Best live plants to use for Red eyes and Amazon milks?

[JessH]

I've always used fake plants for my red eyes and I've had them for almost 2yrs now but I'd like to get some live ones. I'm also getting 2 milk frogs in October and want to use live plants for them as well.

Also, what wattage UVB should I use for the milks? I'm not even sure what wattage we're using for my red eyes. It's been the same one since we bought them and my husband did the whole set up.

[bshmerlie]

I think Pothos is the best tree frog plant. Its also almost impossible to kill...big plus in my book. There's also a great selection of some big leafy greens at Lowes and Home Depot. You want some plants that are going to give you height as well. Both of these tree frogs like a densely planed tank. They want to be able to walk from plant to plant so fill it in. Empty air space will be useless to them so think three dimensionally as you plant your tank. I use the zoo med repti glo 2.0. The lights are more for the plants than the frogs. They will be sleeping under the leaves when the lights are on. Great choices on frogs by the way.

[JessH]

A plant that's hard to kill is definitely a good thing in my book. I have a ficus plant in with my panther chameleon and I can't believe I haven't killed that yet. I guess b/c he gets misted and also has a dripper, it gets the water it needs.

My red eyes are WC and have done so well since I got them. I was going to wait until I no longer had them before getting the Amazons but I'm impatient. I'm getting them from Mike Novy (rainforest junky).

[ViperJr]

A few more ideas on plants from another thread with the same subject, although pothos are my favorite as well.

Bromeliads: Air plants, so they do not need to be planted in the soil, but can be placed in the background or anywhere.

Snake plants: Extremly sturdy plants that provide excellent sleeping places.

Creeping fig: Grows alot and provide alot of climbing space against a side of a the tank.

Ficus: Some have alot of small plants, other have fewer really big sturdy plants.

"Lucky bamboo": It's not bamboo, but it's usually named that anyway. The look nice and provide nice vertical climbing area.

[JWells]

Huge fan of the snake plant and pothos. Easy to find, hard to kill, they are staples in my treefrog enclosures. If you can get something goin horizontally, that would be ideal. Maybe some bamboo...

Also, milkies spend at lot of time in treeholes in the wild ( in fact, it's the where they breed as well) so you might want to try and simulate that with some cork bark or something similar.

Smaller or younger treefrogs definitely appreciate a bromeliad. Plus there's no better photo than a frog tucked between brom axils!

[JessH]

Where can I get these plants? I've seen them for sale online but if I can get them at place near me, I'd obviously prefer that.

[ViperJr]

Both pothos and snake plant are available everywhere they sell ordinary indoor plants. Not unusual to see them at the local supermarket as well.

[JWells]

Yeah, home depot, lowes, nurseries, etc. The bromeliads are usually more difficult to find, you may have order them online, although they do show up at the home improvement stores occasionally.

[JessH]

I'm assuming they're treated with pesticides so I'll have to wash them and all beforehand, correct?

[ViperJr]

Correct. Wash them thoroughly and remove as much of the soil as you can, to replace it with fertilizer/pesticides-free soil (or just put it in the substrate, if that's your plan). Some even recommend using a bleach/water mix, but I have no knowledge about that.

[JWells]

Some even recommend using a bleach/water mix, but I have no knowledge about that.

I think the usual water to bleach ratio recommendation is something like 10:1, but I dont mess much with bleach unless Im treating a ill frog. A good rinse/soak with treated water has always done the trick for me.

[Lacibeth]

Lucky bamboo isDracaena sanderiana which is actually in the asparagus family. True bamboo's a grass. I love the ambiguity of common names.

[Grrrit]

my milks have gotten huge! They are even killing my pothos lol that I've replanted 3 times. The other plant they seem stable on and chose to sleep on is birdsnest bromilead. It has thick leaves and supports them well. However, I'm planing a tear down of their viv and building them something more suitable and durable. They completely destroyed their home as they grew. what can ya do?

Btw I found my birdsnest broms at a petitti's garden center. It came with a mother plant and 3-5 pups for $5.99. I got two, a gen one and a varigrated (green/silver). Solid deal! I've seen some big philodendron that would be great for them as well. Hard to find though

[Grrrit]

A plant that's hard to kill is definitely a good thing in my book. I have a ficus plant in with my panther chameleon and I can't believe I haven't killed that yet. I guess b/c he gets misted and also has a dripper, it gets the water it needs.

My red eyes are WC and have done so well since I got them. I was going to wait until I no longer had them before getting the Amazons but I'm impatient. I'm getting them from Mike Novy (rainforest junky).

its all his fault I got into frogs in the first place hahaaaa. I must have over looked that! Amazon milks were my first frog ever, and from him. When are you getting them? I've been helping him out a few times a week, pretty cool stuff!

[JessH]

Sorry Garrett, I didn't get any notification that you replied to my thread. I just picked them up yesterday at the Hamburg Show. I'm just trying to figure out heating for them. I have them in a 12x12x12 exo terra for now until they grow and I'm using a repti glo 5.0 uvb bulb but it's only 70 degrees in there, if that. What are your suggestions?

[michael novy]

OOW. 5.0 uvb might be a bit much... go with the 2.0 or 3.0. Best plants for red eyes in my experience are pothos and peace lillys.. Spathyphyllum. I think thats how you spell it.

[flybyferns]

I am planning to get 2 Amazon Milks as well. I am going to be in BIG trouble. lol Everyone's enthusiasm is very contagious. I am in the process of making a tall " tree type " thing with hiding holes carved in. I'm using a foam background. This way there will be no paint needed, and it can be pulled , if needed for cleaning. Hopes it comes out ok? I am using a replacement exo-terra background for the tree thing.

Plants
With exception of the last plant the list below, I have had these plants in my enclosure for almost two years.
Every plant was re-potted in 4" pots and are growing well in tropical soil. ( coco fiber ). I never used bleach to clean. That was too scary. I rinsed all the dirt off the roots, re-potted the plant into a clean container, I dated a plant marker stick and left them out of the enclosure for 2 weeks. The last plant on this list just went in ; it was left out longer than 2 weeks cause it's larger. The babies tears is great- it looks like moss but too big for them to swallow, plus the crickets never hide in it for some reason. A 75 w "Philips" plant light bulb (it looks like a small spot light) can be purchased from Home Depot for about $4.00 to maintain the plants while out of an enclosure or out temporarily for repair etc.


Silver Spotted Philodendron (Scindapsus picta – Argyraeus )
Elephant's Ear (Alocasia Polly )
Marble Queen (Pothos)
Crispa Variegata (Hoya Rubra)
Baby's Tears (Soleirolia soleirolii , formerly Helxine soleirolii)
Variegated Philodendron peperomia (Peperomia scandens -Variegata)
Noen (Pothos)
Moon Light ( philodrendron)
Frydek (Alocasia micholitziana )

Have a great day. Lynn