mushrooms toxic?

[corrine]

I noticed this morning that I have 3 little white mushrooms growing in my house gecko(aka Flash) viv. Are they toxic to him or can I leave them in there?

 

[zebraflavencs]

Remove them... you don't know what they are, toxic or not... and your enclosure is too moist I think...
Hope this helps.

 

[corrine]

It's supposed to be moist. I spray it twice a day. It's damp but not soaked. I'll pull the mushrooms out tho. Thanks

 

[zebraflavencs]

You have some sort of wood matter in that soil... And now on top of that... contaminated with mushroom spores... May want to take it all out, and bake the heck out of it, then sift carefully when it goes back into the enclosure...
Hope that helps !

 

[corrine]

Ok if I can catch the little house gecko that is. Any suggestions on how to catch him. He's sooo fast and I don't want to lose him. Maybe a fish net? Or would that hurt him?

 

[zebraflavencs]

A soft one shouldn't hurt him any... in my opinion. Just have a container ready to gently release him into while you deal with that issue with the soils.
hope this helps.

 

[ladyknite]

For future reference.
Your set up was fine. I wouldn't let the mushrooms over run the enclosure, but i wouldn't remove a half dozen or less either. Mr. Gex is an insectivore, he doesn't care about the mushrooms and they're part of his natural terrain. The wood matter in your substrate is supposed to be there also. You can bake it all if you want....but me............I'd leave him be. these little guys do better the more natural their habitat stays. Now, if you can construct some type of dwelling inside his little enclosure, he'll be a happy little camper.

 

[corrine]

Well there was only a couple of little mushrooms that died off a few hours later. I just left him be. I didn't change anything and didn't want to mess with him because he is eating and shedding and doing very well. Are there mushrooms I can plant in there that will survive? I thought they were very cool. I also bought a coconut and made him a couple of hides out of the shell. He really likes to climb up into his fake plants and hide there. Every night around bedtime he'll grace us with his presence. He'll be stuck to the glass on the front of the tank. He's a really cool little guy.

 

[ladyknite]

oyster mushrooms are pretty easy to grow, as are most "tree mushroom" species. they like the high humidity of the small geckos and anoles. Be sure to calibrate your hygrometer if you use one. I never could use a digital one they'd be way off balance within 3 days. But the cheap stick on ones work good as long as they're calibrated. The mushrooms will do their best where it's darker, like behind some cork bark or heavy foliage.
I also used alot of the same plants i picked up for my darts. I ordered them from Josh's Frogs, if that helps. Some can be used easily, others require too much water for Flash (I just found his name).

 

[corrine]

Thanks Gina. We've changed his name to Rocket it suits him better. Hygrometer? I would love to do the whole viv in live plants. What's the best substrate to use?

 

[ladyknite]

I used a standard substrate mix exactly like i use for my dart frogs. I love the ABG Mix. It holds humidity in very well. Here's the list:

ABG Mix - The ABG mix was developed at the Atlanta Botanical Garden and is the Lexus of terrarium substrates. It is long lasting, holds moisture, and drains well. An all-around great choice.

Coir and Orchid bark - This is the simple and cheap method. Mix equal parts.

Sphagnum moss - This type of substrate holds a lot of moisture and inhibits the growth of molds. On occasion, the driedmoss will come back to life. Most of the time, however, it just gets covered in algae and appears to be alive.

Peat Brick - These blocks are a great choice. They are unlike the peat you can buy locally as they are a solid brick that can be cut to fit in your terrarium.

Plants
Bromeliads
Ferns and Mosses
and Vines

I use alot of plants. Moss covers the bottom and some of the rock wall. Bromeliads are definately the easy thing to maintain.

And I use Cypress Driftwood because it holds up to the humidity better in moist enclosures.