Top 10 beginner VIVARIUM plants!!

New instagram link: / alpha.reptile My top ten beginner vivarium plant list! These plants are easily found in garden centres and hardware stores. Includes pothos, begonias, pilea and many more species of plants that will go great in your vivarium or terrarium.
Troy's channel: tinyurl.com/ybbho5bh
Links 👇
Merch: teespring.com/stores/alpharep...
Instagram: / graphicphoenix1
Facebook: / alphareptiles
Email: [e-mail]
Twitter: / miketytula

[@maxence9908]

I would love to see "Top 10 plants for crested geckos "please. and by the way the video was very nice to watch !!!

[@MikeTytula]

Thanks for watching! Glad you enjoyed :) I will definitely be doing that one!

[@t0ps308]

I Would also like to see that video!!

[@crzybluesmurf69]

Any chance your going to do crested gecko plants?

[@ethanphillipson2219]

I’m still waiting for that video -,-

[@carpathianhermit7228]

@@ethanphillipson2219 do your own research

[@gnome4878]

I would love to see your top 10 favorite plants

[@MikeTytula]

I might do it! We'll see :) Thanks for the feedback though

[@XsospoonX]

Yes! :)

[@Gamalock]

Would definitely be interested in your top 10 personal favourite plants to use in terrariums

[@MikeTytula]

I will definitely be making it!

[@ianmckinney1053]

Definitely do your top 10 favorites and I’d love to see some more plant content!

[@MikeTytula]

I will do my top 10 favourites soon!

[@martijnbuskens7413]

I would like to see top 10 plants for camelons or dart frogs

[@MikeTytula]

Ya I think the chameleons will be good!

[@tobyvickers5074]

Absolutely love the creeping fig, I have mine in my crested gecko's bioactive viv for 3 years and it doesn't stop growing!! Love this style of video, I would have loved this when I was starting out, but I can see this being a great resource for beginners 👍

[@MikeTytula]

That's the hope! Glad you enjoyed though

[@Reptiliatus]

Great video as usual bro ☺️🌿🌱. Would be great to see species specific recommendations based on your collection!

[@MikeTytula]

Thanks for watching buddy :) I think it would be a good few videos to make

[@TroyGoldberg]

If you want to do a top ten vivariums plants.... just come over 😂

[@MikeTytula]

Oh I plan to make more videos of your place when I'm closer haha

[@largorate]

I really love this video. I always end up with nothing/frustration when trying to pick up new plants. I hope this can help me in the future!

[@MikeTytula]

I hope so!

[@richela8949]

I’d love to see a video on more dry/arid plants or a video on plants that will stay smaller/lower to the ground.

[@MikeTytula]

I will do one on that too, just waiting to see which plants do decent in my arid setups

[@graciebrush6230]

super informational, thanks man!

[@MikeTytula]

Glad you enjoyed!

[@strayargus9382]

Your collection amaze me!!! A lot of my fav!

[@MikeTytula]

Thanks! Glad you enjoyed!

[@mrschefniki21]

You have been more helpful than 10 plus groups on Facebook in less than 10 minutes. 😅💖

[@MikeTytula]

haha that was the goal! Glad you enjoyed!

[@lizrasper1213]

Great Video! Loved the information you shared! I would love to see how you conduct maintenance on your planted tanks, what you trim, when, how etc. Also would love to see any tips or ways you grow cuttings or propagate new plants!

[@MikeTytula]

Ya the propagation might be interesting!

[@williammorton6454]

Hi, Mike… I’m setting up my first dart frog vivarium as a Christmas gift for my wife. She loves frogs and plants, so it will be a big hit. I just wanted to say that your videos have been hands-down the most helpful and informative sources of information that I’ve found as I’ve been putting this project together. From building to planting to clean-up crews to raising feeder colonies… you cover it all in an entertaining and informative way. I appreciate you sharing your expertise and would probably have abandoned this idea long ago had I not stumbled across your KZbin channel.

[@MikeTytula]

Heck ya! These are the kind of comments I make KZbin videos for :) Feel free to shoot me a message on Instagram if you have any questions or just want to chat!

[@ScaryFear]

I watched this video last month when I was totally new to this. I have been growing plants a very long time but not house/terrarium plants. Always thought house plants were boring, but these are for my frogs not for me. I have since researched a learned a lot and found your video again. Watched it again and now have way more understand and agree with your list. Thank you for the good advice.

