# General Topics > Vivarium, Terrarium & Enclosure Discussion >  Keeping potted plant in terrarium

## VooDoo

I have 3 RETF's in an Exo Terra right now. I have fake plants, vines, driftwood etc, but I was thinking of adding a live pothos plant.

If possible, I'd rather keep it in the pot so I don't have to do the whole false bottom thing. I was just wondering if you all could give me some tips and advice on this.

I've never kept a live plant before, so it's very new to me. Do I need to change the soil? And other prepping before I put it in the enclosure? Will misting be enough water for it? I think I read it doesn't really need lighting, but a CFL bulb may help?

Also, how much humidity will a live plant add to the terrarium?

Thanks So much for your help.

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## John Clare

Pothos is nearly impossible to kill.  All you have to do is give it some water every now and then and make sure some light hits the terrarium.  You can keep it in a pot - I've done this in terrariums.  Don't need to change the soil, no prep necessary.  Over water it if you like - it's indestructible in that respect.  If the terrarium receives any light at all it will survive, but if you want to seriously grow plants you'll need a daylight spectrum bulb.  The enhancement of humidity by the plant is hard to quantify.  Depending on its size it may make virtually no difference or a big difference.  I certainly wouldn't rely on it to provide high humidity though.

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VooDoo

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## Poly

Hi VooDoo!  :Smile: 

What are you currently using for substrate?

You do not have to have a false bottom to have live plants, planted in the soil.

Depending on the plant, misting may be enough, but adding water to the soil won't hurt either. Remove everything from your vivarium, purchase your chosen plant and rinse it off thoroughly, ensuring to clean it's roots off to! (You won't want any pesticides on the plant that could poison your frogs!)

Once it's cleaned off, plant it in the soil, and your ready to put everything back into your vivarium!

As for humidity, the plants may not actually increase the humidity all that much, but they will hold the humidity in the vivarium at a more steady level.

For lighting, plants need full colour spectrum flourescent lighting to grow, as the colour spectrum of the light, closely resembles that of actual sunlight. The best bulb to get would be a Exo-terra "Repti-Glo 2.0" CFL bulb (Or Zoo med's Nature sun bulb, but it only comes in full size 18", 20", 24" 36" and 48" flourescents). You could also use a standard "Daylight 6500K" CFL that you can purchase at walmart, they provide the same full-colour sprectrum lighting as the Reti-Glo or Nature sun, for half the price!

Here's the link to Walmart: Walmart.com: GE Energy Smart Spiral CFL Daylight Bulb, 20W, 2pk: Decor

~Royce  :Smile:

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VooDoo

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## Martin

You really don't need to water the pot of the pothos either if you have high humidity (which is appropriate for retf anyway). Like John said, they are indestrutable, amazing terrarium plants.

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VooDoo

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## Poly

Martin^^ is the guy to talk to about lighting!

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VooDoo

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## Martin

Oh, another thing:
Even if you have a pothos in a pot for easy maintainence, it'll eventually grow out of the pot and into the substrate. I have all the pothoses in pots, but they have roots across the entire substrate, in every level... Just to give you a heads up.

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VooDoo

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## Heather

Since we're on the topic...
If the plants are removed from the pots, will they live well planted in 100% sphagnum peat moss, then covered by cocoa fiber substrate? With a small rock layer underneath, and a false bottom?

I am getting ready to plant mine also.

Thanks!  :Smile:

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VooDoo

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## Martin

Heather, if we're still talking about pothos, you can plant them in whatever you like. They are epiphytical as well, so you don't even have to plant them... I have pothos like this and it works just as fine as long as you have a nice humidity level.

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VooDoo

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## Heather

I have some pathos, a brom, and some other tropicals. Maybe I should make a new post this evening? 




Any chance you can see the plants in these photos? Pictures are kinda distant and dark.

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VooDoo

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## Lynn

> I have 3 RETF's in an Exo Terra right now. I have fake plants, vines, driftwood etc, but I was thinking of adding a live pothos plant.
> 
> If possible, I'd rather keep it in the pot so I don't have to do the whole false bottom thing. I was just wondering if you all could give me some tips and advice on this.
> 
> I've never kept a live plant before, so it's very new to me. Do I need to change the soil? And other prepping before I put it in the enclosure? Will misting be enough water for it? I think I read it doesn't really need lighting, but a CFL bulb may help?
> 
> Also, how much humidity will a live plant add to the terrarium?
> 
> Thanks So much for your help.


Hi VooDoo,
If you would like (?) , check out my album of my set up.
Every plant is in a 4" pot - planted in tropical soil. 
The humidity keeps the soil moist. Little watering is needed. 
Lynn

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VooDoo

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## VooDoo

Wow, lots of great info, thanks all!

