# Tillandsia bulbosa



## Guest (Feb 25, 2004)

I just wanted to say I love this plant. Does anyone know how long it will live? Or will it reproduce on it's own?


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## Ryan (Feb 18, 2004)

cant answer your questions but amazing looking plant!


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## Homer (Feb 15, 2004)

It should set off pups after flowering (which it's doing right now) as long as you keep it happy. It may take months for pups to form, but once a brom flowers, the mother plant will begin the stages of setting off pups and withering away.

I had a similar looking Tillandsia with far more silvery hairs. Unfortunately, it did not take well to the high humidity in my tank. Oh well, you have to break a few eggs . . . . :roll:


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## Guest (Feb 25, 2004)

Homer said:


> I had a similar looking Tillandsia with far more silvery hairs. Unfortunately, it did not take well to the high humidity in my tank. Oh well, you have to break a few eggs . . . . :roll:


Yeah I killed a couple too in another tank. If you look close, you will see that I have ut mounted about 2 inches away from the vent holes and fan. T & C has a species that has more silver curved hairs with similar blush and flower.

As always, thanks for the info, Homer


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## Homer (Feb 15, 2004)

While we're talking about Tillandsias which WILL do well in frog terraria, T. ionatha and T. pencifola have done well for me. Of course, there are some very distinctive cultivars of those species, but I even have some seedlings of T. ionatha going strong right now. 8) 

T. pencifola pups like mad, as each one plant that was given to me by Custom Ecos (free extras) now has about 5-8 pups hanging from it. I need to take a knife to them, but I just can't bring myself to it!


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## TonyT (Feb 16, 2004)

I have tried to get these to live in 2 diffeerent tanks and they rotted away. To much moisture I belive. They need a much drier enviroment than my dart tanks. I keep the humidity very high in all of my tanks and they just didn't do well at all. Took about 4 months or so for them to start rotting though.

TonyT


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## Guest (Feb 26, 2004)

Tony, same thing happened to me. Try mounting them higher in the tank, and as close to a vent as possible. The humidity usually drops towards the lights and vents. Also, and maybe Homer can clarify this, I have read that one of the two color types(silver or green) does better than the other in more humid environments. If you find out which one, just look for one that has that particular color to it.


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## Homer (Feb 15, 2004)

Yeah, Matt, I have also read that the Tillansias with silver hairs tend to rot in high humidity environments. However, my pencifola has the silvery hairs. Go figure.

I have all my Tillandsias on a branch near the top of the terrarium, but not under the vent. While they all have sat within 5 inches of one another, some species make it while some just don't. I really do think that there is a lot of variability within a species that makes it a bit of a crap shoot to try these things in our frog tanks. :roll:


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## Guest (Feb 26, 2004)

Just a note, i have had really good success growing tillandsias in orchid tanks that i keep at 90% humidity. here is what i do. first off, put them really high in the tank close to the light, second, lower the humidity in the tank to about 40% for 4hours before the lights go out. i use high flow fans in the tank to do this. Now granted, that means that you really cant have them in frog tanks becuase the frogs dont like that much of a drop, but you could set up a tank to grow just your plants =)


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## Guest (Feb 26, 2004)

drunknmunky said:


> Just a note, i have had really good success growing tillandsias in orchid tanks that i keep at 90% humidity. here is what i do. first off, put them really high in the tank close to the light, second, lower the humidity in the tank to about 40% for 4hours before the lights go out. i use high flow fans in the tank to do this. Now granted, that means that you really cant have them in frog tanks becuase the frogs dont like that much of a drop, but you could set up a tank to grow just your plants =)


That is interesting. I have no place for a setup like that right now, but my wife has taken an interest in tillandsias so who knows what the future holds.


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## Homer (Feb 15, 2004)

I've also heard that using computer fans will allow you to keep some of the less humidity loving T's survive in high humidity frog tanks, as it helps keep water from pooling on their leaves. Additionally, a lot of T's like to be mounted in a fashion we would consider "upside down", as it prevents water from collecting between the axils. I know my pencifola loves growing suspended from the branch.


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## Guest (Feb 27, 2004)

Homer said:


> I've also heard that using computer fans will allow you to keep some of the less humidity loving T's survive in high humidity frog tanks, as it helps keep water from pooling on their leaves. Additionally, a lot of T's like to be mounted in a fashion we would consider "upside down", as it prevents water from collecting between the axils. I know my pencifola loves growing suspended from the branch.


Yes, I think I learner my lesson. I will only mount them horizontally or turned downwards from now on. I have some concolors coming from T&C next week. Rainforestflora has an awesome selections but he is very proud of his plants since martha stewart...I assume :wink: Plus he has a $25 minumum order


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## Homer (Feb 15, 2004)

Hurry up and add a Macodes petola to that list. T&C has them for the cheapest I've seen, and they're the most gorgeous jewel orchid of which I know! Great terrarium plant, and I don't know how he can sell them for $15 . . . they're tough enough just to find. I will cost you $5 each just for flasks containing 10-12, and you have to grow them up for 2 years after that! His look to be full sized plants, and you just can't go wrong with this plant in a nicely draining substrate.


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