# Dracaena



## DeeVas (Jul 2, 2005)

hey guys just came back from home depot and i bought this plant named dracaena "combo". i was wondering if it safe to put in a vivarium. also is there a site which list all safe plants thanx guys


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## Grassypeak (Jun 14, 2005)

It will be safe until it pushes the top off of your viv. I believe they all get huge.


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## DeeVas (Jul 2, 2005)

thats good to know looks like ill just give it to my mom she will find a place to put it.


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## Guest (Aug 13, 2005)

They are safe, I have one in my viv, and I had lucky bamboo which is another dracaena species in there too. Right now the one I have looks great, I got it from a larger tree they were gonna throw out in the office where I used to work.


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## Grassypeak (Jun 14, 2005)

You could always cut it back when it gets too tall. If you do this, it will grow shoots out the side of the trunk just like the so-called lucky bamboo. I would expect that the root system will eventually take over all of the substrate and clog any pump that you might have in the tank.


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## Guest (Aug 13, 2005)

my dracaena sp. which is the one with the red edged ribbon like leaves, is starting to root all over the place. I think its starting to come between a siliconed fixed rock, and the side of the aquarium. I hope that when push comes to shove, the rock will give way. :?


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## DeeVas (Jul 2, 2005)

hmmmmm doesnt sound like i will be puttin it in there. thanx everyone do u guys know of a site that lists plants that are suitable for a vivarium


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## Grassypeak (Jun 14, 2005)

If you don’t have much of a history with plants, I would start at Black Jungle’s site. They list a lot of neat plants for the vivarium. If you tell us a little about your setup maybe we can offer specific plants. The big problems that you will have to overcome are the fact that most vivs don’t have much in the way of light, space, ventilation or adequate drainage. If this is the case with your viv, than you want to find plants that will remain small, that don’t require a lot of light and that can tolerate wet feet. Here are some of my favorites.

Java moss – For really wet, low light areas.

Some Cryptocorine species – For high humidity vivs with areas that have waterlogged substrate. This one does O.K. in low light but more is better.

Anubias species – for high humidity vivs with areas that have waterlogged substrate. 
This one also does O.K. in low light but more is also better. Be sure to research the species as some get over a foot tall. Anubias nana and A. barteri stay fairly small.

The previous three can be found at online pet stores or through aquarium clubs.

Pathos – for all moisture levels with at least moderate light. More is better with this one.

Moisture tolerant Begonias – There are many small ones that can handle moisture. More light is better but some tolerate the shade. Watch the species, as some like rex get pretty large.

Miniature ferns -(True miniatures are hard to come by but there are many.) In a viv most ferns behave like a gas, that is, they expand to fill the container  . Look for miniatures. You should be able to keep the Rabbit’s Foot fern in check (watch for scale insects with this one though).

Avoid giant ferns which are commonly sold small, like the Bird’s Nest Fern. These look good, but get truly huge.

African Violet – If you have a bright spot that has good drainage these can do really well in the humidity of a viv. They don’t like their leaves to get water droplets on them and they do not like to stay perpetually moist.

This is a short list, but I have had good experiences with growing each of these under terrarium conditions.


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## Guest (Aug 13, 2005)

I can't give you as good a description on the needs of the plants that I use, but here is my list

Fittonia, Juanita sp.
They can take low lights, 

Pilea, moon valley, im having a little trouble with this one, its leaves arent as nicely colored as when I bought it, but its growing like crazy. It seems to not be tolerant of wet soil since I put a cutting into a water logged viv, and it hasnt grown any new leaves. It hasnt died, but its not growing.

Baby tears seems to like the water alot. It grows like moss (by that I mean that it is prostrate, and grows slowly). But I think it really nees alot of light as it does better in places with lots of light in my viv.

Syngoniums love to root in water, and grow leaves above water. Aquarium stores sell it as an underwater plant, same as anubias, but I think both like it better with wet roots, and dry leaves. They are perfect marginal plants, but syngonium has a nasty tendency of out growing any small vivs.

I'll let you know how my Spathyphyllum cutting will do. It has produced two new leaves since I placed it in the viv. Crossing fingers I can keep it under control.

I have an Agloeanema, I know these grow huge, but I couldnt help my self and put it in anyway. I actually grew that one from seed from the moma plant. Its doing great. I have it about an inch from the waters edge, and is growing lots of leaves. It adds great texture to the viv. 

I have a Cryptocoryne wendettii, but its underwater and currently recovering from a snail attack. It seems to do better with lots of light. But then so does algea.

I tend to think that aroids, the Syngoniums, Spaths, Anubias, Cryptocorynes, and Agloeanemas, do well in vivs. I wanted to get an Anthurium that they were selling at a nursery, it was rooted to a porous rock and would go great in the middle of my water feature, if I had room.


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