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Hey everyone,

Im an active member and long time reptile enthusiast but im finally getting into tropical pitcher plants. Ive been doing research for about a year on them and finally i decided to order a huge group at a black friday sale. (i got ventricosa's and sanguinea for like a buck a plant.)

I have a couple questions though that i would like answers to if you guys dont mind.

1. Im keeping all highland varieties (loweii,ampulliara,ventricosa,sanguinea) in a 40 gallon tank with two t5 grow lights 12 inches from the plants is that enough light?

2. I bought the ventricosa and the sanguinea in pots and they were in a peat/perlite mix while the loweii and the ampulliara were in pure sphagnum. Is the growing media just user prefered or should different plants be grown in diff medias?

3. Humidity stays around 65% all day and there is a 14 hour light cycle. Is that good?

4. Im feeding fruit flies because most of my plants are small and im using reverse osmosis water that i get from a system i bought on ebay. The RO system is great for all my reptiles and the water is very pure and tastes awsome.


Any comments would be appreciated! Dont be afraid to leave constructive critical comments. I can take it.

P.S. My names chris, nice to meet you all! =)
 
Welcome, Chris!

Nepenthes ampullaria is a lowland plant, so you shouldn't keep it in with something like lowiii. Your plants also need a night time temp drop if they're highland, so if it's say... 75 in your terra during the day, you should bring it down to something like 60 or so to keep the lowii, vent and sang happy. The ampullaria would be happy with more sweltering conditions (I don't really grow one like that so you'll have to wait on someone else's growing conditions who has a good lowland setup).
 
Welcome,
Regarding media, some plants do have specific preferences but for the species you have it doesn't matter too much. You just need something nice and aerated that does not stay waterlogged. I would move the plants around 6 inches closer to the lights, the more light the better. And amp is a lowland species with different requirements. How are you going to provided the temperature drop at night for your highlanders?
 
temp drops

Thank you both so much for your imput. I didnt know that the plants needed that much of a temperature drop and i didnt know that the amp was a lowland plant. I bought it from bIackjungle this weekend at a reptile show and they told me it was highland.

that sucks! now i have to make a new greenhouse for the amp alone.

As for the highland greenhouse my room naturally drops in temperature from night to day. I raise crested geckos in my room so during the day my houe heat kicks in and it gets to 78 degrees in the greenhouse with the lights on and during the night i open my window for a bit and turn the lights off so it gets to 68.

Is that enough of a temperature change?
 
We aren't supposed to name other vendors on this forum, however i will recommend never buying from those guys, they are unprofessional, rude, scam artists.
I can't begin to describe my distaste for this company. And them telling you that ampullaria is a highland plant, only proves my point more that they don't know a darn thing that they are talking about. I have received spider mites on plants from these guys, and their response was "our greenhouses are too humid for spider mites, and spider mites can't live in humid conditions" which they most certainly can haha...
Sorry about the tantric rant on your thread,
At any rate, lowii, sanguinea, and ventricosa will all amazingly well in solid highland conditions, while ampullaria will grow, but not to it's full potential...
 
Welcome to the forum.

The ventricosa and sanguinea can be grown without the terrarium or temp drops. They are more intermediate. I can't really comment on what amps can take. I have never grown amps.

Lowii will probably be ok for a while with temp drops of 68, but will do better with a temp closer to 55 in the long run. You can improvise short term with a small cooler and a little ice water in the bottom. Of course have the pot propped up above the water. Play around with water and ice volumes to find a happy temp for your plant.

PS: The only plants I grow in terrariums are my bical and heli's. Although, I have seen people growing bicals in lower humidity as well. Something I will be forced to try if I plan on keeping it. All of my other plants grow out in the open in my bathroom. I am growing highlands successfully in as little as 40-50% humidity for the last 3 years. The most important thing is temp drops for highland neps. Terrariums are probably not needed in the long run for most nepenthes. The trade off is that leaves and pitchers are typically smaller and thicker, but I haven't had any issues growing most of my plants in lower humidity other than the occasional acclaimation issue. (knock on wood).

There are plenty of threads on how to acclaimate plants to your growing conditions.
 
I appreciate everyones responses. And you are right. I think im going to stick away from that company from now on.
 
Your 68-78 degree temps will actually be fine for the ampullaria, although not ideal. I have successfully grown one with cooler than in prefers temps, but wiith good light and high humidity it pitchered and carried on happily. However, 75-90 degrees is what it would normally get in nature.
 
for the most part MOST lowlands will live ok in intermediate to highland temps.....but most highlands wont survive in lowland temps....wouldnt worry to much bout the amp.....
 
  • #10
What ive done it put a sunglow bulb on the greenhouse. The inside temp is reaching a high of 80 during the day and when i turn everything off it gets about 68. I still have to find a way to get the temperature down more though.
 
  • #11
most highlands will do fine with a drop like that.....prolly more of a drop than you show cause its likely a few degrees warmer under the lights......most of the time my plants only get a 15 degree drop and do fine.....
 
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