Mate, from personal experience I have done the live plant thing (native plants).
Here are my observations of it:
1. I have found it to be more trouble than it's worth.
2. I used native succulents endemic to dragon territory, they did not survive in the induced tank micro environment. In order for me to allow for the plants to survive long periods. It would have compromised the micro climate of the tank. I won't go into details with this as it's just the regular questions of humidity and lighting requirements of the flora Vs. the fauna in the environment.
3. The dragons kept eating them, I know that's the idea but what I have seen is that they have shown a disinterest in the other plant matter given as food.
4. As they would only keep eating the plants I have found that it was not cost effective. I needed to keep changing the plants as they got decimated. They are more expensive "alive" than as a bunch from the supermarket.
5. Feeder insects kept hiding in them and eating them, it made it hard for the dragon to find all the insects. Being I was feeding large crickets to the dragon I have also observed female crickets depositing eggs in the soil in the pots. This resulted in a nymph infestation.
So in summary from personal experience I have found live plants to be more work. Even though the plants I placed in there where native surprisingly enough the environment that would make a dragon thrive would kill the plant and vice versa. If the reasons for wanting plants in there is purely aesthetic then I would consider just using fake plants (much easier). If you would like to give it a go please do, this have been my personal experience with this matter and yours could be different. If you do find that it works for you please record the data and share the information in the forum for others to try if they wish.
Cheers,
Red ink,
1. Sure I know what you mean re; feeder insects hiding all over the place, but personally I don't feed my dragons inside their VIV. Too much damn trouble, crickets hide under rocks, in the dragons hidy huts n whatnot and come out at night trying to nip the dragons. Generally a bad idea to try feeding feeder insects inside the VIV in my short experience.
2. Regarding the plants themselves, they CAN become expensive depending on what you use. Myself, I grow my own from seed and rotate a fair amount of them and such as this the dragons don't get a chance to decimate a single plant. And since mustard green seeds cost about $4/300 seeds, it actually works out mighty cheap. I ensure I use a decent variety so they don't get stuck on one variety. I haven't found them disinterested in any food as yet, they'll basically try and eat anything green put in their VIV. Or anything that moves.
3. As for the fake plants, generally dangerous i've found. Dragons try and eat the fake plant, and no matter what kind of fake plant you buy, a dragon ingesting any kind of plastic/fabric would generally be dangerous.
If its for aesthetic purposes, a fake plant background of the tiled kind is best since they can't eat it.
4. And probably the BEST thing i've encountered since offering them greens 24/7, their poo doesn't reek anymore. Their BMs are spot on, very very regular (bout 10am every single morning, and within about 30s of a warm bath) so it would seem its doing wonders for their digestive system.
5. Another thing i've noted, giving the plant a light spray in the morning simulating dew I caught Raphy licking off the drops of water. Perhaps what they do naturally in the wild?
6. Lastly, the point isn't to try and cater to the plants survival and growth in the VIV itself. That'd be to the absolute detriment of the Dragons. IF one really DID want to cater to both though, I certainly wouldn't think it hard. A proper grow light putting out correct UV is about $80. BUT again, not the point and not the goal. The mature plants are put in the VIV for the dragons to eat, within about 48-72 hours the plant has been grazed on enough that it has to be removed and left for approx 1-2 weeks to grow again. Hence the need for multiple plants to rotate.
I suppose at the end of it, what works for one person may not for another, everybody has a different style and as yet there really is not accepted best practice. Other than for basics such as housing size/UVB/general food/general health.
Everything else is a bit wishy washy, no real data present to support one method over another.
