# Tillandsia crocata



## Jermicide (Nov 2, 2009)

i'm getting some die-back on the new Tillandsia crocata i put in the viv.. Anyone else have experience with this little guy?


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## AlexD (Sep 19, 2007)

Yeah, tillandsias in general don't fare well in the long run in a viv, probably related to high moisture and not much air movement.


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## Jermicide (Nov 2, 2009)

AlexD said:


> Yeah, tillandsias in general don't fare well in the long run in a viv, probably related to high moisture and not much air movement.


i've got him near the screened top, maybe i'm spritzing him too much? it's near a 5.0 UVB bulb, dries it out pretty quick


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## Jason DeSantis (Feb 2, 2006)

Tillansias only need to be watered 2-3 times a week. They do require alot of air movement. I dont know what the light output is on a 5.0 bulb. Is it possible you dont have enough air and the tilly is getting burned?
J


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## JoshK (Jan 5, 2009)

I have Tillies in enclosed vivs with NO air movement other than when I open the doors. Just keep them "High and Dry", you can tell if they need to be misted, and IMO it would be better to NEVER mist than to mist too much. I have had several bloom, blush, and create new plants, and I have had some rot and and die rather quickly with too much misting.

Also, Someone told me once that as long as they have any green on them, you can bring them back. Don't give up 'till it's rotted!


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## Colleen53 (Jan 19, 2009)

Do you know the names of your tillies? Some do better then others and you may have the hardier ones.


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## Jermicide (Nov 2, 2009)

crocata is the one, supposed to bloom fragrant yellow flowers I'll photo it later and post pics


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## dirtmonkey (Feb 10, 2007)

T. crocata hates me, always has, so I can't help much there. They sure smell nice though.

These are the Tillandsias that HAVE grown well for me and bloomed repeatedly in terrariums/vivariums with minimal air movement.

T. albertiana (Never bloomed or grew well, but it did survive a long time. I think it wanted cooler air)
T. aeranthos (bloomed often)
T. aeranthos 'mini purple' (New, but I expect it to do well too)
T. bulbosa (Grew well, but only bloomed once in 3 years)
T. capitata 
T. capitata domingensis (Keeps its excellent deep maroon color all year)
T. caput-medusae (even lived a year in a shut down tank where almost everything else was dead)
T. latifolia
T. sucrei (Another good bloomer in viv)

There were a couple more that did well too, I just have to remember what they were. I remember something that had a name sounding like it would be a miniature, but it grew bigger than everything else. In the new batch I'm trying out T. funkiana, but too soon to tell yet how it will do.

Unfortunately I didn't keep any list of what didn't do well, but I know crocata was one of the ones I failed with. It might do better for you in a sunny window instead.

Edit: Oh yeah- I always kill the common and "easy" T. ionantha, too, so maybe you shouldn't listen to me! 

V


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## dirtmonkey (Feb 10, 2007)

Just looked up the others I had do well in tanks- sorry if this is getting off your topic, but in case you go shopping for replacements...

T. stricta 'Midnight' - a halfway decent bloomer in the terrarium/vivarium, but it lost most of its dark color and stayed green all year. It got dark color again after moving it to a sunny window.

T. araujei "open form" - Bloomed occasionally, grew long and trailing.

T. nana - this is the one that wasn't tiny despite the name. It loved the viv and grew like a weed, but didn't bloom much, if at all.

T. brachycaulus - didn't mind being wet, it even got waterfall splashed and grew too big for the space. The flowers didn't like the water though and always turned to mush. I actually killed this one later on by letting it get too dry, but I wasn't exactly in love with it.


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## MeiKVR6 (Sep 16, 2008)

Good thread with all these listed tillandsias! 

I tried T. Crocata when I first started selling Tillandsias... I killed it in less than a month.  It was later replaced with Ionantha Mexican which thrived in the same spot.

We've had excellent luck in our terrariums with the following:
Tillandsia Ionantha (Mexican, Peanut (Haven't gotten one to flower in a viv yet!), Rubra, and Fuego)
Tillandsia Andreana (It flowered and pupped in about 8 months - Unfortunately the moss choked it out afterwards!)
Tillandsia Brachycaulos (Prefers wetter conditions than other tillandsias)
Tillandsia Juncea (We glue these to cork and settle them halfway into substrate)

Anyone have experience with Tillandsia Tenuifolia 'Blue Flower'? I've been wanting to test this one out but I don't have any extra vivs right now.


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