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Bicals, Please En-lighten Me

Hello Fellow CP'ers-

I love bicals and I would like to set up a terrarium in my living room so I can admire it easily and frequently (yes I do have a greenhouse which it will go into when it outgrows it).

We all agree, that the two most important factors in keeping these little beasties is high temp and high humidity (think sauna/turkish bath)

But what about lighting? I've read many threads where people suggest keeping them in shade (i.e. place terrarium near a window) due to their swampy, boggy background to, there is no such thing as too much light (i.e. surrounded in mylar and T5 tubes in a grow chamber with a 16hr. photo period).

After all my research, I have come to the conclusion, that as long as heat and humidity are met, the bical will adapt between a shaded or supernova lighting.

But still, if it is mostly found in shaded, boggy, swampy and wet conditions, shouldn't we mimic that envrionment? And yet, Hawaii is not considered a swampy area where many bicals have been thriving in peoples gardens ???

I would love to read other people experiences with lighting (what type of lighting, photoperiod, health of plant, growth rate etc.) on these botanical beasts.

Thanks to all who respond :hail:

:banana2:
E

---------- Post added at 07:11 AM ---------- Previous post was at 07:10 AM ----------

D'OH

Sorry for the double post, don't know what happend,

Mods, can you delete one of them?
 
They dont like to much lighting. Mine seems content with 2 T12s about 8 inches above and a small T5 on the side of the tank about 6-8 inches away. I tried adding 2 T5s next to the T12s and it didnt take too well to it while all the other Neps didnt flinch. Indications of not liking the stronger lighting was slower growth and redder leaves.
 
I grew my large lowlanders inside a cracked shower stall I bought at home depot for $50. I put a $50 sliding glass door kit on the front and a big sheet of plexiglass over the top as a lid.

It was lit with a 400W 6500K metal halide lamp. temps were about 85-100*F days and 70-80*F nights. Humidity was 70-90% supplied by a ultrasonic humidifier running on a humidistat. The leaves were hard and leathery, pitchers almost woody in these conditions. I got them from Wistuba about 3" in diameter and in 2-3 years they were gigantic six foot diameter beasts. They tend to decrease in diameter some as they enter the climbing stage.
 
Yeah like I was saying, they definitely aren't picky about light. Also, if you've grown it well for a while, they can rock and roll with Temp/humidity changes fairly well. Being in Alaska, mine has gone through some times growing as a straight up high lander. Small pitchers, and slow growth, but it still never skipped a beat.
 
Hiya All-

Thanks for all the tips, advice and experience on these beasties :hail:, but please keep them coming . . . more info is . . . more info.

:boogie:
E
 
I've had mine for 5 years. Basically they grow the fastest when you leave them in a little standing water. Not much -- maybe like 1 cm deep.

If you can keep temps and lighting constant then you're good to go.
 
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