"Aaron Hicks" wrote in message
...
I think that there would be a number of options one could pursue
if you wanted to grow orchids in a terrarium setting. The first would be
to create a sort of "elevated garden," with an undergravel filter set up a
good 1-2" higher than it should be, either with gravel or stand-offs to
allow for drainage. Line the back with cork, and use that for epiphytes.

Perfect! Thanks! I was wondering what to use and had considered plastic
berry baskets like you get strawberries in because they're free, but I hava
some underground filters packed away so that will work.

The small set up I have now just has pots elevated on rocks with a small
submersible filter in the drainage pond to keep everything from going sour.

So far the orchids in there are doing well. But I think more lighting in the
new tank will improve growth.



There are the usual "jewel" orchids such as Ludisia (=Haemaria)
discolor, as well as goodyeras, that would do quite well. The genus
goodyera is commonly available, but only occasionally are verifiable
propagules (versus those dug from the wild). I note that Black Jungle
sells some orchids that would do quite well. They also sell some that
won't (such as the Gongora tricolor). Search for:

terrarium orchids

Once again, thanks for the info.


on "Google." Much goodstuff out there.

Some other species will do well with high humidity, but some
changes would help them grow better. For example, there are a number of
bulbos and pleurothallids that would do quite well, immersed in a
substrate that was well-drained, as above, such as Pleuro. tribuloides
(keep on the dry side with a double-pot, the plant in a pot kept inside a
larger pot with gravel between the two), Bulbo. shepherdii and allied
species, that sort of thing. Heck, call up any good species company
(Andy's Orchids comes to mind, as does Hoosier, Oak Hill, that sort of
thing. "So, whatcha got that likes it damp and humid and stays small?"

I'm getting a 75 gallon tank to use for the setup. It's not quite as tall as
I'd like but I have plans drawn up for my smaller tanks for a plexi extender
to mount at the top of the tank that could be adapted for extra head room,
but I don't know how that would effect lighting needs. Any thought on the
mix of natural vs. tube light and what the prefered spectrum is for orchids
will be useful.



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-AJHicks
Chandler, AZ

Hey, I'm in Phoenix.

Enjoying the monsoons this year?