Plants for a 24x18x24 vivarium

[dmallia]

I began building my first planted vivarium. I got a 24x18x24 exo terra vivarium and covered the back and the side walls with tree fern panels. I also made the drainage layer with clay balls, added a separator and added the substrate. Now I am thinking of what plants I can buy. I was thinking to get 2 blushing bromeliads to be hanged with the cork pieces with the background. Any ideas of what more I can get?

[JMims]

What do you plan on housing in there? Some frogs will utilize the broms for breeding, other species may not go in them at all. I have found that the best way to choose plants is to figure out what species of frog, gecko, etc. you are putting in there, and then choose plants based on the inhabitants needs.

[Dartfrogfreak]

How about a pic of the tank?

Todd

[Sammie]

That's a tough question. It's kinda like asking what shoes you should get. It depends on what you like.

However I have some general advice for you (Though just my opinion.).

1. I like a a tank with mostly green foliage and a few colorful plants, too much different bright colors can make a tank look cluttered.

2. A balance between large leafed plants and small accent plants.
A tank with 300 mini orchids and nothing else can, again, look cluttered.
And on the other side of it, a tank with four large plants might look "off" as well.

3. With bromeliads such as Neoregelia and Vriesea I prefer to use only one or two kinds and have a few of each planted in clusters. Odd numbers are preferred.

Again, this is just my opinion. There is no right or wrong here.

If I were to recommend one plant It would be Philodendron scandens. It's somewhat underappreciated but a great (and beautiful) vivarium plant.

[rigel10]

Regarding plants, I would add ficus on the background: I like backgrounds covered with climbing plants such as ficus and begonia schulzei (beautiful flowers).

[dmallia]

As regard to frogs, most probably I will get Dendrobates leucomelas since they are good for beginners and these will be my first dart frogs.

[LuckyLeuc's]

I also am in the same boat with plants i have 4 leucs right now and currently have plants but i want some good color with some ground cover type background plants ...any suggestions would be appreciated. Also its a 40 breeder exo terra

[LoganR]

I am sure you have thought this through - but just in case...you want to make sure your plants haven't had any heavy pesticide treatments - and most plants from a big box store or nursery will have been treated. If that is where you get your plants, be sure you give them time for the toxins to wash off or work their way out of their systems, just in case they have been treated.

How much time - I wait a month, others feel free to chime in with other wait times.

Also, if you are patient, some amazing plants are sold through this forum as well as through a few facebook groups (and yeah, the facebook ones are usually posted on here as well). The choice of oddball plants that are perfect for vivaria is mind-boggling(ok, I admit that, as a botanist, I just MIGHT sometimes like the plants a tiny bit more than the frogs).