Plants for Ambystoma Macrodactylum tank?

[burningchick3n]

I need some recommendations for some plants for a ten gallon housin two long toed salamanders. My criteria are:

Readily available in stores

Low Maintenance

Cheap (if store bought)

I would also consider anything wild caught in the pacific NW

(oh, and the substrate im using is about 3-4 inches of fine cocofiber, i could go deeper if needed)
Thanks for ay help

 

[taricha29]

Hi,
I kept some of those over the summer 2 years ago. I put two really mossy/somewhat decomposed pieces of wood and a few baby ferns (collected from outside, planted in mini pots buried in the substrate) in there. That plus misting made a nice habitat for the season. The little bugs in the wood self propagated for a while and fed the salamanders, and I was able to supplement that with critters from my compost. That aspect of the ecosystem was probably coolest to watch.
I'm not sure if ferns would survive long-term but I think it's definitely possible, worked well for me. Plant viability will largely depend on how much light is available to the tank. If you will be putting it near a window that receives strong natural light, you can experiment with native plants from outside - I would just look for small plants that are growing in an area that doesn't seem too drastically different from conditions you can mimic in your tank. I have had native wildflowers survive for months indoors when placed near a sunny window. I would recommend burying a small pot (like the kind you buy herbs in) w/ chemical-free soil, instead of planting directly in the substrate.

 

[burningchick3n]

Thanks for the reply, your advice is really aprecciated. I took your advice to use plants from outside and found something small in my moms garden (hope she doesnt notice, haha). I'll keep you guys updated on how it survives.