# I cant get anything to grow



## sassmastawillis (Apr 16, 2020)

I've never been good at growing anything, but I feel like none of my new plants are taking to my new vivarium. Here is some peperomia cubensis I pulled out. It looks like the stem rotted from being too wet? But I'm not sure how that could happen. I'm only watering once, maybe twice on the background per day, and I'm using neherp v1 substrate. The soil is draining, but this has happened to a lot of my other plants.

Is there anything I'm missing on? Also, is this plant save able?


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## Socratic Monologue (Apr 7, 2018)

Could you post a full viv pic, and pics of the other plants?


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## sassmastawillis (Apr 16, 2020)

Here is a pic of my viv.
I pulled out the other cubensis plants because the same thing happened to them.
The one I just pulled pictured earlier was planted to the right of the earth star plant, near the front right.


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## Socratic Monologue (Apr 7, 2018)

All those look pretty decent -- so you had two cuttings of the same species not do well? It is probably the plant, not you. 

If you try again with that species, perhaps rooting them outside the viv in an extra-high humidity area would work better -- some plants simply don't root as easily as others.


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## sassmastawillis (Apr 16, 2020)

I had a tubberware container with sphagnum moss that I watered and covered with saran wrap that I tried to use for a grow out for some other smaller clippings I got. I had similar results in the plants I put in there. I have an extra 10g aquarium I think I'll use next time and make a plexiglass lid for.

Any advice for acclimating plants/making a grow out tank? I couldn't find a tread about talking about grow out plant tanks.


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## Socratic Monologue (Apr 7, 2018)

I've generally had poor luck rooting most plants in plain sphagnum, though other people do it. I don't use a specific growout tank for plants, though I have built vivs that were only inhabited by plants for quite a while -- so I would set one up just like a viv in the relevant aspects -- adjustable ventilation and lighting, and I'd put a good mass of plants in there to help moderate humidity. Plants that I know I'm going to move at some point I put into a small pot that contains the same substrate, and I sink that pot into the substrate in the viv.

Speaking of humidity, is there good ventilation in your viv? The rotting stem could be due to poor ventilation -- plants need to breathe just like frogs do.


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## RGilbers (Oct 2, 2020)

Socratic Monologue said:


> I've generally had poor luck rooting most plants in plain sphagnum, though other people do it. I don't use a specific growout tank for plants, though I have built vivs that were only inhabited by plants for quite a while -- so I would set one up just like a viv in the relevant aspects -- adjustable ventilation and lighting, and I'd put a good mass of plants in there to help moderate humidity. Plants that I know I'm going to move at some point I put into a small pot that contains the same substrate, and I sink that pot into the substrate in the viv.
> 
> Speaking of humidity, is there good ventilation in your viv? The rotting stem could be due to poor ventilation -- plants need to breathe just like frogs do.


Is the spagnum not going to rot if you do that? Or would you introduce some springtales as well with the spagnum?


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## sassmastawillis (Apr 16, 2020)

Its glass top, except for a 2" mosquito screen strip across the front top. I don't have any fans set up but I was thinking I might to get some extra air flow.


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## RGilbers (Oct 2, 2020)

sassmastawillis said:


> Its glass top, except for a 2" mosquito screen strip across the front top. I don't have any fans set up but I was thinking I might to get some extra air flow.


Maybe those propagate boxes is a nice idea? Those have ventilation holes and are very cheap, something like this


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## Paskui (May 23, 2020)

Ventilation is a really important thing. I’m talking about my experience. No enough ventilation is equal to rot mostly 


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## sassmastawillis (Apr 16, 2020)

So what do you think I should do to get more ventilation? Do you think I need to drill more holes in the top or do you think some fans will help?


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## Tihsho (Sep 21, 2009)

Can you provide some pictures of your ventilation?


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## Socratic Monologue (Apr 7, 2018)

sassmastawillis said:


> So what do you think I should do to get more ventilation? Do you think I need to drill more holes in the top or do you think some fans will help?


Putting the screen on the back of the top would be better -- people put it in the front to try to reduce condensation on the glass, but since plants don't grow on the front glass this isn't very useful to them. Putting the screen in the back allows fresh air to flow in from the front vent and then all along the background on its way out the top.

Additionally, you may simply need a larger screen area. I'm currently only covering 1/2 of my screen top area (I just place an acrylic panel over the screen), since ambient humidity here is still ~50%.

What other species have you had trouble rooting?


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## Paskui (May 23, 2020)

Socratic Monologue said:


> Putting the screen on the back of the top would be better -- people put it in the front to try to reduce condensation on the glass, but since plants don't grow on the front glass this isn't very useful to them. Putting the screen in the back allows fresh air to flow in from the front vent and then all along the background on its way out the top.
> 
> Additionally, you may simply need a larger screen area. I'm currently only covering 1/2 of my screen top area (I just place an acrylic panel over the screen), since ambient humidity here is still ~50%.
> 
> What other species have you had trouble rooting?


I agree, better increase the screen surface


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## sassmastawillis (Apr 16, 2020)

Here is what I have set up. The screen part is about 2 inches wide and I have it siliconed in place with the glass. Do I have to remove some of the the glass? I would really rather not tear up my vivarium at this point, but I will if that's what has to be done.


