# Begonia amphioxus in the viarium



## TerraFerma (Feb 20, 2011)

Got one on the way - any tips? Specifically pertaining to: 

1) Light levels

2) Placement

3) Soil moisture

4) Amount of misting it can take

I've had poor luck with a few brightly colored/delicate looking begonias before. I think it was due to too much light (ex-reefer that thinks more light is better...which is not the case for many shade dwelling plants I'm discovering). 

Any help/tips would be much appreciated.


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## BonnieLorraine (Jan 23, 2011)

Mine definitely liked to be on the drier side, I would be very careful with it in a vivarium.


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## markpulawski (Nov 19, 2004)

BonnieLorraine said:


> Mine definitely liked to be on the drier side, I would be very careful with it in a vivarium.


Weird because mine has grown like crazy inside the viv, actually 2 I put there. I had my 2 in a pot out by the pool and both were losing leaves and looked to be dying so I put both in my big show tank and they both took off. I actually recently took a couple of cuttings and they have rooted in the same tank. I was worried as this tank builds up water and it can get to their root level which I thought may rot or kill them but so far, growing strong. I want to next try and pot some cuttings and see how they do but I am going to wait until our humidity outside increases. 
Good luck with yours, I will post a couple of pics of mine in a bit.
Here is a pic with a flash, the piece on the far left and far right are the cuttings, the one on the right has not grown any new leaves but the one on the left has.

A pic without the flash

Here is a pic of a cutting on the lower left corner that has sprouted a new stem since I cut it, the piece it was cut from is just right of it and has also sprouted a new stem.

Finally a full tank shot, 94 gallon corner recovering from me gutting about 3 weeks ago.


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## randommind (Sep 14, 2010)

Picked this beauty up from a friend this past weekend at Repticon. Built it it's very own enclosure, but will soon be adding a little twig to the viv in order to give the ghost mantis that will be moving in something more to climb on. I am hoping the begonia does well, I have heard it's not the "easiest" of all plants.


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## Blue_Pumilio (Feb 22, 2009)

Envious of the ghost mantis, hilarious about you and that Begonia...



randommind said:


> Picked this beauty up from a friend this past weekend at Repticon. Built it it's very own enclosure, but will soon be adding a little twig to the viv in order to give the ghost mantis that will be moving in something more to climb on. I am hoping the begonia does well, I have heard it's not the "easiest" of all plants.
> 
> View attachment 39817


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## Groundhog (Dec 17, 2006)

BonnieLorraine said:


> Mine definitely liked to be on the drier side, I would be very careful with it in a vivarium.


_B. amphioxus_ on the drier side?!? How humid is your greenhouse? I grow B. _bipinnatifida_ (thanks again, Jake in my prop tank, averages +/- 80-85% humidity. I grow it in chopped NZS and tree fern, and I do let the substrate dry before watering. But I would never try it unenclosed!


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## Groundhog (Dec 17, 2006)

Mark: Outdoors, I think this dude needs deep shade...



markpulawski said:


> Weird because mine has grown like crazy inside the viv, actually 2 I put there. I had my 2 in a pot out by the pool and both were losing leaves and looked to be dying so I put both in my big show tank and they both took off. I actually recently took a couple of cuttings and they have rooted in the same tank. I was worried as this tank builds up water and it can get to their root level which I thought may rot or kill them but so far, growing strong. I want to next try and pot some cuttings and see how they do but I am going to wait until our humidity outside increases.


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## TerraFerma (Feb 20, 2011)

Update: for mine a few weeks ago. Came with three leaves and I stuck it in a high humidity tank with a 13 watt JD. The middle leaf died but there are now several smaller leaves emerging from where the old one died. Few days back I put it in a larger tank with a JD spot light type lamp. Been on the road most of the week. Hopefully it's alive when I get back!


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## BonnieLorraine (Jan 23, 2011)

Mine was in a tank with near 100% humidity Groundhog, I watered it every few months max


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## Groundhog (Dec 17, 2006)

Even more humid than my _B. bipinnatifida _or _rajah_... How does _amphioxus_ handle heat?



BonnieLorraine said:


> Mine was in a tank with near 100% humidity Groundhog, I watered it every few months max


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## TerraFerma (Feb 20, 2011)

Here is a shot of mine today. Although still small it is a lot bigger than when I got it. Slow, but steady grower.


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