# Vivs Gone Wild



## Dartfrogfreak (Jun 22, 2005)

Alright Post yur pics of Outta Control Vivs here !!

Ya Know the ones ya can barely see into !!


THANX,


TODD


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## schegini14 (May 17, 2006)

Here is my terribilis tank


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## Dartfrogfreak (Jun 22, 2005)

Nice!


Ok so ya can still in this one but its getting there LOL











I trim and replant the wandering Jew cuttings once a week !



Keep em coming !


TODD


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## Frogtofall (Feb 16, 2006)

My 29 gal.... That I JUST sold...  



















Edit: This picture was taken a day or so after I set it up...


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## defaced (May 23, 2005)

My baby... all grown up... *tear*

8 month old 75g: 



















As an infiant:


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## Dartfrogfreak (Jun 22, 2005)

Nice !


Antone Whyd ya sell it ???


Mike 

Did you let that moss grown in Before you added more plants or did you actually place all of that in there ??



TODD


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## Frogtofall (Feb 16, 2006)

I sold it b/c of certain life changes. No biggie. I do miss it though!


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## Dartfrogfreak (Jun 22, 2005)

Ahh I see


Is that Cissus Amazonica I see in there Antone ???








TODD


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## geckguy (Mar 8, 2004)

Here is a 55, just sitting in a corner under a 400 MH, waiting for some new inhabitants. It is a crappy picture, but I snapped it quick before the timers went off.


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## Jordan B (Oct 8, 2004)

40 Gallon Tinc Tank, around 3 years old. 








15 Gallon Vent Tank, 2 years after set-up maybe?









These are after a bit of trimming .

Jordan


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## Dartfrogfreak (Jun 22, 2005)

Wow Jordan !!!


Jacob hopefully you can get a better pic.
Wut are ya gonna put in it ??




Todd


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## defaced (May 23, 2005)

> Mike
> 
> Did you let that moss grown in Before you added more plants or did you actually place all of that in there ??


Since this tank was a rebuild, I took the moss from the previous layout and put it in this layout. The plants that are in the top (grown in) pics have been added slowly over the past few months. I've had that moss for a few years now and it's pretty agressive, but can't keep up with the sag (club moss). I'm going all leaf litter for my other tanks, but that one is going to stay with a moss lawn just because of how well it does in that tank.


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## geckguy (Mar 8, 2004)

It was supposed to be bri-bris, but the ones that I was getting took a turn for the worse, so it will be about 5 months until I get thoose guys.
I have been toying around with adding some retics that I will hopefully get from Understory, but they haven't responded to e-mails. But more than likely it will be some pums (none of the imports), there are tons of good tad deposition sites in here, easily 15-20 broms they could use, and it is seeded very well with some panamanian springtails, white tropical woodlice, and another large type of woodlice, along with lots of other small hitchhikers. I will try and get some more pics today.


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## Frogtofall (Feb 16, 2006)

Dartfrogfreak said:


> Ahh I see
> 
> 
> Is that Cissus Amazonica I see in there Antone ???
> ...



Yep, it sure is.


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## sierraaquarium (Mar 4, 2006)

Antone, what is that reddish vining one with the heart shaped leaves?


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## Frogtofall (Feb 16, 2006)

sierraaquarium said:


> Antone, what is that reddish vining one with the heart shaped leaves?


I think you're talking about the Cissus amazonica.









(pic from cloudjungle)


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## sierraaquarium (Mar 4, 2006)

yeah thats the one. I tried searching that and came up with nothing (on google atleast). :?
edit - because i used the wrong name! derrr on me! :lol:


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## Guest (Jul 15, 2006)

Jordan, that 15 gal vent tank is fantastic.


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## Dartfrogfreak (Jun 22, 2005)

Antone How Aggressive is that ??


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## Frogtofall (Feb 16, 2006)

Dartfrogfreak said:


> Antone How Aggressive is that ??


That stuff rivals Creeping Fig easily. Once it gets going, good luck stopping it! Haha.

I've noticed it doesn't seem to like its foliage to get wet yet it LOVES the humidity.


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## Dartfrogfreak (Jun 22, 2005)

Wow!

I never would of imagined that Antone.



Keep up the Pics look great so far!!!



