Plants for enclosures from big box store?

[Jami]

Hi,

I've seen live plants available at my Petco that are supposed to be safe for reptile enclosures. The plants are not in soil, they are in water with roots showing. If they were tortoise safe (to ingest in case he tries to eat them) would they be ok to put in with him right away? The store seems to think so (eh hum) but I'm asking for opinions. My (Hermann's) hatchling is in a terrarium type enclosure and I'm trying to get more natural humidity and leafy things in there for him.

Thanks!

 

[wellington]

Yes, those plants should be fine.
Any from a nursery will have fertilizers on them and should be washed really good and only the new growth fed.

 

[dmmj]

Thing grown hydroponically, are usually grown in a water/fertilizer mixture, I would try to find out who grows them if possible, then go from there.

 

[Jami]

Yes, those plants should be fine.
Any from a nursery will have fertilizers on them and should be washed really good and only the new growth fed.

Thanks.

 

[Jami]

Thing grown hydroponically, are usually grown in a water/fertilizer mixture, I would try to find out who grows them if possible, then go from there.

Thanks to both of you. I will ask them. I pitched out everything when HermIt died, so all my safe good spider plants went too. I had one small one left so that's what's in there. I can probably get some plantain from my yard and maybe violets.

I got a really cool basket of plants for my birthday in April. There's a very jive prayer plant in there. If I took it out, washed it off, and planted it in organic potting soil, how long before I could put it in with the new hatchling? 6 weeks, 6 months, a year? Never?

Thanks for your help!

 

[Jami]

A jive plant...ha! I'm not even sure what adjective I was gonna use that auto-corrected to that....

 

[dmmj]

I don't recommend feeding jive plants.
When ever I use store bought, I like to wait 6 months as a rule. Of course, I do like to grow my own, but that doesn't answer your question.

 

[Yellow Turtle01]

Yes, those should be alright. I;m not sure if your tort will try to eat them, but it's good to wash off the leaves just in case.
I have a few of those (aquatic style!) in my painted turtle tank, and they make the water so clear!

 

[Jami]

I don't recommend feeding jive plants. :
When ever I use store bought, I like to wait 6 months as a rule. Of course, I do like to grow my own, but that doesn't answer your question.

Ha! I'm going to get some seeds and grow some but I want something in there with him now. I'm paranoid that he's going to get too dry. He's a burrower, so I would hope if he was desperate he'd just dig. But he hangs out in the warm end the most and on the tiles near his basking spot. He slept there today. I left him there but he worried me. I was anal about the first hatchling so I'm worse about this one! I have to go out a few days next week and won't be able to watch him like a hawk. He'll be alone for 8 hours straight....that's whupping there's not much for him to climb on!

 

[Jami]

Ha! I'm going to get some seeds and grow some but I want something in there with him now. I'm paranoid that he's going to get too dry. He's a burrower, so I would hope if he was desperate he'd just dig. But he hangs out in the warm end the most and on the tiles near his basking spot. He slept there today. I left him there but he worried me. I was anal about the first hatchling so I'm worse about this one! I have to go out a few days next week and won't be able to watch him like a hawk. He'll be alone for 8 hours straight....that's whupping there's not much for him to climb on![/

Ummmm I'm not whupping anything. That's supposed to say "why." Good grief.