# Bonsai Trees



## illbeyoursoldier (Nov 20, 2008)

Hey guys! I'm very new here! I guess this can be a good "Hello" Post, LoL.

I was wondering if anyone knew the success rate of Bonsai Trees in a Dart Frog Vivarium, or if they are safe plants to keep with Dart Frogs at all. I can't seem to find any consistent information in my research. I can't imagine Junipers being very successful, as I familiar with keeping both Juniper Bonsais and Dart Frogs, and their care requirements vary and are at times quite opposite. But with care/maintenance and all that aside, are they safe for Dart Frogs? Can they harm them in any way? I know there are other kinds of Bonsai Trees, but the Juniper and the Ficus Bonsai are the only two I can think of... and though I can't see the Juniper worth the hassle to make it work, the Ficus Bonsai might... as long as isn't toxic/harmful to the frogs in anyway.

Anyone ever tried this? Anyone ever heard of anyone trying this? Success Stories? Fail Stories? Or maybe you're just better at searching the web than I seem to be at the moment, LoL.

Thanks for putting up with my questions, and thanks for any input or information, in advance!


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## AlexRible (Oct 16, 2007)

First of all Welcome to the board!!!!!

The only success stories I have heard where with Ficus trees. I had a young ficus in one of my tanks and it could not take humidity tho . I put it in there and all the leaves would fall off. Then I would take it out and it would come back to life. I think that we would all like alittle tree in are dart frog vivarium, I just don't think its practical.


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## Rick (Apr 10, 2009)

AlexRible said:


> First of all Welcome to the board!!!!!
> 
> The only success stories I have heard where with Ficus trees. I had a young ficus in one of my tanks and it could not take humidity tho . I put it in there and all the leaves would fall off. Then I would take it out and it would come back to life. I think that we would all like alittle tree in are dart frog vivarium, I just don't think its practical.


Normaly when a ficus benjamina is intoduced to a viv all the leaves will fall off but then grow back after a certain amount of time. If you did not give it time to acclimate itself then...If your curious where to buy one i believe Black Jungle carries some.


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## harrywitmore (Feb 9, 2004)

Anything can be grown in a Bonsai fashion. So, I'm thinking you mean, 'Are there any small growing 'trees' that would work in a viv. I think it would be worth trying some of the epiphytic Rhododendrons (Vireya). It may be too warm but one of the hybrids may work better than the species. You could also try a Macleania if you can find one. I have a Clusia rosea 'Nana' in my 125 and it seems to be doing OK. I also have a epiphytic Schefflera that I think would do well. 

It would be important to find the smallest plnt you could to start with. I think some of the Aralia species would work well also.


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## Jerm (May 20, 2008)

That's interesting to me that you bring up this topic, I have been contemplating this for awhile now and thought that I was the only one who wanted to do this. What I have had in mind lateley are trying a cypress since they naturally live in swamps. I have had success with ficus in a drier viv, but humidity gets to them in the more humid ones. I would love to have a banyon tree bonsai in a viv but i don't know where to find a start of one, they are just a fig and related to ficus if i'm not mistaken. I love the way the roots cover things. I am experimenting with some and think it is a great idea for a display if it works. Let me know if you try it. I will post pics of mine.


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## jdogfunk99 (Oct 16, 2007)

I've had a ficus bonsai in my viv for over a year and it's doing great. Got it on ebay.


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## rmelancon (Apr 5, 2004)

If you search there are a couple of threads on this topic. Ficus seem to do really well.

http://www.dendroboard.com/forum/me...370-gal-viv-indoor-greenhouse-const-jrnl.html


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## rollei (Jun 4, 2009)

IMO, the pruning and replanting required for bonsai maintenance would stress the frogs. Maybe if you had a big viv it could work.


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## Jerm (May 20, 2008)

I only prune mine once a year or so and repot them every 2 yrs. I have to just forget about them since they are such slow growers. I am concerned about the lighting it would take to mantain them which is probably too hot for the darts.


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## illbeyoursoldier (Nov 20, 2008)

Wow, you guys are great!!! Thanks for all the quick, speedy responses! I think I might like it here, LoL 

Rollei, the tank I'm currently working on setting up is a hex aquarium, approximately 55 gallons (I got it cheap at a yard sale, wooden stand and all, but I'm not sure of the actual gallons). I've never seen a tank with the same measurements before... It's not tall like most hex aquariums are... Its about as wide as it is tall, with a lot more floor space than you would expect... Very "square" like. It will be the largest vivarium I have ever set up thus far, so I'm trying to plan it/establish it very carefully. Because of its shape, I thought a Bonsai would look fantastic in it with the other ideas I have in mind. 

Alex, thanks for sharing your experience with Bonsais. I was wondering though, when you planted your Bonsai, did you physically plant/root it in the substrate of your viv, or did you plant the pot the bonsai was in?? I'm wondering if the success rate would be different/better/worse if the ground the bonsai is rooted in was separated. Obviously, the tree will still be affected by the humidity in the air, but you can control the wetness of the earth itself.

Harry, I've never thought about "making" my own Bonsai. I know you have to maintain their shape, but starting them from any moisture-loving tree... well, I wouldn't know where to begin... I'd really have to really do my research on that one.

Jerm, I'd have to agree. I looked up the Banyons Bonsais, and they are very pretty. I wouldn't know where to find them, either, LoL. Better start looking for a greenhouse in Jersey...


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## JoshK (Jan 5, 2009)

harrywitmore said:


> It would be important to find the smallest plant you could to start with. I think some of the Aralia species would work well also.


 
I just wanted to say that I have two different Aralia stumps in two different tanks and they are doing great. Lots of pruning!


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## Jerm (May 20, 2008)

I found an ad for bonsais on craigslist yesterday and went to see what the guy had. He has some amazing banyons and cypress so I picked up one of each. If you need a cutting off of a banyon let me know, Im sure it wouldn't be hard to ship. I can't believe that he had the two kinds that I was looking for. I am going back to his house on Friday and he is going to look at a couple of my current bonsais, I will try to get photos of some of his trees. He has some very expensive stuff including a forest of chinese elms that is huge, and some old oaks and cypress.


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## james67 (Jun 28, 2008)

as harry whitmore noted bonsai describes the process used to confine and trim a plant in a fashion that creates a dwarfed version. bonsai can be done with MANY different plants, and most trees, with the exception of palms. that being said, if you take a "bonsai" that you get at a store and place it in the tank, i dont think that by the traditional sense of the word they would remain bonsai, which as stated above is the art of pruning, training, grafting, and bounding, of the plant. 

cypress is a VERY slow grower, when grown as bonsai especially, and can take 7-10 years to reach 1 ft when grown from seed and trained from germination.

as someone else stated it may be difficult to do required maintenance to make or keep a bonsai in a tank with frogs while not stressing them.

hope this helps
james


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## Jerm (May 20, 2008)

Because of the fact that they grow so slowly, you only have to trim the roots every 2 years and as for pruning, once a year. I keep them in a pot which is buried in the viv. I have trees that are from 7 yrs old to 25+ yrs old. The only factors that I have issues with right now are the lighting required during the growing season for the true bonsais is too hot and raises the temps of the vivarium too hight for darts. Another issue is that most true bonsais have to go through a wintering period where they are cooled and lose their leaves so they would have to be moved outside, but they can simply be replaced during that time with a "fill in" plant until the next season. The fertilization process for some would be problematic for darts also. I have no problems keeping a fake bonsai in a vivarium, just creating the right environment for darts at the same time as keeping a true bonsai in the tank is difficult. I have ficus and umbrella tree bonsais that thrive with darts but the effect isn't quite the same.


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