Potho plants in Emp enclosure

Tcollector

Arachnobaron
Old Timer
Joined
Sep 3, 2007
Messages
497
So I am doing a 20 gallon enclosure for a pair of emperor scorpions. I want to add live Potho plants. I have not done any high humidity and temp enclosures yet. My biggest fear is mites so I am going to put a couple colonies of Isopods in the enclosure to clean up any left overs that I miss when doing maintenance. Mites are usually formed from dead prey laying around, however I hear they can be formed from dead plant matter also.

Can having live plants in the emperor enclosure increase chances of mites?
 

-=}GA']['OR{=-

Arachnoknight
Old Timer
Joined
Mar 1, 2004
Messages
172
I would not worry about mites as much as the chemicals growers use in plant production. They routinely use pesticides and chemical fertilizers. If you are going to use live plants in your enclosures, you should use organically grown ones. If you can't be sure of this I would wait a year for the chemicals to break down. Also wash the leaves off several times and remove all of the potting mix and use new mix in clean pots.
 

Formerphobe

Arachnoking
Old Timer
Joined
Feb 27, 2011
Messages
2,336
Or, if you know someone who has a 'clean' pothos plant, get some clippings from it and root them in a glass of water. Creeping fig (Ficus pumila) has done very well in my scorpion tanks. Some pet stores carry various plants that are safe to use.
 

-=}GA']['OR{=-

Arachnoknight
Old Timer
Joined
Mar 1, 2004
Messages
172
Or, if you know someone who has a 'clean' pothos plant, get some clippings from it and root them in a glass of water. Creeping fig (Ficus pumila) has done very well in my scorpion tanks. Some pet stores carry various plants that are safe to use.
Forgot to mention this...I root pothos, philodendron, and some hedera {english ivy} this way. F. pumila is a cool groundcover plant!
 

G. Carnell

Arachnoemperor
Old Timer
Joined
Oct 27, 2003
Messages
3,611
You fancy people and your plants!!

My enclosures are coated in the small crunchy bodies of dessicated crickets!
 

Tcollector

Arachnobaron
Old Timer
Joined
Sep 3, 2007
Messages
497
I have been looking around for clean plants. All the ones locally have fertilizers and chemicals. I called Josh's frogs and they said they don't use anything that can harm the FROGS. They said they use a natural fertilizer and natural pesticides. They said as long as it does not hurt the frogs it will not hurt the tarantulas or scorpions. Does not sound right lol
 
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