Does anybody have experiences with orchids in a vivarium/terrarium?
I'm considering buying a veiled chameleon (Chamaeleo calyptratus) and
building my own vivarium in wood with a glass front. Since i'm a
horticulturist i would really like to have real live plants in the vivarium
and not just plastic ones.
The temperature suited for this species of chameleon is 28-30 degrees
Celsius in the day and 24-25 in the night. The humidity will be around
50-80%. The chameleon could occasionally take a small bite of the orchid but
I have found that orchids are non-toxic to animals (at least cats).
My question is then whether the orchid would be too greatly harmed by the
loss of pieces of the leaves occasionally and which orchid species would be
favourable in the environment described. I'm considering using some
Phalaenopsis spp. and Vanda spp. since the supply of more exotic orchid
species is limited in this part of the world (Sweden) and in the stores i
visit, but i would like some suggestions.

Maj

"Maj S. Madsen" skrev i meddelandet
...
Does anybody have experiences with orchids in a vivarium/terrarium?
I'm considering buying a veiled chameleon (Chamaeleo calyptratus) and
building my own vivarium in wood with a glass front. Since i'm a
horticulturist i would really like to have real live plants in the
vivarium
and not just plastic ones.
The temperature suited for this species of chameleon is 28-30 degrees
Celsius in the day and 24-25 in the night. The humidity will be around
50-80%. The chameleon could occasionally take a small bite of the orchid
but
I have found that orchids are non-toxic to animals (at least cats).
My question is then whether the orchid would be too greatly harmed by the
loss of pieces of the leaves occasionally and which orchid species would
be
favourable in the environment described. I'm considering using some
Phalaenopsis spp. and Vanda spp. since the supply of more exotic orchid
species is limited in this part of the world (Sweden) and in the stores i
visit, but i would like some suggestions.

Maj



Hello!
I don't have any experience with vivariums personally, but i live in Sweden.
There is more exotic species and genera available here than you might have
noticed, both from amateurs and commercially.
There is also always possible to order plants from Germany, Netherlands etc,
in the spring, summer and autumn as long as the temperature is around 15
degrees celsius.

Are you/do you speak Swedish? (Har jag gjort bort mig nu och skulle skrivit
detta på svenska från början? =) )

I recommend you to visit the swedish orchid society's homepage,

http://www.orchidesallskapet.nu/

There is a messageboard/forum there that you can post your question in.

Also this guy has vivariums and orchids. I don't know him personally, but
maybe he has some worthwhile link, or maybe you could even mail him and ask
about orchids and vivariums:

http://www.dannesdjur.com/index.html

//H