Building an Orchid-arium
 

Building an Orchid-arium by Robert.

After getting my first Orchid I wanted to make a terrarium to put it (and later others) in. So here is what I have so far.

48X12X13 aquarium. For now I'm keeping our Orchids and a Bromeliad of indeterminate parentage (NOID).
Attachment 98942

These next two images show some of the parts I need for making the flowing water feature. At the bottom center is the pump, to the right of that is the clear plastic tubing with various connecting parts.
Attachment 98943

The next post will explain the theory of how I expect the water system will work.

This image shows the "sump" where the pump will be located.
Attachment 98944

Robert

cool!

Before I go any further I suppose I should mention what I am trying to accomplish. Obviously making a habitat that at least resembles a natural (or nearly so) one.

Beside branches and niches for orchids and other flora I intend to include a water feature than will include a waterfall with a "creek" leading to a pond and hopefully two "springs" (with real running water :blushing:).

Here is a simplified schematic of the water system.
Attachment 98983 Sorry for the size I'll have to go back and resize it later. Here is the explanation of the drawing: bottom left is the pump, top right the terrarium, the left hand line is the feed line and the right hand the return (siphon) line.

For this tank I want/need to have the pump on the outside of the tank primarily due to space limitations (the tank is only 12in wide) so I need to maximize the growing space meaning the land feature(s) need to be as thin as possible (at least as I see it).

I've yet to decide how to divert the incoming water to the two planned springs. That is an engineering problem I'll attend to later.

That's the plan so far, :roll: but you know the best laid plans,,,and all that.

:welcome:
In this addition of the saga of "Building an Orchid-arium" we will discuss some of the ideas of how to build the land-masses.

I know what I want but how do I achieve it? At one end of the tank, in the back, the right hand landmass will go almost to the top and will be the site of the waterfall. Near the bottom of the waterfall will be a small pool which will feed a bit of a creek that empties into the pond in the middle of the tank.

The land will fall gently away from the waterfall toward the front of the tank and toward the middle of the tank. From there the land will rise, again gently, toward the other end of the tank.

The pond will be wider at the front than the back as if it is an outlet of another creek. The landforms will therefore be divided (possibly).

Both landmasses will be lifted off the bottom of the tank by about an inch so water flows under each of them (thus, at the back corner,) allow the return tube to be hidden. I thought, seriously, of attaching both landmasses to the bottom of the tank with silicon adhesive but am skeptical of how long the block/dam would keep the water from the ends of the tank not to mention where I could put the return tube so it would not be seen.

(Eventually, I know, I'll have to commit my ideas to paper, but I'm not sure how effective that would be given my lack of drawing experience in the last 50 years.)

How to make these land features is another thing altogether. There are so many possibilities I'm having problems deciding the "how to" part.

One can use rigid foam insulation, wire/nylon window screen as a base with various media over the top to make the rock/ground areas. I have been looking at a model Rail Road site that explains, briefly, a number of possibilities. Most of them involve using plaster of Paris which sounds good, is relatively cheap, easy to work, but anything but water resistant/proof. One of the OB board members (at least one) explained, step by step how he made his rock formations. He used the rigid foam with a coating of various colored grout.

For anyone else who might like to see how to make rocks go to this site. Again it suggest using materials that may not be appropriate for use with water but mentions other materials and how to use them (foam insulation is one [don't think there is only one that emits volatile fumes that may be harmfull to plants].:whew Done for now.

Sounds like it will be absolutely wonderful! I can't wait to see the end result! :)

I've seen combinations of expanded polyethaline and grout used in tile work. There are some amazing you tube videos re: making waterfall out of styrofoam and grout. Usually for building terrariums or vivariums. Look to the vivaroum builders. They have what you want but they put a few fancy frogs in theirs.

I just hope it turns out as well as I envision it.

Something to look into that's for sure. Hadn't thought of that course yet, thanks.

Looking forward to seeing the finished tank. And thanks for going into such detail, I've been thinking of trying the same thing.

Next step is designing, that is putting ideas on paper (I don't have a CAD program). I will try to take pictures of the drawings as I go along to post here.

fullmonti already has a thread that might be of use to you also. The thread is called "My Large Pauldarium". It is quite complete. Take a look at it.

Sooner or later I am going to have to provide branches for my orchids to live on. My question is how do I sterilize branches? Unfortunately I don't have any way to boil anything over about 8 or 9 inches.

Can sterilizing be done in an oven?

I have more oak, maple, various species of hickory and other wood branches of numerous sizes, piles of them in fact, that I want to use rather than buying.

If this isn't feasible (I don't want Manzanita or mangrove roots) what alternative do I have?

I want the terrarium to look similar to a swampy jungle with lots of mosses and other ground cover (beside the orchids that is).