To be clear tho (I got two different answers) do I need to wash the pothos off or change the soil before putting it in the terrarium? If so, what soil do I use?

Right now my substrate is coco fiber, topped with leaf litter. Down the road if I decide to plant the pothos right in the substrate, would this do?

Also, will a live plant produce more gnats than I already have?

Thanks again.

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## Lynn

> Wow, lots of great info, thanks all!
> 
> To be clear tho (I got two different answers) do I need to wash the pothos off or change the soil before putting it in the terrarium? If so, what soil do I use?
> 
> Right now my substrate is coco fiber, topped with leaf litter. Down the road if I decide to plant the pothos right in the substrate, would this do?
> 
> Also, will a live plant produce more gnats than I already have?
> 
> Thanks again.



VooDoo,
When I prepare a newly purchased plant for my red eyed tree frog enclosure, I :
1- rinse the plant and roots
2- re-pot in tropical soil ( coco fiber) 
3-do not put it in the enclosure right away - let the possible bad stuff grow out - I'm always afraid of pesticides and fertilizers being left in/on the plants.

The coco fiber will be just fine for the pothos down the road if you decide to plant it directly in to the coco fiber substrate.
I have pothos in 4inch pots - in cocoa fiber-  that are 36 inches long ! It is not a needy plant. If fact, it would grow ( and root) in water !
Lynn

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VooDoo

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## VooDoo

OK, thanks! What about gnats? Are they a big problem?

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## VooDoo

Stopped at a greenery today. They had a planted pothos there for $15...is that kind of pricey?

They also said they use no pesticides at all, just fertilizer. Does the fertilizer have to be washed off, or isn't that really a big deal?

And I want the pothos to grow upward since it's in a taller terarium. Do I need a stick in the pot for it to climb up when it's growing?

Thanks guys and gals...

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## Lynn

> Stopped at a greenery today. They had a planted pothos there for $15...is that kind of pricey?
> 
> They also said they use no pesticides at all, just fertilizer. Does the fertilizer have to be washed off, or isn't that really a big deal?
> 
> And I want the pothos to grow upward since it's in a taller terarium. Do I need a stick in the pot for it to climb up when it's growing?
> 
> Thanks guys and gals...


It does sound a little pricey for pothos.

and 

YES 

As mentioned earlier in this post: 
When I prepare a newly purchased plant for my red eyed tree frog enclosure, I :
1- rinse the plant and roots
2- re-pot in tropical soil ( coco fiber) 
3-do not put it in the enclosure right away - let the possible bad stuff grow out - I'm always afraid of pesticides and fertilizers being left in/on the plants.

Hope this helps

Lynn

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## VooDoo

OK, so I bought a pothos today. This is the first plant I've ever owned, so I know I'm gonna be a little lost with re-potting it/rinsing it off.

I took it out of the pot, and it's one big clump of soil and roots. Are you saying I have to break that all up and wash it down? How do you do this? Just run it under the bath tub faucet?

And when re-potting, do I first put some coco fiber in the pot, then the roots, then more coco fiber over that? Should I pack it in tightly?

And anybody have any luck with lucky bamboo? How hardy are they?

Thanks.

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## Shanny

I have two potted plants in my viv and a couple bamboo, twirly and straight. I have the tetra fauna waterfall and river setup, so these have no problem getting enough water. My bamboo hold up very well, the only thing I have noticed is that the leaves closer to the light have started to turn a lighter color so I try not to put the lamp right over my bamboo.


---
I am here: http://maps.google.com/maps?ll=44.926653,-93.081309

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## Martin

Lucky bamboo (which is not related to real bamboo) is a tough plant. As long as is gets water, it seems like it's impossible to kill it. It can go quite some time without water as well. 
Just like Shanny said, leaves that are exposed to very much lightning will turn brighter and eventually they'll turn brown and die, if the light is to intense. However, this is no big deal really.

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## Lynn

> OK, so I bought a pothos today. This is the first plant I've ever owned, so I know I'm gonna be a little lost with re-potting it/rinsing it off.
> 
> I took it out of the pot, and it's one big clump of soil and roots. Are you saying I have to break that all up and wash it down? How do you do this? Just run it under the bath tub faucet?
> 
> And when re-potting, do I first put some coco fiber in the pot, then the roots, then more coco fiber over that? Should I pack it in tightly?
> 
> And anybody have any luck with lucky bamboo? How hardy are they?
> 
> Thanks.


Pothos - That's exactly how to do it.  Don't press too firmly as you don't want to break the roots. Water it really well. (It would actually root in water) And your good to go. 
You might find that there is more than one rooted stem in the original pot ? You could separate them if desired.  ( more is good !!!! ) 
Sorry to spoil your fun. If it were my new plant, I would wait a  while before putting  it into my enclosure to be sure all the bad stuff has grown out .

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