terrerium Orchids...which ones?

[dart_king]

Marty and I are building a couple of kick a$$ terreriums and of course we want to include some miniture orchids. Since he's busy with the baby right now, im doing the orchid selction for the both of us, and i need your help!

Here is the list of the ones I am considering. If you find any of them are not suitable for a humid vivarium inviroment with the humidity of 90%+, with some air movment, and tempretures of 70'F - 80'F feel free to chime in.

We're getting all of these from Andy's Orchids.


Haraella odorata


Lepanthes ovalis


Holcoglossum quasipinifolium


Trisetella hoeijeri


Gastrochilus somai


Dendrobium laevifolium


Dracula lotax


Dendrobium cuthbertsonii


Cochlioda rosea


Ceratochilus biglandulosus


Ascocentrum pumilum


Angraecum didieri


Dracula / chestertonii

[cb977]

Check with Andy's on the Trisetella hoeijeri...they might not have any in stock unless they got a new shipment in recently

All of the warmth tolerant Masdies I got from I.N. Komoda Orchids are doing extremely well in my little tank:
I. N. KOMODA ORCHIDS

[dart_king]

thanks for the info, anyone else have anything to say?

[camille1585]

Wow, I love that list of plants! I don 't have many of those, but I think that the Den cuthbertsonii is a cool grower, so 70-80F is probably too high for it. also, I know that Den jenkinsii needs a dry winter rest, so I don't know how you would deal with that in a terrarium!
The haraella odorata is a very good choice, it is soo darn cute! Can't wait for mine to bloom.

[dart_king]

thanks... the Dendrobium cuthbertsonii is not so much of the coolest growers, according to the sight, it can handle tempretures up to 78-F, and about the Dendrobium jenkinsii, so i guess that ones of the list...

[Tindomul]

I've always stayed away from dendrobiums, but what the hey. I would try to get a Platystele of some kind. I have a P. stenostycha which has loved my vivarium in a spot that stays moist but lots of ventilation and light.

Alot of playing around with vivariums is that you never know what might make it and what wont. There are so many variables and conditions change in different spots according the the growth and decline of plant. You might get a plant that overshadows others and then creates a spike in daily average humidity in parts of your vivarium, some plants will like it and others wont. Maybe a favorite plant of yours will dry out too fast if another that was shading it dies or looses a leaf. In the last 4 years that I have been building vivariums I have found that they are super dynamic. Half the plants you start out with today will not be around in a few years. So, my advice, get two of each kind of plant you want to try and plant them in separate areas of the tank. If one dies maybe the other will survive.

P.S. I am moving this to the terrarium gardening forum.

[dart_king]

thanks for the advice, so you guys think i should forget about the Dendrobiums?, or try it out?, i really dont want to spend money on somthing and then have it dye, so if you guys think it wont make it then i dont want it

[Ross]

I think you might be OK with Dendrobium oligophyllum and, perhaps, laevifolium if you can mount them towards the top of the tank directly under the lights. Temps certainly aren't a problem for these two, but low light would preclude blossoms.

[dart_king]

if the only problem is giving them good lighting then i can give them that... anything else you dont think will work ross?, i know your the king of minitures

[Ross]

Not the King! I just have grown and killed more than my share. My personal favs for any wet environment would be Dracs or many of the Angraecoids. If I were to make a list for a Vivarium with frogs I would place Dracula lotax at the top of the list. Reasons: it's small, doesn't like a lot of fertilizer (frog poop is fine), and only wants or needs low light. The bottom of the tank near a water feature or bottom of a waterfall is ideal. Even middle of tank would be fine, if above conditions exist. When the tank stabilizes at low 70s to low 60s (say 16-22C) then it will start spiking and blooming.

Most of the Aerangis/Angraecum group want high light, but do well in really wet environments. Mine are at 90-99% humidity but at 1000-1800 foot candles for 12-14 hours. They get misted every 4 hours for 5 seconds. The Dracs get the same humidity and misting but sit at 750-800 foot candles (maybe a bit less if they are shaded - something like Jewell Orchids). That's another thing - have you thought of Jewell Orchids? They are grown primarily for the colorful foliage, however I have two just about to bloom - they are in spike now. Here's a good link to peruse: Jewel Orchids : Littlefrog Farm, Jump into Orchids!! Rob is an Orchid Board member well-known here and a frog person. Marty knows him (or of him). I have 6 Jewells in the bottom of my tank under really dismal lighting and they thrive (almost too much). He recommends them for frog environments. A couple have some pretty nice flower stalks (pinks, etc.) Hope this helps.