[Wy Renegade]

Hey Folks,

Starting to consider terrascaping and planting the terrestrial and bog portion of my Tiger Salamander Paludarium, and I'm looking for some plant suggestions.



I would like to stay with more of a native theme, or at least plants that are similar looking to the natives.

To date, I'm looking at some bonsai trees which would emulate our native cottonwood trees to a degree, some moss, a native Forget-Me-Not that has done will in both terrestrial and bog type environments for me, and a native fern that has done well for me in another paludarium type tank.

Appreciate any suggestions for terrestrials or bog style plants that others have had good luck with. Thanks-in-advance.

Tank thread is here if you are interested in checking it out.
http://www.dendroboard.com/forum/newts-salamanders/279985-40b-tiger-salamander-paludarium.html

 

[hydrophyte]

You could fit some neat plants in there. Did you mention what kind of lighting it will have?

I have been having some good results with native acid bog plants in a setup that I made that also includes live Sphagnum moss. But I wouldn't recommend them for this tank because they require acid pH and the extra nutrients from the salamander waste would probably kill them.

American cranberry, Vaccinium macrocarpon.

Labrador tea, Ledum groenlandicum.

Here is the whole tank planted with these bog shrubs and others and before ai added the moss.

 

[Wy Renegade]

You could fit some neat plants in there. Did you mention what kind of lighting it will have?

I have been having some good results with native acid bog plants in a setup that I made that also includes live Sphagnum moss. But I wouldn't recommend them for this tank because they require acid pH and the extra nutrients from the salamander waste would probably kill them.

Those are cool though, I'll have to keep them in mind for another project.

 

[hydrophyte]

Those are cool though, I'll have to keep them in mind for another project.

Yeah they are are pretty neat. The little shrubs that I have in that setup all grow as evergreens, so I hope they will adapt as terrarium foliage without seasonal changes. I should get some new photos because the shrubs have grown quite a bit and the sphagnum has also covered a lot of the bottom. I also saw a single flower on the cranberry. I hope to find some Drosera sundews to complete it.

 

[Wy Renegade]

Anybody had any luck keeping common Liverwort (Marchantia polymorpha) or Dwarf Horsetail (Equisetum scirpoides) in this type of set-up?

 

[Jermander]

The dwarf horsetail should do fine, just expect to have to do some weeding every once in a while. I personally have not had luck with liverworts in this type of set up, of course the species I used my not have liked the acid.

Just curious if you will let the tank have winter chill. Cranberries slowly pitter out without winter chill. I suspect the Ledum will as well, but I have no personal experience with that one.

 

[Groundhog]

I would lose the idea of a shrub, with the exception of dwarf live oak. Other plants I might try:

--partridge berry (Mitchella repens)
--Dwarf sagittaria or acorus (water edge)
--dragon's tail fern (Asplenium), plant this one away from the water and elevated--maybe between rocks? This plant likes limestone.
--any small nephrolepis
--the native goodyera?
--tillandsias on branches? Maybe bartramii?

I would suggest ludwigia, but they like high light. Bear in mind, tigers do not like very bright light. if you can do your lights sequentially, they will come out dawn/dusk in anticipation of being fed. These are actually fairly responsive pets.

Hope this helps.