OK, so not really a good beginner Platycerium, but I am trying to build up a Malagasy native plant population in my Uroplatus (Malagasy leaftail gecko) vivarium, and Andysorchids.com had them for only $25. Since it is such a rare form, I suppose I should have left it to the experts, but I just couldn't resist trying it out. The vivarium is lit by 220 watts of 10000K compact fluorescent lights, and I have been keeping it at 75-85% humidity; I am aware that this is more humidity than is recommended for this species, but I have to appease my geckos too. The vivarium is ventilated in a way to provide constant air movement without much loss of humidity also, which should help I suppose.

I actually received 2 really tiny pups, only 2" across, in tiny plastic baskets filled with sphagnum. In my beginner haste and naiveté, I took them out of the baskets, removed about 2/3 of the moss leaving just some around the base of the plant, and tucked them into little nooks in the corkbark panels on the back of the vivarium. I used some sewing pins to pin some of the moss in place to further hold them... being careful not to poke the plant or the root mass.

Since then, I have been informed that I should have left them in their baskets, but wouldn't you know it, I went to put them back in, and my wife had already tossed the baskets into the trash compactor, and took out the smashed mess... too late. any thoughts on ways to improve my chances?

here's a couple pics of them

http://gallery.pethobbyist.com/data/10404platycerium1.JPG

http://gallery.pethobbyist.com/data/10404platycerium2.JPG

Thanks,

Jared