# Orchids ect



## Crosscountry (Sep 29, 2020)

Hi,
I am looking at getting a pink toe. What live plants can I add to the habitat to make it more interesting? Are Orchids ok? What else? Thanks


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## Smotzer (Sep 29, 2020)

Crosscountry said:


> Hi,
> I am looking at getting a pink toe. What live plants can I add to the habitat to make it more interesting? Are Orchids ok? What else? Thanks


No live plants....Do not add any live plants, especially orchids to an Avicularia or any Aviculariinae enclosure. Orchids require a lot of humidity and moisture which is the exact opposite environment you should be keeping an Avicularia in.

This is how you should be keeping them-
Dry substrate, (means no live plants), a water dish, and lots of fake plant cover up high surrounding leaned up cork bark, or other suitable piece of wood, and as much ventilation as you can provide, including but not limited to cross ventilation.


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## Psychocircus91 (Sep 29, 2020)

Unpopular opinion on the boards.
You can absolutely grow pothos, while meeting the needs of most tarantula species, avics included. As mentioned, ample ventilation is important, just water a small _portion_ of the soil.  Pothos are hardy as all get-out and can live with indirect light.

Reactions: Like 1 | Agree 1


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## Smotzer (Sep 29, 2020)

Psychocircus91 said:


> avics included.


This is bad advice for someone who may be new to tarantulas and plants, and particularly Aviculariinae. Doing any sort of bio enclosure requires ample understanding plants, generally and specifically for individual species, and tarantulas separately, well before attempting to combine them. So it’s not that it’s unpopular, it’s just that it’s not that simple and it often goes poorly for the animal. It is a life after all. 
Saying stuff like this, especially in an Avicularia thread leads to “Help! My Pink toe is dying”. And we need less of those not another one in the making.

Reactions: Agree 1


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## Psychocircus91 (Sep 29, 2020)

Smotzer said:


> This is bad advice for someone who may be new to tarantulas and plants, and particularly Aviculariinae. Doing any sort of bio enclosure requires ample understanding plants, generally and specifically for individual species, and tarantulas separately, well before attempting to combine them. So it’s not that it’s unpopular, it’s just that it’s not that simple and it often goes poorly for the animal. It is a life after all.
> Saying stuff like this, especially in an Avicularia thread leads to “Help! My Pink toe is dying”. And we need less of those not another one in the making.



Raising pothos does not require "ample understanding plants."
The threads "Help! My Pink toe is dying" are largely due to poor ventilation.
You are speaking in black and white and absolutes.
I said it _can _be done; I've been doing so for over a decade.

It would appear the OP has been a member for over a year, so perhaps I jumped to conclusions in that he has understanding of tarantula husbandry, to an extent.

Reactions: Like 1


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## Psychocircus91 (Sep 29, 2020)

Crosscountry said:


> Hi,
> I am looking at getting a pink toe. What live plants can I add to the habitat to make it more interesting? Are Orchids ok? What else? Thanks


I will give you a further response, and as mentioned, not everyone will agree with this.

I would avoid plants completely in the sling/small juvenile stage.
I would avoid plants completely if you are not confident in tarantula husbandry.
If you go the planted route, I would have the setup running for a couple months before introducing a spider.
In my experience, pothos is tolerant of a very wide range of conditions.
Avoid over watering. Keep the rest of the substrate on the dry side. Provide ample ventilation. Avics are prone to dying due to "stuffy conditions."
Avoid direct sunlight.
Adding plants is strictly for the benefit of the keeper. It does not offer an added benefit to the tarantula over artificial plants.
Edit: Also, you have to be careful with soil.  Remove any soil plants come in, rinse thoroughly, use something organic without fertilizers or pesticides. 
A planted enclosure is not a death sentence if planned properly.

Reactions: Like 1 | Agree 1


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