# when ficus pumila takes over



## meatslim (Jun 6, 2007)

when ppl say it takes over what does that mean exactly...
lets say the plants in my tank are already established and rooted, will teh ficus pumila "suffocate" out hte other plants and eventually kill them all or will it just take take over whatever space is left over?

im especially concerned about a large portion of hte background that already has a sparse mat of hoya curtisii over it. I want to cover the a remaining 3rd with ficus pumila but am afraid the ficus pumila will move in on the hoya and "choke" it out


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## elmoisfive (Dec 31, 2004)

It is a pretty amazing grower and given time, will come to dominate the vivarium. It won't crowd out all of your plants but if there is a slower growing plant that is occupying the same 'niche', odds are that it will win long term.

I like it and use it a fair bit but keep in mind that it can be somewhat of a weed in our vivs. So use it but be prepared to keep it trimmed back.

Bill


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## 013 (Aug 9, 2006)

Personally, i hate pumila. It just grows to fast and too abundant for the kind of plantgrowth i want to establish. I like my tanks to reflect the abundance of rainforrest. Pumila is just too aggresive to do that. 

I once had it take over one of my tanks. When i got to removing it, i tore whole chunks from the cork background it grew on! So beware.

Personally i like the oakleaf creeping fig much better. A slow grower with prettier leaves that can still cover large spaces.


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## meatslim (Jun 6, 2007)

well for my viv, the the look of hte oak leaf doesnt really work. so the existing plants should be safe from teh pumila? i personally like hte overgrown look, but i dont want the background to be JUST pumila, is that gonna happen eventually even tho 2/3 of it is covered in hoya curtisii?


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## KeroKero (Jun 13, 2004)

If the hoya grows slower... eventualy the fig will win. With tanks its best to pick one species for a niche in the tank... not multiple creepers but just one, so you don't get into this issue... because down the line you'll only have one!


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## rbrightstone (Apr 14, 2004)

The varigated form grows much more slowly than the standard form. I have never seen it out grow a tank, or overtake other plants. Good luck.


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## Otis (Apr 16, 2006)

with tons of light and constand moisture and humidity it will grow everywhere. i had a 3" pot of it and how it is covering the whole background of a 10 hex, that took about 8 months, and i've been trimming it monthly so it wouldn't kill the other plants. it still kinda did though. it just griws over them and blocks out the light, at least thats what mine did. it only grows well when very close to a light and with lots of moisture, otherwise it shrivels up fast.


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## Tim F (Jan 27, 2006)

If you like it, then by all means use it. It will only take over if you let it. You're not likely to wake up one morning and find that it has choked out your entire viv. It's a great creeper/filler, but it may require a bit of maintenance to suit your specific needs once it has become established.


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## Tim F (Jan 27, 2006)

Another thing - after a few years of thoughtful pruning, the stems will become thick and woody. This creates a very nice effect, and off hand, I can't think of any other "living" woody vine that will not only tolerate but thrive our viv conditions.


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## 013 (Aug 9, 2006)

Tim F said:


> Another thing - after a few years of thoughtful pruning, the stems will become thick and woody. This creates a very nice effect, and off hand, I can't think of any other "living" woody vine that will not only tolerate but thrive our viv conditions.


Yes, i think it's got extremely strong stem. Hence, the cork-tearing off experience. I think i read somewhere that it's also used as rope.


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## skronkykong (Jan 1, 2007)

After months of ignoring this plant I think I'm going to try. I need something to cover the back wall in a few spaces anyway. The tiny oak leaf creeper I have looks neat but its painfully slow at creeping. I was worried about ficus pumila getting out of control but I imagine that most of the people annoyed by this plant have multiple tanks to tend to. I only have one so constant trimming isn't a problem for me. Heck it will give me something to do in my tank!


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## Otis (Apr 16, 2006)

it has an extremely strong stem, the first time i tried to take a cutting (i used my bare hands) it didn't rip, you HAVE to use scisors to get a piece. it humid tanks it will sprout these little feathers and the will suction onto glass, cork, whatever it can.


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## meatslim (Jun 6, 2007)

so i didnt use it on teh tank i orignally intended because when i came back from a break (not seeing it for about a week. dont worry, i took my frogs with me in their "vacation home" tank), the other plants have spread to cover the open areas... i guess when i wasnt looking, the other plants decided to grow hahah. I did however, use it on my new 15g. Im not having any other creepers in tehre so it can go nuts.


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