Thanx,


Todd


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## Frogtofall (Feb 16, 2006)

*Before*










*After*


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## Dartfrogfreak (Jun 22, 2005)

Nice Antone !


Wuts that Begonia I see there ???






Todd


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## Frogtofall (Feb 16, 2006)

Begonia bowarae nigramargra


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## Dartfrogfreak (Jun 22, 2005)

I likes!!!

Agressive???



Todd


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## Frogtofall (Feb 16, 2006)

Not so far no. Its been growing pretty constant.


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## Homer (Feb 15, 2004)

Here's a side shot of this tank. It's about 27 x 27 x 24 (the top one), or about a 24" cube.










Here it was after being planted in 2001:










Here it was in 2001/2002 after growing in for somewhere like 8 months, and with some plants moved:










Here it is today, months neglected with regard to cutting out foliage and those darned ferns that shoot up from nowhere:










This viv needs a serious overhaul. The substrate has broken down, and everything just needs to be gutted and started over. I'm thinking about just cleaning this one out, selling it, and making a new one to fit with our remodeling plans for the house. I just hate to pull the frogs from this tank, as they still seem to like it.


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## frogman824 (Aug 10, 2005)

That's one heavily planted viv....I like it. What kind of frogs are you keeping in there?

Mike


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## Homer (Feb 15, 2004)

frogman824 said:


> That's one heavily planted viv....I like it. What kind of frogs are you keeping in there?
> 
> Mike


Thanks, man. I keep my New River Tincs in there. If you look at the last pic in my post, you can see the large female in the bottom left/middle of the pic. here's a pic of one of the males in action:


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## PAULSCHUMANN (Apr 20, 2005)

believe it or not there is a pair of yellow backs in there


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## Dartfrogfreak (Jun 22, 2005)

Nice Homer!

I luv New River Tincs ! Cant wait to get mine!


Paul,
Yeah I see one of them in the Pic!
Nice Color! Its not too often ya see High Yellow Yellowbacks,
Did you produce them ??

Wuts that strange plant in there Paul ???


TODD


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## Frogtofall (Feb 16, 2006)

Looks like a type of Microsorium fern.


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## Dartfrogfreak (Jun 22, 2005)

Tis wut I thought too , Nothing Micro about em tho LOL



Todd


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## Frogtofall (Feb 16, 2006)

Dartfrogfreak said:


> Tis wut I thought too , Nothing Micro about em tho LOL
> 
> 
> 
> Todd


Compared to a few other species... :shock:


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## PAULSCHUMANN (Apr 20, 2005)

That stuff was micro months ago, it started growing out of some tropical moss I put in my tanks.

here's a couple more pics of those yellow backs









one of their offspring


















the same viv a few months ago









another froglet









the pair


















she's big to


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## Dendrobait (May 29, 2005)

Wow these are awesome, yet packed, vivs! 

Homer: Maybe its cause I haven't seen it in person but that very last picture doesn't look too bad. Of course seeing the frogs would be a treat but its not like the plants are to the point where the layout is killed. If you had some large leaved vining plants that would be another story though! 

Also, does the viv "crash" if you don't replace the substrate or does it become inhospitable to the frogs? I'd imagine most of the stuff would get broken down and compacted and you'd have something like the output from a worm bin(dark fine material sludgy when wet, makes nice plant fertilizer).


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## Grassypeak (Jun 14, 2005)

The Fern looks like Microsorium diversifolium, “The Kangaroo Paw Fern”. They like it warm and humid, and will basically fill whatever container you put them in. I was thinking about adding some to my Triv tank, as this fern tends to be thin down low and provide a canopy above.


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## sierraaquarium (Mar 4, 2006)

i just had to go with the "gone wild" mood. :lol:


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## schegini14 (May 17, 2006)

HAHA....


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## Frogtofall (Feb 16, 2006)

Hahaha! :lol:


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## Dartfrogfreak (Jun 22, 2005)

Nice!


