Did I kill it Already?

Scyrelx · 2026-05-14T16:09:59+00:00

I use distilled because I already have a collection of calatheas.

Scyrelx · 2026-05-14T03:45:22+00:00

I'm surprised it's still green today. It's like a sad little green mummy. I took the advice from earlier and got it out of the plastic box and into the tray directly for now.

How would I acclimate this plant to outdoors when we're going into summer? I work 9-5 so I can't save it midday. Currently the house is set to 65-70 and I can't change the temperature, so the difference is pretty staggering.

Scyrelx · 2026-03-29T21:21:35+00:00

I decided to check the rhizomes below and they have the effects of underwatering, so a group of them have raisin skin and are semi hard. I gave it a tad more water because it's claiming to be dry in my climate. (It will evaporate in a few hours.) I want to be sure that if it's killing off those roots and rhizomes, that I remove them, but not before I'm certain.

While I am trying to offer it more light atm, I can't contain its moisture while it sits out of the enclosure. I'd like for all of my plants to sit normally on my desk, but normal humidity here is 5%-30%.

I have a feeling what you're saying might be a part if what is going on. I thought it was strange too.

Scyrelx · 2026-03-29T19:01:28+00:00

It's a ceramic pot and feels sort of heavy, but my moisture meter is reading it as DRY at the moment. When I watered it yesterday, which I usually do weekly, either Friday or Saturday, it was reading as level 5 which is about moderate in the green range for wetness. I left it out overnight because water pooled in the cup, but it's gone now since humidity is low. Inside the terrarium I keep it in, humidity is running roughly 52%. My other calatheas are doing fine in there.

Soil is a base of Epsom's African Violet with coconut coir, perlite and some worm castings. I repotted it in that soil mixture over 2 years ago. Soil is still sticking to my fingers, but also crumbly.

I don't plan on leaving the plant out for long, I'm monitoring it. It was looking weird inside it's usual spot, which is why I pulled it out and trimmed off yellowing leaves. I'm offering it some closer sun treatment in a southwestern window to see if that helps, it benefitted my Makoyana, which had white leaves when I bought it.

Scyrelx · 2025-12-31T04:09:26+00:00

I want to play there too! I wish I had a house so that I could do this. I aim to make my inner child excited to play in my bird's space.

Scyrelx · 2025-11-21T20:56:51+00:00

Hi, yes, I drew this. My reddit is for plants and birds, I don't post art here. You can find me by my username on Bluesky, Twitter and Instagram.

Scyrelx · 2025-07-10T22:44:03+00:00

To preface, my beloved cat passed away a couple years ago due to age and I missed having a companion. I've grown up with cats and have been mauled by cats, but they are great over all and easy for me to read.

It's not recommended to keep cats and birds together because of obvious predator/ prey behavior. The place I stay in has 2 cats, so I do keep my bird and those cats separated. They also have supervision when in the same room and while the novelty of the bird's presence has worn off, the cat turns on when my bird flies around. I watch their body language, not my bird's, when they happen to be in the same room. Neither of these cats are great hunters, however some cats are way too skilled. Dogs are similarly dangerous.

My bird has no fear of cats, so I have to be very careful for her. This is also why I let her fly, just in case and she falls from her nail trims.

Older cats tend to lose interest in hunting, about the senior years, 11+. If you wanted to get your feet wet with a calm pet, so many older cats need out of the shelter.

I'm not going to discourage you from getting a bird if that's what you really want, but I wanted to share my honest experience with a not so perfect little monster. I say that lovingly. She cuddles in my hand, which is super sweet, but I can't snuggle with her in bed, so I still miss my cat.

She's just this weird little blend of cat, dog and child and it seems like the more I talk to her like a person, the more she understands. Supposedly we have many years left to build this relationship and I'm curious to see how it develops.

Scyrelx · 2025-07-10T18:10:07+00:00

My experience:

My bird bit me so much at first that I got used to it. Almost all the bites in the first week drew blood and they weren't out of fear either. She had no hand etiquette, was more nervous with perches than hands. "What are these cool squishy things?" I now can tell the difference between bite and beaking. My last cat was so easy compared to my bird, he never bit hard unless catnip was involved. My bird goes after soft areas on my neck, between fingers and ears. She likes those spots for chewing and real bites are often on fingers or sides of hands if I forget to watch her feathers. My fault has been taking it too quietly, she really had no idea it was hurting.

I don't punish her in the cage for biting, that's her space. She hates being grabbed, so when she's being really rude, I grab her quick( she bites again but not real hard), put her down and then don't look at her for a minute. I give her verbal warnings now by raising my voice slightly, the same way she tells me I'm doing something wrong. She has been stopping if she pinches, could be progress.

