# Wet vivarium



## Guest (May 19, 2006)

I just finished my viv and it has a water feature. It is a 20 gallon viv with a pond and a raised false floor and leca, the whole nine...

However, the water fall sprinkles water all over the viv, which seems like it could be good. Maybe then, I dont have to mist. It really makes all the coco bedding on the floor constantly moist.

I am wondering if this is ok for the normal types of plants that go in a viv, broms etc. And if I dont have to mist because of this. There are parts of the viv that remain dry though. So I think three is room for plants that like a dry environment.

Thanks!

G


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## Frank H (Nov 3, 2005)

Maybe post a picture to help us help you.

Most plants will not do good with constantly wet roots. There are some that will do good there, just do some research on plants that like wet feet.

You would still have to mist occasionally, at least to over flow the broms once a week to keep the axils from having stagnant water. 

In one of my vivs, I have a waterfall that splashes all the time on a part of the land.. I used NO coco beding, only leca balls with moss over that.. And that viv is doin great. Here it is http://dendroboard.com/phpBB2/viewtopic.php?t=12195

Frank


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## summitwynds (Jan 22, 2006)

I have a 15 hex viv that stays very wet on the bottom too. I have about 4"" of terralite, but with the mini water fall the substrate stays wet. I have found using aquatic plants like crypts (parva), riccia and Hydrocotyle verticillata. Then I have my broms and tropicals mounted to the great stuff/cocoa fiber. I also have an orchid on a stick. I mist every couple of days getting the broms and mounted plants. 

Its been running now for 4 months and so far everything is doing pretty good. The broms have started pupping within the past couple weeks. Here is a photo of it last week. Hard to get a good shot of the back part where the water fall is. I have 4 red bastis in there that are loving it. I have heard calling coming from at least one of them this week.


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## slaytonp (Nov 14, 2004)

I have three vivariums that I never have to mist due to the falls, which even refill the bromes gently. Water also condenses on the glass top and rains back down occasionally. The substrate can be pretty wet as long as it's drained well back to the false bottom, although certain of the tropicals may not do well in this, and the bromeliads must be elevated above the substrate. Many of the vining types in particular like the miniature Ficus, Peperomia, Pelionia, Pilea, Hedera ivies, some Selaginella sp., etc. as well as Java moss, don't mind saturated soils a bit. There are even several ferns that do just fine. 

None of the Gesneriads will tolerate this sort of saturation, but I've found most of these to be unsuitable to the very high humidity in dart tanks. Anything with fuzzy leaves, bulbs or corms. unless the latter are aquatic, won't generally do well in this particular situation, nor will most of the Tillandsia species that need to dry off somewhat between misting, even when elevated on the background. But there are a whole lot of plants that will prosper even in boggy soils.


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