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## Homer (Feb 15, 2004)

Dendrobait said:


> Wow these are awesome, yet packed, vivs!
> 
> Homer: Maybe its cause I haven't seen it in person but that very last picture doesn't look too bad. Of course seeing the frogs would be a treat but its not like the plants are to the point where the layout is killed. If you had some large leaved vining plants that would be another story though!
> 
> Also, does the viv "crash" if you don't replace the substrate or does it become inhospitable to the frogs? I'd imagine most of the stuff would get broken down and compacted and you'd have something like the output from a worm bin(dark fine material sludgy when wet, makes nice plant fertilizer).


You are right, it's not horrible . . . but that is only because the front 1/3 of the terrarium is almost entirely a pond on the right side (with a small land area in the far right corner) and large flat stones on the left--so plants find it difficult to root there. That helps keep the plants from literally pushing themselves out the sliding glass front.

However, it is a solid mass of plants in the back 18 inches of the tank, and many of my broms are not looking as good as they should.

With regard to breakdown of the substrate, it does eventially become a lot like worm castings. As such, it holds too much water for my liking and has no air spaces. Since I have orchids and other epiphytes growing in the media, they have shown signs of stress--poor growth and no blooms, which I would like to remedy. Otherwise, it would be fine for tropicals. Regardless, after 5 years being setup, it is probably wise to renew the media, if not replace.

I personally like the earlier picture better, although there were times when it looked even better than that picture. The other issue I want to remedy is the volunteer fern with 24" fronds that sprouted from the medium and pops up all over the tank. Hopefully, if I gut the tank, it will go away!


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## hoyta (Jan 18, 2006)

*hey*

gorgeous yellowbacks, paul! wow! pm'd


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## Dartfrogfreak (Jun 22, 2005)

Homer, that fern may go away but if you use any items from that viv they will return in the new one.



I still luv that censored one . 

Now thats a naughty viv! LOL!

Keep em coming guys!


TODD


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## Dendrobait (May 29, 2005)

Homer: Thanks for the info! I like ferns used in setups and if you could find something(maidenhair?) to impart a similar look that would be great. Also, in the 3rd picture you cannot quite see the "frog highway" piece of wood completely which I think adds to the depth. The 2nd photo is also nice but it still has a slightly "young" look to it. Reminds me of what happens to some planted aquariums!


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## Guest (Jul 19, 2006)

this was right before my last trimming on this 29.


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## zaroba (Apr 8, 2006)

why trim at all, i think all these vivs look better all grown in.
more natural too. afterall, thiers nobody walking threw the rainforests and trimming all the plants 


as for no air spaces in soil after months of compaction,
woulden't putting earthworms in the viv solve that problem?


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## Guest (Jul 19, 2006)

zaroba said:


> as for no air spaces in soil after months of compaction,
> woulden't putting earthworms in the viv solve that problem?


earthworms, pill bugs, sow bugs, and IMO, even springtails help aerate the soil.


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## Frogtofall (Feb 16, 2006)

zaroba said:


> why trim at all, i think all these vivs look better all grown in.
> more natural too. *afterall, thiers nobody walking threw the rainforests and trimming all the plants *
> 
> 
> ...


You sure about that? :wink: 

...damn depleting rainforests...


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## Nuggular (Apr 8, 2005)

These are some recent shots of my 30 gallon Powder Blue tank.


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## xfrogx (Jul 5, 2006)

My vivs look completely naked compared to some of these! :shock:


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## Dartfrogfreak (Jun 22, 2005)

Landon Yur vivs really grown in nice! I remember the pics wen it was first setup almost looked naked compared to now LOL
I like it. That Cryptanthus Bivitatus ? Is that a new addition? Looks like a pup .


Nuggular , Howd you get a croton to grown in there? I always kill em ( In or outta the Vivs)
Nice viv BTW

TODD


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## kj (Jan 15, 2006)

xfrogx said:


> My vivs look completely naked compared to some of these! :shock:


Same here mate same


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## c'est ma (Sep 11, 2004)

Nuggular--that's really sweet! How long has it been set up?


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## Guest (Jul 20, 2006)

Dartfrogfreak said:


> Landon Yur vivs really grown in nice! I remember the pics wen it was first setup almost looked naked compared to now LOL
> I like it. That Cryptanthus Bivitatus ? Is that a new addition? Looks like a pup .
> 
> TODD


thanks Todd,
i think its grown in nice. i just trimmed it again and took some plants out. the cryp was getting too shaded and lost its red color. i need to get some new pics up of it soon. i do beleive youve got the species _Cryptanthus bivittatus_ correct. its been in there since the beginning. it was a pup when i put it in. its about 5" tall or so now. you can really only make out the red in the pic because that alcosia is blocking all the light.