[@MikeTytula]

Thanks for researching and agreeing with the list!!

[@frankzed7684]

Just found your channel, massively impressed! Great video, would love to see top Arid Plants.

[@MikeTytula]

Thanks Frank! Glad you enjoy the channel!

[@trenthobson2756]

Definitely will be sending this video to friends whenever they ask me about good beginner plants. You did a great job on this, I definitely agree with your choices. As everyone else in the comments has been saying, a video of your top 10 favorite plants would be pretty epic.

[@MikeTytula]

Ya I think I will end up making it!

[@curthatt6461]

Great video. So very helpful to us newbies. Thanks.

[@MikeTytula]

Glad you enjoyed Curt!

[@trevorpowers1116]

so extremely helpful thank you for your time

[@MikeTytula]

Glad you enjoyed the video!

[@user-kl8lo6rj5i]

I really appreciate the information about how big the plants get in the tank environment.

[@MikeTytula]

Right on

[@brokenrelic1981]

Your top 10 would be awesome .. plant profiles .. also awesome !! Love what your doing .. thanks

[@MikeTytula]

Thanks so much Brad! Much appreciated!

[@PeteHawkins]

Great video, mate. Have shared in all my relevant 'Network' groups, today.

[@MikeTytula]

Awesome thanks Pete! Hopefully it helped some folks out!

[@tylerharmon3540]

Definitely looking forward to top 10 favorite plants as well as species specific. You should do serious for theses. Think they could take off

[@MikeTytula]

Ya I think I'm going to start working on them shortly!

[@jdcass638]

I love Wandering Jew. We first found it back in FL, years ago. We hung it from a tree branch and in a few months it was growing all over the ground where the leaves fell.

[@MikeTytula]

Ya! It grows so fast!

[@cindywillick4205]

I’d love to see more plants specific videos. I have 7/10 of these plants in my house and vivariums.

[@MikeTytula]

AWesome to hear Cindy! I will certainly keep it in mind and start the process!

[@pip5188]

I know pretty much nothing about plants so any videos like these are definetely helpful

[@MikeTytula]

Well hopefully this one helps!

[@HissyFitPet]

I didn't know there were so many types of pathos! Great video, thank you!

[@MikeTytula]

Hahah there are tons of different cultivars.

[@naniwarzu]

Hey Mike. Great video ! 👍🏽😊 Really wanna see your favorite top 10 plants 🌱

[@MikeTytula]

I will be making that video for sure!

[@maxchristiansen9750]

Your top 10 favorites would be cool. Also maybe a top 5 or 10 plants for using with plant abusing animals like bigger snakes or lizards. Great vid bro!

[@MikeTytula]

Thanks for the suggestion! And thanks for being subbed for 7 years!!

[@christopherseilaff8665]

Most of these plants I grew up with seeing as common houseplants. Great to see them here.

[@MikeTytula]

That's exactly it! They are typically okay for houseplants which is normally not ideal conditions for them. Your tank on the other hand is much closer to their natural habitat so they grow like crazy!

[@alexandragrandy8549]

Great plant suggestions! I never thought to put a cutting from my peperomia but that would be a fantastic accent for a vivarium.

[@MikeTytula]

Peperomia grow so fast!

[@kingcherryblossom2059]

This definitely helped!!! Thank you! I’m gonna be making a paludarium for some vampire crabs soon and I had no idea what plants to pick! This has been very helpful, thank you. Very funny and entertaining

[@MikeTytula]

That's awesome! Good luck with the build! Shoot me some photos on instagram when it's finished!

[@kingcherryblossom2059]

@@MikeTytula it might be a year or two, but I’ll be sure to! What’s your insta?

[@MikeTytula]

@@kingcherryblossom2059 Right on! alpha.reptile

[@heffermax]

Love the vid! Top 10 for heavy bodied snakes would be awesome too

[@MikeTytula]

I don’t really own any so itms hard to speak from experience with that topic.

[@heffermax]

@@MikeTytula Makes sense. Thanks for the reply!

[@LukeMcGuireoides]

I was gonna go with the nerve plant, but... Then I saw the red begonia with the spiral pattern. Never seen that one before. Never seen much of anything close to it. Supercool. I'm loving the plant vids

[@MikeTytula]

Glad you are enjoying the plant videos!

