Air Plants

[Dakota_Ghost]

Hi all,

I'm about to start working on a new enclosure for my geckos. I intend to make homemade structures in addition to using pieces of natural wood. I was going to decorate them with plastic plants, but then wondered whether I could use air plants instead. These are the type I'm referring to...

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tillandsia

Would it be safe to use them? Are they toxic? They require no soil, just the occasional misting.

Many thanks,

Dakota

 

[Tony C]

They are safe and non-toxic. Look for varieties with a fuzzy white/silver coating on the leaves, they are best adapted to dry conditions.

 

[Dakota_Ghost]

Thanks Tony

Has anyone used them before in their setups?

Dakota

 

[Tony C]

Not for geckos, but:

 

[little98dime]

The misting that even the types more suited for dryer conditions would still probably get the humidity too high for a Leo. I wouldn't just to be safe.

 

[Dakota_Ghost]

Thanks Tony, that's exactly the type I intend to use Hmm as for the misting I'm not sure it will cause massive problems. I don't intend to use many, and I think they only need to be misted two times a week. But, I think if the tank was smaller then it could be a problem. Does anyone else have any more thoughts?

Dakota

 

[shadowdragon619]

maybe they would be better for a crested or a gargoyle tank?

 

[Tony C]

I rarely mist the tank that I posted, it is for my tiger leg monkey frogs which do best under warm and dry conditions. During the "wet season" I mist once or twice a week, and during the dry season I often go for several weeks without misting. As long as you stick with the dry climate tillandsias they should be fine in a leopard gecko cage, the short spike in humidity from occasional misting will not do any harm to the geckos.