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## Nuggular (Apr 8, 2005)

Thx guys. That tank has been setup for about 2 1/2 years now. The 3 powder blues that live it in are breeding maniacs right now. I currently have 8 tads and 8 more eggs turning into tads. 1 tad has its back legs right now. They gave me alot more eggs, but alot of them were bad until they got the hang of it. Now I just keep getting good eggs. I even gave 7 developing eggs to Devin Edmonds. I just cant care for that many tads. I need to have a life outside this froggy thing. Devin has helped me out so much in the past, and never charged me for anything. So I figued I could give him some tads if he wanted them. If he didnt take them, they would be in the trash. I hate saying that, but I just dont have the time for that many tads.



Dartfrogfreak said:


> Nuggular , Howd you get a croton to grown in there? I always kill em ( In or outta the Vivs)
> Nice viv BTW
> 
> TODD


What is the croton you speak off? The background is creepy fig is thats what you mean. And that stuff grows like weeds. Its hard not to have it take over. I trim it every week just to keep it were it is. Its so invasive.


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## Guest (Jul 20, 2006)

^ i think Todd is talking about the large leafed plant in the upper left of your second pic.

one pic i found on google to give an idea if that really is what you have (looks like it to me too)
http://www.blankees.com/house/plants/image/croton.jpg


Todd. ive had pretty good luck with these in the past. they just do a lot better with drier soil. ive had good luck with them in tanks that have a lot of contour. i place them at higher points where there is more soil and less water. the problem with that is height. its pretty hard to keep a tall plant in the area of the viv wehere there is the least amount of air space. i did have one for over a year in an old 29 though. my tree frogs and anoles loved them. i can say i havent had one for over 2 years now though.


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## Homer (Feb 15, 2004)

I like ferns as well, but find that most tend to get too large for terraria. I have used some nice ruffled birdsnest ferns, but those eventually got too big. similarly, the lemon button fern got too large even for the 2' cube.

I have had some luck with some maidenhair ferns, and have even had some sprout from spores in the substrate. I also like the heart fern,a nd another upright fern that Tropiflora sells (can't remember the name right now). All those seem to really like staying WET in my setups, which works out just fine with me!

I agree, the second pic still looks a little young (it was only set up for 8 months at the time), but the tank is currently overgrown with ficus pumila and that unknown fern, and is blocking light from some of my orchids. While worms and other bugs may help aerate the media, it won't be enough for the epiphytic plants that make up the majority of my favored plants. Yup, it's time for an overhaul--the cocofiber background is also pretty well broken down after the 5 years of being setup. I'll need to put together a few temporary containers for the inhabitants, as I'm doing a complete revamp if I don't decide to replace the whole thing with a new setup that suits our remodeling in the living room. 



Dendrobait said:


> Homer: Thanks for the info! I like ferns used in setups and if you could find something(maidenhair?) to impart a similar look that would be great. Also, in the 3rd picture you cannot quite see the "frog highway" piece of wood completely which I think adds to the depth. The 2nd photo is also nice but it still has a slightly "young" look to it. Reminds me of what happens to some planted aquariums!


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## Frogtofall (Feb 16, 2006)

Homer, there are so many ferns that stay nice and small for terrariums. You should spend some time researching my friend!

2 genera that come to mind are Pyrrosia and Microgramma. Go!


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## Homer (Feb 15, 2004)

Frogtofall said:


> Homer, there are so many ferns that stay nice and small for terrariums. You should spend some time researching my friend!
> 
> 2 genera that come to mind are Pyrrosia and Microgramma. Go!


I have sprouted what I believe is Pyrrosia polydactyla (a little too big for my liking), and have been able to get Pyrrosia nummularifolia going in a tank once, only to lose it when I changed misting nozzles and did not watch the spray pattern carefully enough. I agree that those are ferns and many stay small enough for terraria, but they tend to be something that is harder to find, more expensive, and do not have the average "ferny" look to them. Some are pretty cool, though, I have to admit (Pyrrosia petiolosa has always looked neat to me)! 