[@livingart2576]

Great video and helped me a lot. When are you going to make top 10 plants for crested geckos video?

[@MikeTytula]

I will definitely do that!

[@jdcass638]

I would love to see more plant videos. 💚 A good one could be a warning list of plants that are toxic for our pets.

[@MikeTytula]

Thing with that is there really are only lists for mammals like cats and dogs, the toxicity for many plants isn't know for things like reptiles

[@RisingFromTheAshes97]

Can't wait to see what our nursery has when it opens in a few days. (In Montana)

[@MikeTytula]

Nice! Make sure to snatch up whatever yo can!

[@MASTURBIKER]

A top 5 or 10 plants for carpet pythons would be awesome!! Thanks mate!

[@MikeTytula]

I don't keep them, but who knows!

[@chloenicole4745]

This was very helpful thank you!💚 I got a 30 gallon tank for my bday and I want to start a vivarium/terrarium…I won’t have any frogs or reptiles in it just isopods and millepedes…snails that kind of thing. Just need to get the lava rock and some type of mesh and then the plants which I’m super excited about 🌿

[@MikeTytula]

That's awesome! I'm sure you will be thrilled by the results!

[@Hamburglar009]

Thanks mike, I’m just starting to get into !!BiOaCtIvE!! enclosures and I have no green thumb. I’m about to build a 6x2x4 pvc for a very lucky jungle carpet I’ll be getting soon. A lot of these plants sound like they’ll work great! I have some ideas and can’t wait to get it going!

[@MikeTytula]

Wicked! Looking forward to hearing how that all comes together. Feel free to send me pics on IG, I would love to see it.

[@themantisgarden]

Oakleaf creeping fig, love it.

[@MikeTytula]

Solid choice!

[@Koisuni]

Setting up a gargoyle gecko tank right now, thank you for this video! This is the first ever bioactive I’ll have :’) wish me luck

[@MikeTytula]

Thats awesome! Good luck! There is definitely a learning curve but you got this!

[@NaturestoursTV]

I've recently been working on a idea like this with live plants

[@MikeTytula]

These are live plants...

[@CallumAitkenMusic]

Nice getting tree frogs today and I already own most of these plants good to know I can use them

[@MikeTytula]

Right on! I just posted a video about Tree frog setup!

[@victorvanderwant3955]

I would love to see your favorites! Great video btw.

[@MikeTytula]

Thanks for watching Victor, I will hopefully make that video

[@abbystewart4605]

I have a lot of these as houseplants. And also want some of these! I'm so excited to start this! I am only wanting this for plants. Any advice would be awesome!

[@MikeTytula]

Hey Abby, shoot me a message on instagram if you are interested in chating!

[@markdemel8623]

Thank you for the best viv plant video for beginners I've seen yet. Do you have any advise/content on prepping plants that come from supermarkets and nurseries and may harbor invasive or harmful pests?

[@MikeTytula]

I have a video about it on my channel!

[@falcolf]

I'd really appreciate a 'top 10 plants for ball pythons' list!

[@MikeTytula]

I don’t keep bps but we’ll see what I can do

[@valquirsouza1329]

Amazing content man! I am used to nepenthes and fish keeping, but I am pretty new to frogs, so I am researching mostly about leucomelas fine spot, do you think they could be housed with a bigger nepenthes like Miranda for example?

[@MikeTytula]

ahhh I would probably choose the ampularia instead.

[@CatFish107]

3 years after this is published, here I am in Canada, trying to find compact bromeliads for my 1st terrarium, and just learning that the 2 begonia bulbs I put in the 29long were a bad idea. Thanks!

[@MikeTytula]

No problem! They are definitely still available! :)

[@artofdisguy3401]

Enjoyed this,,,, Currently I'm transforming a 55gal bow front Aquarium into a half and half. Lower aquarium upper half terrarium/vivarium,, the pump runs the aquarium water under the elevated section giving a constant flow under the plant beds,, I just finished getting the flow just right and have the drain, charcoal and peatmoss layers in and am now deciding on plants for both areas. My goal is to have a couple nice schools of micro fish and a few Vampire crabs, and a small lizard for this enclosure

[@MikeTytula]

That sounds like it could be a wicked tank! I look forward to hearing how it goes!

