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N. ventricosa

I've had a ventricosa for about 10 months that I've nursed back to health. When I got it, it only had one leaf. Now it has about 4 or 5, and another should unfurl any day now. I keep it in my vivarium with my fire-bellied toads and fire-bellied newt. They don't bother it, so it's not being disturbed or anything. It's in a mix of long fibered sphagnum and peat moss. Currently, it's basically in standing water, but isn't showing any signs of rot. I guess the only problem is humidity, because I think I'm doing everything else right. What should the humidity be? Would putting a plastic ziplock bag over it work, or should I take it out of my vivarium altogether? I don't want to take it out because I don't have any sort of grow chamber, or humidifier, so I need to resort to primitive methods like a plastic bag over the pot. Can anyone help me make it pitcher?
 
Hey Warlock,

With ventricosa, humidity is certainly not the problem....Especially if it's in a vivarium. I don't know how good it is for it to be standing in water....neps, with a few exceptions, don't really like that.

But my best bet is the light. How much light is it getting?
 
I'm using just a regular flourescent plant light that is on about 15 hours a day. I don't have a timer or anything, so I just turn it on in the morning when I leave for school and turn it off around 10 at night. Is that too much light per day?
 
[b said:
Quote[/b] (Warlock @ Mar. 31 2005,1:12)]I keep it in my vivarium with my fire-bellied toads and fire-bellied newt.
well since it hasnt rotted, i doubt it minds sitting in the water. but im thinking maybe there is to much in the way of nutrients in the water from the amphibians waste for it to pitcher. if its getting more than enough nutrients through its water why would it need o put forth the energy to make a pitcher to catch bugs?
 
That makes sense, I guess. I really want it to pitcher though. If it won't start to make pitchers soon, I guess I'll take it out of the vivarium. It just looked so cool with living things near it...
smile_h_32.gif
 
well yah can try giving it better light for awhile first if yah really like the look. give it maybe 6 weeks under stronger light and if you dont get any pitchers forming i would say its to much nutrients.
 
All good thoughts. If you want to keep it in the vivarium, but separate it from the frog water, place it in a small saucer still within the vivarium.

Cheers,

Joe
 
How much light does N ventricosa want? Im thinking about moving mine into the bathroom in front of a transluscent east facing window. It will never get direct light but it will get bright filtered light from dawn to dark. Any thoughts about this?

Thanks
Steve
 
I would really, really advise to get it out of the water, unless they're in dry conditions, it is definitely not a good idea for most neps. You might be surprised at what you'd see if you unpotted it and looked at the roots...
 
  • #10
Hi Steve,
I'm a little behind on the Nep forum stuff or I'd have responded sooner.

[b said:
Quote[/b] (vft guy in SJ @ Mar. 31 2005,6:20)]How much light does N ventricosa want? Im thinking about moving mine into the bathroom in front of a transluscent east facing window. It will never get direct light but it will get bright filtered light from dawn to dark. Any thoughts about this?

Thanks
Steve
I have my N. ventricosa in my south window partially shaded by a small wire shelf unit with some plants on it. They get a lot of bright indirect light with some direct light as the sun peeks past various plants on the shelf. They are doing quite well (they'd do better if I remembered to water them more often
smile_n_32.gif
). I had them in direct sun in this window for a while last year, but had trouble keeping them watered as they dried out quickly in the direct sun. I should note that the window glass has a coating on it to reflect heat and I suspect UV. So they aren't getting the full brunt of the sunlight.
 
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