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First Fly Traps!

Hello I just got in my first VFTs in the mail from flytrapshop.com
For the time being(until I move into my new apartment) I will have to keep them inside under my old saltwater fishtank lights..I've done alot of reading on these forums so I think I'm ready to jump into this hobby. :-))
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Pics aren't the best due to them being taken with my iPhone.
 
Nice plants! Welcome to the obsession/addiction! LOL You can never stop at one. :D
 
congrats, hopefully you can get those plants some sunlight though soon since those bulbs wont keep em too happy for long....
wait till scottychaos comes on and sees this...i can see it now *rolls eyes*
 
Nice plants! Welcome to the obsession/addiction! LOL You can never stop at one. :D


I agree. I buy a new plant every week, and now my credit card bill is $1000 :-(



None-the-less, congrats on the first VFTs.
 
I've read on here about some people having success with VFTs under compact florescent lights with the winter dormancy in the fridge and the few examples I saw looked healthy to me(which I wouldn't know much about that yet) I know it's not ideal but if it turns out to be my only means since I'll live in an apt how well can this be done?
 
"in a scottychaos tone" you should only get flytraps if you can give them full sun! blah blah blah

stick em under a few compact fluorescent lights or a few fluorescent tubes about 5" from the plants or so, once it starts getting later in summer start decreasing light levels by an hour or so a month and try to get the temps a bit lower as you go too....you should be able to do it that way but its a lot harder than it sounds....dormancy is triggered by the changing light and temperatures......once you hit early november, go ahead and try the fridge dormancy method
 
I agree with SirK., work with what you got if that is all you can do.

At least you know your limitations going in on this, instead of thinking you will have perfect growth using sub-standard conditions.

I used to grow indoors and supplemented light by having the plants in a sunny window, and that actually worked out quite well and actually colored up the plants. So if you if you have access to a window that will help (even a couple hours of sun/natural light will add to what you can give them artificially).
And if you are limited to artificial fridge dormancy, so be it. (You might be able to store them in your car trunk all winter, depending on where you live!)
(Oh yea, you may want a tray under your plants!)

Hey, at least you are intelligent enough to try it with a VFT and not some rare Nepenthes or expensive Ceph! Go for it!
Down the line, you may want to try something more adaptable to indoor cultivation however, as there are a lot of dews, neps and other plants that will do far better indoors, but again, at least you didn't spend much nor risk a rare plant.

Best of luck!

By the way...
It is only impossible until you find another way of doing it.
Then it becomes a "new and improved method"! :banana2:
 
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Thanks for the advice. I am very interested in some sundews its just I can't find the ones I was on sale anywhere besides ebay and I have no hope locally because they only carry "popular" plants.
Also after day after coming out of the box they do look a tad bit better already.
 
Can you get more pics? looks like you got three plants there ;-)
 
  • #10
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Moved the setup in front of my window so at least 5 hours of sunlight can get in to the plants. I also thought I might as well put the lights on as well as the sunlight..sound like a good idea?
Also yes it does appear I have three plants :D
I really need to buy a real camera :(
 
  • #11
That light is intense O_O
 
  • #13
That bonsai will probably die if you don't take it outside. Lol, but nice flytraps.
 
  • #14
Someone say saltwater? What did you have?

BTW, if you do have the opportunity to keep your VFT's outside, please do so. Direct sun provides them with the energy they need and the necessary cues for dormancy (decreased photoperiod and cold).
 
  • #15
Well these lights came from my short lived nano tanks. I had a 10 gallon and a 2.5 gallon full of LPS and soft corals with a zoanthids, mushrooms, and some lps. Both tanks were doing great and everything was growing until a heater(totally different brands and everything) got stuck at 99 degrees frying everything :(
 
  • #16
Coppy,

Lookin' good. If you have the inclination, get some other plants (CP's or not) to place around the VFT's, and they will help maintain a slightly more humid and living micro-environment. I know I will get some flack on that suggestion, but I do that in my terrariums and greenhouse, and it does help until you fill the place with other CP's! (Just don't block any of the light to the VFT's, as they need it most.)

A near empty terrarium suffers low humidity and such, but a filled one maintains the humidity better as the plants transpire...

If nothing else, the other plants will make use of the extra light and give you more to look at, hence making sure the VFT's continue to get a lot of attention!

Well, you are doing good!
Wish you luck!
 
  • #17
Double-Win!!! XD
 
  • #18
Convincing me to spend more money is oh so easy!
I've been looking for a good place to get some sundews.
 
  • #19
Here are some updates!
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First day I got these.
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Now they look a little better and new traps are growing!
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---------- Post added at 06:36 PM ---------- Previous post was at 06:35 PM ----------

My sundew has been looking kind of down this week.
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on a side note I'm quite impressed with iPhone 4's camera!
 
  • #20
They look pretty good to me! Remember tho they will need dormancy in a few months, how are you going to overwinter them?
 
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