[@asharprrt]

Would love to see live plant recommendations for chameleons!

[@MikeTytula]

I plan to make that in the future :)

[@SwiftheartRainbow]

Yes to crestie plants!

[@MikeTytula]

I will do it sometime soon

[@Philip-jg6uw]

You should make a top 10 favorite

[@MikeTytula]

I definitely will

[@curvingfyre6810]

I've had excellent luck with cryptanthus. They're a bit less common, but I've never known one to fail unless the entire enclosure went sour. They're always gorgeous too.

[@curvingfyre6810]

Wierdly, I'm unable to grow pothos. I have an old cutting that I have in a tank, tons of moisture, tons of nutrients, everything it should need. A week after I put it in, it lost its leaves, and since then its neither died, nor grown roots. No clue what to do with it.

[@MikeTytula]

Ya the crypts do well! That's so strange with the pothos.

[@frederiqueconstant8819]

"Vinca" are also an invasive plant but its impossible to kill . It spent a whole canadian -40 winter and is green and healthy

[@MikeTytula]

Wow that’s wild!

[@ARodriguez258]

I'd like some recommendations for a ball python's enclosure! Especially if they were native to the same area that ball pythons can be found.

[@MikeTytula]

That won’t happen simply because I don’t own ball pythons haha

[@Farscaper88]

Welcome to Bulgaria.... Haft of the plant is a mistery to find. Otter are very rare. Only the nerve plant is common.

[@MikeTytula]

Really? That’s crazy! Good luck hahah

[@LiaGabriela]

pothos,fittonia,,ficus pumila,marantha,philodendron,wandering jew,pilea spruceana,rex begonia,peperomia obtusifolia,neoregelia bromeliad

[@MikeTytula]

Is that your list? aha

[@Photron52]

Just in case: For anyone who uses crickets in their vivarium...the nerve plant apparently is one plant that crickets like to eat. If you have any amount of crickets in the tank the nerve plant will likely just end up being food for them. And now here's something interesting to me(and I can say this happens often in vivarium videos). I very much like the tiny plant behind the plant that you listed as # 9. It has very small leaves and seems to grow something like a vine, but more like a bush.

[@MikeTytula]

There shouldn't be many crickets remaining in the tank for long enough to do much harm, if any.

[@LukeMcGuireoides]

I just suggested best plants for crestie vivs on the last video I watched, 10 favorite vivarium plants

[@MikeTytula]

I made the favourite plants video

[@Har1991Per]

Bro I made it 56 seconds in and I already like you dude. I can tell ur real af. I feel like you would vibe with my friend group well lol …I’m drunk commenting but damn I’m ready for the remainder of this video!

[@MikeTytula]

hahahha I really hope you like the video and enjoy your beer! Definitely real!

[@markroiall8034]

You should do blue tongue lizard merch

[@MikeTytula]

I will try and work on designing some!

[@sirdallin4089]

My favorite on the list is the oak leaf creeping fig. It is one of the only plants I like to take over my tanks. For a video suggestion, I would like to see top 5 ground cover plants. I feel like 10 might be too much, but ground cover plants are interesting to me because they are usually so delicate. Nice video.

[@MikeTytula]

Ground cover typically doesnt work out very well in most tanks haha. But it's an idea!

[@sirdallin4089]

That’s why I need a video. Mine die lol. Maybe that’s why a nice moss sheet is so sought after..

[@MikeTytula]

A lot of times the moss dies too!

[@TheBlkcheetah]

Id like a top 10 for bioactive corn snake planta

[@MikeTytula]

I don't have corns so probably won't be making that any time soon

[@MarcusRefusius]

I’ve been growing Variegated Mosteras for 40 years. Rooted Cuttings work great in Vertical Vivariums. They love humidity and do well in low light. Cheers.

[@MikeTytula]

What species of Monstera are you talking about?

[@MarcusRefusius]

@@MikeTytula I don’t know the subspecies. It’s the standard old split leaf. I got a cutting back in the early 80’s.

[@MikeTytula]

@@MarcusRefusius Ahh so some variety of deliciosa?

[@MarcusRefusius]

@@MikeTytula Yes sir. I remember at one point we had one in a Greenhouse. (Late 80s) and it Fruited. So yes Deliiciosa.

[@MikeTytula]

Oh that's so exciting!

