wood things for my gecko to climb on...i also put in a few bamboo shoots to decorate and also to provide something long/vertical for climbing. in terms of adding something with lots of leaves, i would like to do that soon but my tank is pretty full of stuff already and im worried about space. i was looking at spider plants and ficus plants at the garden store today and i wondered if this is something suitable for my tiny friend. they seemed small enough to fit inside my tank and they were still nice and leafy to provide for something my little guy to hide in.

does anyone have any other suggestions? i tried to find a snake plant, ive called a few different stores in my area and no one seems to carry them. larger garden centers and nurseries in my area also seem to be closed for the season as its winter here so i dont think i will be able to get my hands on this type of plant for a few months.

will my gecko be okay in the meantime? there arent any leafy plants in the tank right now.

thanks!

 

[Ozymandias]

realistically as long as he has some places to to hide you should be fine. you also might try looking for some species of Pythose and trying looking in hardware store or the like. and what ever you by make sure it stays small or is really easy to trim down.

 

[Hannibal]

I was looking at spider plants and ficus plants at the garden store today and i wondered if this is something suitable for my tiny friend. they seemed small enough to fit inside my tank and they were still nice and leafy to provide for something my little guy to hide in.

Both of these plants would work fine. If they have any fertilizer on them or if your not sure, it is best to clean them with light dish soap and rinse really well. If your enclosure has a couple of good hiding spots, then if should be fine for now. Some people use empty papertowel rolls or toilet paper rolls as hides and their cresties love them...my gang prefers to sleep on their vines.

 

[rocketqueen]

i ended up picking up one spiderplant and one snake plant...they both have those little white balls of fertilizer in the soil, so i should definitely wash them with some soap right?

what do i do with the plant ones its uprooted? put it back in the pot with new dirt or put it directly in the bioactive substrate in the terrarium?

 

[Ozymandias]

ya youre going to want to wash the soil off, personally i don't even bother with soap i just give it a good rinse in warm water, after that i plant it directly in the soil.

 

[Spyral]

What kind of substrate are you using? If it's not some kind of compost or soil, there won't be enough nutrients to keep the plants alive for long.

Good luck!

 

[rocketqueen]

im using a bioactive substrate that was made by the reptile store i purchased my gecko at...the guy there said it was a mixture of soil, mulch, and a couple other things but i don't remember exactly. so i think this is something that would work for live plants.

 

[rocketqueen]

i am beyond frustrated with these plants!!! tonight i tried to transfer them into the terrarium but they arent really feeling that sturdy...i buried the roots in the substrate but the plants are almost like wobbly or something...im worried the substrate isnt deep enough for the plants to root properly!
do you guys have any tips for planting in the terrarium substrate?

 

[Ozymandias]

pictures would probably help when you first plants them thay wont really be rooted you have to give them time

 

[NatoPotato]

they'll root up. the roots need time to spread out. your fine give it a couple of days

 

[Spyral]

You could prop them up with rocks or other tank decorations until they root. Good luck!

 

[rocketqueen]

thanks! im kinda leaning them onto bigger tank decorations until they feel more sturdy in the substrate. i didnt know if they would actually root or not but i guess they will eventually

 

[Turtlestork]

Oh, they'll root. I have a huge planted viv for my cresteds, and you'd be surprised how crazy their roots are. Mine shoot everywhere in the tank!


TS