I've never seen a Microgramma that really grabbed me, though. However, I've always liked the Adiantum ferns, and have found one that seems to be the right size for even 10 gallon terraria. It's too bad that it was a volunteer!

The other fern I noted above, but could not remember the name is Polypodium falax. It's unusual, and reminds me of a slightly different, much smaller version of a staghorn fern.


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## Frogtofall (Feb 16, 2006)

I've got Pyrrosia piloselloides growing in a 20 gal viv. Its doing quite well. I've got a species of Microgramma called M. percussa. Its AWESOME. I believe http://www.cloudjungle.com has some in stock right now. Its a nice small one that climbs and grows fast.

Here's my P. piloselloides...


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## Dartfrogfreak (Jun 22, 2005)

Thats a fern !?? :shock:


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## Lukeomelas (Mar 15, 2005)

Here are my Vivs Gone Wild! I'm starting to realize how much of a pain in the *ss creeping fig can be. 

This is my Imitator viv:










and this is my Green Legged Lamasi viv










I used to never see them so I let it grow in like a mutha. I actually see one or two of them every few days now.


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## Dartfrogfreak (Jun 22, 2005)

Wuts that plant !??!?!?


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## Chondroholic (Aug 18, 2005)

Holy [email protected]#&, are there any other plants in that second viv? That's crazy


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## Lukeomelas (Mar 15, 2005)

I'll have to look up what plant that is for sure, I think it is Begonia Thalame? Or something similar to that. It's worse then creeping fig! There are other plants in there, at least there used to be. Some of them might have gotten chocked out. I'm thinking I'll do some pruning and see what I discover.


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## Frogtofall (Feb 16, 2006)

For some odd reason, I think Todd was asking about the large leaved Calathea looking plant in the first pic.


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## Dartfrogfreak (Jun 22, 2005)

Actually That large leafed calathea looking plant in the first pic looks like a Chinese Evergreen.
That viv must be huge!
I was indeed refering to the plant which looks like it is the only plant in the viv in the second pic .



Nice vivs!


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## Guest (Jul 21, 2006)

wow! That plant in the second pic owns that tank, never seen that before!


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## Grassypeak (Jun 14, 2005)

Fitzy, 

Begonias can be that way, ferns too. Many of the plants they we place in our vivs are capable of taking the entire enclosure over. This is one reason that the small bromeliads are such good viv plants. They spread out so slowly that they almost never cause problems. Many of us neglect to think about what the tank will look like in a year when we do the initial planting. Either that or we think “oh I’ll just prune as needed”, and it never happens. I doubt that the frogs mind though  :wink: .


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## Dartfrogfreak (Jun 22, 2005)

The thing that most people forget about plants is that in the wild Plants form clusters and dont just take up a few inches of space.

Many plants form Clusters/Colonies that can take up yards !





Todd


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## tyler (Feb 23, 2006)

My newly finished viv feels naked...


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## Dartfrogfreak (Jun 22, 2005)

Post some pics and we can give ya some advice !



 


Todd


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## Dartfrogfreak (Jun 22, 2005)

Anyone else like to add to this ???

Ill add pics of Mine soon!


Todd


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## Dartfrogfreak (Jun 22, 2005)

Not quite as full as I want it yet but I figured this was a good shot to show how high the plants have grown in.( Mostly the wandering Jew)

I will post a nice full viv frontal shot in a month or so ( I believe within that Time period I will no longer be able to see in ) :shock:


Todd


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## Grassypeak (Jun 14, 2005)

This is a great thread in that it gives people an idea of which plants are likely to run amok. I doubt that I’ll be putting any Wandering Jew in any of my vivs :wink: .


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## Dartfrogfreak (Jun 22, 2005)

Honestly tho, it wouldnt be near as bad if it werent for me!

I help it along in its quest to take over the viv. :twisted: 
Wen the vines get too tall for the viv I clip them off about 2-5 inches an stick the clippings right back in the viv. (Origanally I just didnt wanna throw away the clippings) Now I just luv the look of this viv!

And the Auratus really dont seem to mind.



Todd


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## Guest (Aug 10, 2006)

i want to see a frontal shot Todd!


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