[@maxwellmolleran5943]

I seriously am craving more content and tips for vivarium plants. Please go wild with plant video ideas

[@MikeTytula]

I'm going to be making more plant content coming up soon!

[@blakeansell4723]

Hi, soon I’m going to be attempting a veryyy tall custom vivarium and I’ve got the plants I want in mind, can you do a video aimed at how to plant them in the right position to creat a eye catching landscape and how to fill in the background?

[@MikeTytula]

That’s more of a composition type video, and honestly there are a ton of videos on KZbin going over the theory of creating eye catching pieces

[@DeChane369]

I’d love to see a top ten for cresteds/gargoyle geckos

[@MikeTytula]

That would be a great video to make.

[@pebbletongue5519]

Yes top ten for ball python and your favorite would be cool, top ten for boas? Burms? Relics?

[@MikeTytula]

I don't own any of those animals so it would be hard for me to make recommendations.

[@bobkob]

Great video, I’d like to see a top 10 Live Plant List for Pygmy Chameleons .

[@MikeTytula]

I will make a chameleon one for sure, but pretty much all of them are fine with pygmies

[@bobkob]

Mike Tytula excellent, thanks !

[@vivadixon]

I would love to see a videoon plants for the Carolina Praying Mantis.

[@MikeTytula]

Pretty much any plant will do well with them!

[@ProximaCentauri88]

My favorite is Cebu Blue (Epipremnum pinnatum Cebu Blue). I just love its silvery bluish hue and its native to my country. I would add: Monstera adansonnii Philodendron Brazil Saw palm for larger enclosures

[@MikeTytula]

All of them are awesome! But given the cost of cebu blue I can't say it's a beginner plant

[@JLaudiooo]

I actually own many of every single one but not the Rex, love/hate relationship there lol. Thank you for this vid, I have a fire belly toad I got him a new tank I’m about to hook up. ☺️🔥🐸

[@MikeTytula]

That's awesome! I hope he loves it!

[@dowobeha6875]

Thank you for the great video! I'm just starting in the spider (jumping spiders) keeping hobby and am trying to put together bioactive set ups for them with suitable isopods and springtails. I love the look of the Oakleaf Creeping Fig (Ficus quercifolia), but they seem pretty scarce, if not impossible, to find in the GTA. I know this is an older video, but if anyone knows of some place local to the Toronto area that has the Oakleaf, I'd appreciate being pointed in the right direction. Thanks again for all the great videos! I'm learning a lot of much needed information. : )

[@MikeTytula]

I'd be happy to sell you some cuttings if you are interested.

[@dowobeha6875]

@@MikeTytula Wow! Thank you! That would be great! : )

[@MikeTytula]

@@dowobeha6875 We are in contact on email so we can chat there.

[@l-iv3s18]

Can you do top 10 plants for western/plains hognose snakes?

[@MikeTytula]

We don't keep live plants in the hognose tanks so I can't really speak on that.

[@roseannacampbell8380]

Love this! I'd love to see a top 10 difficult vivarium plants, that would be interesting. I actually always struggle with ficus pumila, not sure what I'm doing wrong with it :(

[@MikeTytula]

It is kind of tough to get started, sometimes it's too wet and sometimes its not wet enough. Yet when you get it started it doesn't stop!

[@monicaharmonica7152]

Yea you should make one for chameleons or crested geckos!

[@MikeTytula]

That will definitely be coming!

[@karenstay8841]

I would like to see plants for my bullfrog. Mostly water. Grasses, too.

[@MikeTytula]

I likely won't do them for bullfrogs because I have no plans on owning one haha

[@vanessamcgrew4486]

I never had a green thumb when it came to terrestrial plants. My basil plant that I have in a pot on my balcony rn looks like a stick. But my fully aquatic aquarium plants are flourishing 😅. I want to try growing emersed plants! Wish me luck 😅🙏

[@MikeTytula]

Awesome! Good luck!

[@dakotawoolls1168]

Are you going to post a video or insta post when you get the broms in? i would love to pick up a few

[@MikeTytula]

You are in Canada?

[@dakotawoolls1168]

@@MikeTytula yeah I'm actually in the Calgary area

[@MikeTytula]

Oh right on! I will definitely have some hopefully end of may

[@benxsolace89]

I know this is an older video but I got some NeoRegs in the states for 10$ a piece from an etsy seller. Love etsy plant sellers!