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## Socratic Monologue (Apr 7, 2018)

Well, if the ventilation does need to be increased, that is what I'd do. But if you are only having issues with one species rooting it isn't clear that ventilation is the problem.

I like to have adjustable ventilation -- air needs change seasonally, and increase as the plants grow (since the mass of leaves holds a lot of water), and it is valuable to be able to experiment with small changes in airflow to troubleshoot problems and improve the overall environment in the viv. 

If I were to remove the screen top of an Exo (I don't see the advantage to this personally, but many people do), I'd make the screen portion as large as I could ever possibly want it (this will depend largely on your ambient humidity) and figure out a way to choke it down (glass or plexi inserts work well, IME).


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## sassmastawillis (Apr 16, 2020)

So I'm at a loss here.
My earth star plant is dying. Its planted right underneath the vent and at the front so it should be getting the best ventilation if anything.
Is this a sign of my viv being completely messed up? I'm not sure if my other bromeliads are doing fine, but they were planted at the same time and look ok.


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## RGilbers (Oct 2, 2020)

Did you planted it in the soil? How wet is your soil? These plants are epyphitic (probably wrong spelling sorry)


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## Socratic Monologue (Apr 7, 2018)

RGilbers said:


> These plants are epyphitic (probably wrong spelling sorry)


Cryptanthus are terrestrial.

I suspect things are just too wet in there. More ventilation (you can open the doors a little for now), and until you put animals in there only water as the plants need it until you get the feel for how much to water.


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## sassmastawillis (Apr 16, 2020)

So I'm thinking about cutting a 2-3" hole in the top by the back and maybe adding a fan to help dry off some of the plants after misting.


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## NICKP (Apr 21, 2020)

I’m really new to this also so take what I say with a grain of salt... I have a P cubensis in my viv that seems to be very sensitive to watering. I recently changed the top of my exo to glass/screen (similar to yours but screen is in the back and an inch or so wider). Spraying daily (not even watering and trying not to spray the substrate around the plant) coupled with the reduced ventilation was enough for it to get raised bumps (edema?) on the leaves. This is with neherp v2 substrate and very little standing water in the drainage layer. My vote (again I’m new to this and causing my own fair share of problems for myself) goes to over watering....


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## RGilbers (Oct 2, 2020)

Socratic Monologue said:


> Cryptanthus are terrestrial.
> 
> I suspect things are just too wet in there. More ventilation (you can open the doors a little for now), and until you put animals in there only water as the plants need it until you get the feel for how much to water.


I thought all Bromelias were epiphytic, but appearantly that's not the case. My apologies for the worng info


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## Leite02 (Jan 19, 2020)

I also vote (without knowing your configuration) that there is too much water on your plants. At least seeing the cryptanthus. What is your misting cycle? (frequency, duration, etc.)
They like humidity, but they don't like being wet for a long time. 

If the problem is water., as a tip, let the plants "get a little thirsty" to get to know and understand them. (not very thirsty).
It is much easier to recover a "thirsty" plant than a "drowned" one. 😉

P.D: sorry for my google english...


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## Tihsho (Sep 21, 2009)

I could be wrong, but it looks like your substrate is almost 90% Long Fiber Sphagnum. If so, I'd replace the substrate ASAP as that much Sphag is just acting as a sponge. If you look at a lot of produced ABG mixes, you will see that they use milled Sphag as it breaks the material up into smaller sizes. This means you can still have water retention in the substrate, but you don't have a giant sponge.


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## sassmastawillis (Apr 16, 2020)

Tihsho said:


> I could be wrong, but it looks like your substrate is almost 90% Long Fiber Sphagnum. If so, I'd replace the substrate ASAP as that much Sphag is just acting as a sponge. If you look at a lot of produced ABG mixes, you will see that they use milled Sphag as it breaks the material up into smaller sizes. This means you can still have water retention in the substrate, but you don't have a giant sponge.


The first pic of me holding the dead plant has some sphagnum I was using to grow some clippings in the background. I am using NEHerp v1 substrate in the viv. The soil has been staying pretty dry, but I've noticed the leaf litter on top does retains some water.


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## Paskui (May 23, 2020)

This Cryptanthus has rotted. Too much water.


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## sassmastawillis (Apr 16, 2020)

Another update:
Took the advice that it might be too humid in my tank. I've been leaving the front door partially open, and even drilled a 2" hole in the glass top by the back.
Ordered some nerve plant to fill in the back of my vivarium. They were looking good for about a week, then I suddenly found them rotted out by the base like my previously dead plants (see pics)
Humidity has been around 80-90 range, so I'm not sure what's going on now. Substrate is a little moist, but its not damp.


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## fishingguy12345 (Apr 7, 2019)

sassmastawillis said:


> Another update:
> Took the advice that it might be too humid in my tank. I've been leaving the front door partially open, and even drilled a 2" hole in the glass top by the back.
> Ordered some nerve plant to fill in the back of my vivarium. They were looking good for about a week, then I suddenly found them rotted out by the base like my previously dead plants (see pics)
> Humidity has been around 80-90 range, so I'm not sure what's going on now. Substrate is a little moist, but its not damp.


Put it back in the soil, it'll likely re root itself, that's been my experience at least


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## Paskui (May 23, 2020)

Try it! It hasn’t bad look anyway. It can re root as fishing guy says.


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