Mounted Masdevalia rolfiana in my 55 gallon vivarium *MINI*

[Tindomul]

So this is my first orchid mount, that I do myself.
I had to move it from its first home, my 29 gallon viv, becuase I believed it was too warm with temps above 79 almost all the time. Its leaves were suffering.
I used aquarium grade silicone to stick the plant on the malaysian drift wood.
Then I stuck it in my 55 gallon viv in my office were I keep the temps low with two air conditioners. Temps rarely go above 75 and I find they reach 60 first thing in the morning.

Here are the pics. The plant came out a little tilted .





Hope you all approve!

[Mahon]

Looks like a good mounting... in time, the Masdevallia will start to bend upwards, creating this arching shape, like in nature... the leaves will most likely turn upwards more, but it will be a while... your plant looks as if it was growing in a pot or in a potted position.

Or, you can just tilt and prop the wood in a different position... nothing really wrong with that mounting though.

-Pat

[Tindomul]

Well, unfortunately I killed the Masdie. I mounted it using silicone and string, I should have just used the string. Becuase I used silicone I left the Masdie high and dry over an extended weekend so that the silicone would dry out. This killed the Masdie's roots and therefore killed the plant. Everything was a big ball of brown mush by last week.
Moral of the story, never use silicone on a plant that needs to be kept humid!
Maybe I will try again someday.
By the way, this was my first orchid victim

[capdale]

Sorry to hear about losing the masd. I just just tried a similar mount using Sphagnum moss -- two Masd. and one Dracula on a large piece of african root. The mount is in a 110 gallon tall aquarium I am turning into a terrerium.

[Tindomul]

I have begun to suspect that the true stroke of death for this Masdie was all the spagnum moss I used. Being as how my tank is always humid, chances are the sphag didn't let it dry out and it therefore rotted. So becareful with your sphag, don't use to much, and if you keep the humidity high enough, you probably wont need any.
Let us know how it goes!

[justatypn]

Nice job Tindo

[Tindomul]

Cheryl, either you are making fun of me, or you didn't read the whole thread. Frankly I rather hope you are making fun of me, just for the fun of it

[justatypn]

Awwwww...Tindo, me make fun of you, never ...

All kidding aside the nice job was for the mount job not for the demise of your masd. I would never