[@MikeTytula]

That's awesome! What a score!

[@ErinReviews]

Top 10 plants for whites tree frog plz!!

[@MikeTytula]

Top plants for frogs would be a great idea!

[@tylerharmon3540]

Also. Would love your opinion on what to plant for a 36”18”36” with medium/small sized lizards. They don’t have to be beginners

[@MikeTytula]

Shoot me a message on instagram if you want to chat about stuff because here it is too hard to track comments and such!

[@kierangarnett-brown5123]

Top ten plants for dart frogs please :)

[@MikeTytula]

That might be a cool one!

[@LearnersTank]

❤wonderful

[@MikeTytula]

Thanks for watching!

[@krisnabudiono2737]

Saya sangat menyukai semua display From Indonesian

[@MikeTytula]

Not sure what that means haha

[@bundun4074]

Hey mike!, I'm going to build my first bio active enclosure for my future abronia lizard soon, do you know of any sturdy plants other than the ones you mentioned in this video?, not sure if you know much about these guys but they're smaller than a panther chameleon.

[@MikeTytula]

I am very familiar with them lol. Most of the plants in this video will be suitable. My recommendation would be do go look at a greenhouse and find some plants you like and research them.

[@seanstocker7894]

I have 2 green tree frogs, and one whites frog, together in a huge tall terrarium. Cascading waterfall, with abundant foliage. But by far my favorite plants in it are the two hibiscus, that should be ready to bloom soon

[@MikeTytula]

Nice must have some wicked light to keep those going strong

[@seanstocker7894]

@@MikeTytula they are growing like crazy. They started about 3 inches him, and now about 10. The whole thing is in a big bay window also

[@MikeTytula]

Oh right on! That’s exciting!

[@lilyt6075]

I know this is late, and a weird request, but any suggestions for plants for Millepedes?

[@MikeTytula]

Unfortunately I don't.

[@mrschefniki21]

Also top plants for aquatic turtle paludarium

[@MikeTytula]

Ya I might be able to do something like that!

[@GabbyRocio]

I love the word cultivar lol.

[@MikeTytula]

Me too!

[@NeptunetheChameleon]

Props to knowing how to pronounce all of the scientific names 🤓 Just got myself my first creeping fig and begonia 👏

[@MikeTytula]

I’m a huge plant nerd, and I biologist... I have to know haha

[@NeptunetheChameleon]

@@MikeTytula I need to get on your level 💁‍♀️

[@MikeTytula]

haha it takes a long time. I'm obsessed about plants

[@karenschmaltz649]

Thanks for the excellent video! I would love to make a planted bioactive setup for my ball python, but I know that they tend to smush everything in their path. And I am hoping to adopt a boa soon, which I imagine would be even worse. I like the fact that these plants grow fast, so I could replace them if I need to, but if you have any suggestions on plants that could withstand a boa, I would love to hear about them! I would be giving both animals room to climb so it can include tall plants.

[@MikeTytula]

A more mature pothos would do great, Yucca plants would probably be okay, maybe some dieffenbachia depending on the size of the tank.

[@karenschmaltz649]

@@MikeTytula thank you so much. Having people like you on KZbin makes life a lot easier for us beginners.

[@MikeTytula]

@@karenschmaltz649 Glad you enjoy the channel!

[@handicatsuniverse7257]

Could you tell us where to easily find good semiaquatic plants for vivarium they can be planted in the water and can come out of the water (mini pond)

[@MikeTytula]

Theres a ton of plants that can be grow immersed or emersed

[@rolandocaballero5940]

what sort of lights that we can use to grow for vivarium plants and jow to set it up in plastic containers

[@MikeTytula]

Check my most recent video :)

[@benlanciano3524]

Where do we hit you up for that last plant you mentioned in Canada?

[@MikeTytula]

Shoot me a message on IG

[@shivangyadav6290]

myy all time favourite paludarium or vivarium plant are the nerve plant and bromeliad sp.😆😆

[@MikeTytula]

Both do great in those setups ahah

[@sarahmcguire9654]

Do you have any Colombian boa specific bioactive stuff? I have a couple of ferns native to tropical areas and I need something good for lower light

[@MikeTytula]

A lot of the more commonly available tropical plants require decent lighting.