In nature, like orchids, bromeliads are epiphytes and grow naturally on trees. They like bright light but can tolerate some filtered sunlight. They are not ground plants but if in a pot, they don't need to be in a large one. The pot problem is when the plant is large, it will fall over! If you keep it in a pot, you should change the soil every few years. Fertilize with a liquid fertilizer and don't let the soil dry out.

When they flower, you know that the "mother" plant will die off at some point down the road. A new "pup" will spring up off the mother plant. You don't have to remove the mother plant. It doesn't harm anything but it will never flower again. Eventually (it could be a year or more), it will die off and the cycle continues on.