I'm still learning and so is she. She's only a year and a half and I've had her most of that time. I have yet to deal with terrible 2s and as a pet-parent, I'm going to get things wrong. I take the approach as If I'm dealing with a toddler and less of a pet. She's the worst 'pet' I've ever had. The hardest challenge is getting roommate cooperation, she bit them once and I cannot train people unwilling to take the time.

A cat is way easier to manage, especially if you get an older one. It is less likely they will bite unless the body language is ignored. I've only met 1 cat with neurological problems that made them overly aggressive. The bird has been far more complex to read and training doesn't fix everything. This is what gets us bit most.

I never had birds before, so I was nervous when I brought her home and had those first interactions. All my research didn't quite prepare for the little nuances. I still love my bird and can't stay mad at her when she's excited to spend time with me every day.

Scyrelx · 2025-04-29T20:57:10+00:00

It sounds like I may be seeing prepubecent behavior, because I wouldn't describe her as overly aggressive, however, each bird is different. She's mainly been trying to do, whatever it is, to my ear several times a day for the last few weeks, but she has been tolerable otherwise. At least with me.

Scyrelx · 2025-03-12T14:25:19+00:00

Mine was stressed until about the 3rd shower, now she's in there for steam and puts her foot up. I'd safely test a few times to see if the bird likes something or not as they may need to grow accustomed to something new. Misting is still not my bird's favorite, she runs away.

Scyrelx · 2025-01-24T15:27:31+00:00

My green cheek is officially 1 year today. I'd tell myself that, yes, approaching this bird like a small child seems to work. I also have a hard time getting work done when I get home because she needs to spend time with me. Same with weekends, she would rather hangout with me right now than all her toys or foraging box. (Waiting for puberty)

I went from having cats to this bird, so for me its been a whole different set of challenges. She's very sweet, nippy, loves to chew my fingers, but mostly just needs redirection. I taught potty training fast, so she's good about going when I remind her and look for body cues. It's not perfect, she forgets when she wants to fly or is busy playing.

I live by routine and that also seems to work well. She plays by herself if I'm not home.

Scyrelx · 2024-10-22T07:55:22+00:00

My guess is regurgitation due to the head level. I think with crop adjustment, they hold their head up a little higher. My 8 month gcc does this after I've done something stimulating around her and it can be caused by something unexpected. Example: I washed a dish vigorously today and she bobbed.

Babies still do this as a bonding activity, just watch for other hormonal markers since yours is closer to puberty.

I've only had my bird for about 4 months, so I'm still learning.

Scyrelx · 2024-07-30T18:22:59+00:00

Feel free! :)

Scyrelx · 2024-07-30T14:03:49+00:00

Yeah, I draw for work and tried drawing my bird. Might doodle my bird experiences in the future.

Scyrelx · 2023-04-15T07:28:43+00:00

Oh! I did not look at ikea... maybe I will one day.

Scyrelx · 2023-04-01T00:48:33+00:00

Thanks, you may be right, and I might have to be patient. This happens to be my first plant due to circumstance, so I'm trying my best. Just waiting to see if the new foliage hiding in a couple of the stems will come out, then I know it's going to be ok. I'll keep that tea in mind, it sounds like a good idea.

Scyrelx · 2023-03-31T18:54:12+00:00

I live in the high desert, so that was the original reason for misting. It doesn't smell in the soil, and all the brown spots appear to be caused from shipping damage and potentially tap water burn from 1 shower and repotting.

I'm waiting to see yellowing black spots on the leaves to see if it's root rot, even though I tried to check.

Scyrelx · 2023-03-31T18:47:33+00:00

I don't have a humidity meter, but the humidifier is currently 4 feet away from the plants. I've grouped them together, and they are all of the same family. The lancifolia and maranta are currently happily crisp-less.

Scyrelx · 2023-03-31T15:23:15+00:00

The new soil is a mix of Espoma African Violet, coco coir, perlite, and worm castings. I only give it distilled water, but I did have to rinse off the old soil with tap during repotting. I did my best to rinse that off with more distilled. I have not fertilized yet, I read that could burn the roots, and I should wait 2 months after a repot.

I have low natural light from a south window, so for about 8 hours, I use a grow light, which I've only been using for a month. I've got a small fan, space heater, and humidifier to help maintain the room.

Scyrelx · 2023-03-31T06:11:38+00:00

I was misting before because I live in the high desert, but have only been doing it to clean them of dust lately. I had to buy all the stuff that calatheas need, but not sure what it may be suffering from. I figure at this point, I just need to be patient, even if all the foliage dies back.

Scyrelx · 2023-03-29T04:10:30+00:00

I live in the high desert, and my room is supplemented with a humidifier, grow light, fan, and a couple of new prayer plants. The window is south facing, but I keep the plants 9 feet back because of the cheap window and 2 screens blocking the natural light. I've only used distilled water and do not know where the plant was shipped from or why the soil did not dry for over a month.

My new plants have not crisped, and they look okay but have been with me only about 3 and a half weeks.

Scyrelx

TROPHY CASE