Any advice?

[rtsingleton]

Also posted in the Terrarium forum...

I didn't feel that the humidity and conditions were right in my house for my new orchids so I decided to do a make shift 10 gal aquarium. I know the debate is still out about LED lighting and orchids but currently I have two 1'x1' 225 LED red/blue panels sitting over a thin sheet of textured acrylic for the lid. There is about a half inch of water in the bottom of the tank but there is probably an inch and a half worth of light panel grate that the pots are sitting on. A small air pump using a diffuser stone is submerged into the water down through the grate. Temp is about 85 during the day and 70-75 at night with approx 90-95% humidity. Due to the newly humid environment I had an outbreak of mold so I wiped down all the surfaces with peroxide mix sprayed some of the plants and other surfaces. I'm still waiting on my cpu fan to come in the mail for air circulation, but I do know that it is important and should be here any day. Any tips or suggestions about the above information is greatly appreciated.

Also, the species list is as follows:
Cirr.
Elizabeth Ann "Buckleberry"
Marilyn LeDoux
Sheryl Kumizatii? (was tossed in with an ebay purchase)

Bulb.
romosii
Doris Dukes
appendiculatum

Brassidium Pisgah recluse
Ceratostylis rubra (also tossed in with an ebay purchase)

A couple of these plants came growing in spagh and I haven't repotted them yet, it didn't seem to be any trouble at first as they were drying out very quickly, but now that the humidity is up high they are staying very vrey damp, basically wet. Should I immediate repot into bark as I suspect? I also poured some peroxide and good old fashioned brown mouth wash into the water at the bottom of the tank to try and lessen the mold growth. Good move?

Any thoughts, questions, suggestions, insights appreciated. Feeling like I jumped into the orchidarium experience way too fast at the moment. Thanks for any help.

[AaronM]

Wow!! 90-95% humidity!!! Let's hope that fan arrives soon.

AaronM

[King_of_orchid_growing:)]

All of your plants that's listed can grow just fine in 60% to 70% humidity.

It will not serve your purpose to allow the medium, (especially sphagnum), to stay wet for more than a day with the plants you own. Especially with 90% to 95% humidity in a tank that's not properly air circulated. Add onto the fact that they're potted.

Unless your house is consistently around 50% humidity or less, there's no reason to believe the humidity in your house isn't adequate to grow your orchids.

I understand some people like to grow Ceratostylis rubra potted, but I would mount this plant on either cork bark or tree fern for several reasons. One, Ceratostylis rubra rambles. It also doesn't like it too wet or too dry. Growing this plant potted in sphagnum and leaving the media wet for longer than a day while humidity is high is a disaster in the making. Air circulation is important for its root health.

If you've never grown Ceratostylis before or don't know anything about it, here's some more info:

Grow intermediate - warm.
Likes shade to bright shade.

I would also grow your Cirrhopetalums and Bulbophyllums the same way as mentioned for Ceratostylis rubra. As a side note, some Bulbos and Cirr must have at least a 10 degrees F drop in temperature between day and night in order to initiate blooms.

Your Brassidium can go potted in fine grade fir bark chips.

Honestly if you want your orchidarium it seems like you could do well with intermediate to warm growing Pleuros. I would start with the easier ones first and make your way up the experience ladder to start growing Lepanthes and Lepanthopsis.

Or if you can get the orchidarium to be 90% - 95% humidity, incorporate a fogger, and keep the temperatures no higher than 75 degrees F you might succeed in growing Telipogons. The only thing about Telipogons that I've gathered that's different about other Pleuros is that they go deciduous. But this group of plants is for experienced people only. Not many people grow them, and not many who do succeed.

[King_of_orchid_growing:)]

I forgot, Telipogons grow in the high altitude cloud forests of South America. Although there is a normal day/night cycle, this area is cloudy most of the year (more like almost a year).

If you're interested in these in the future, do your research. I've found that new info keeps popping up about its domestic culture.

[Fredmax]

Originally Posted by King_of_orchid_growing:)

All of your plants that's listed can grow just fine in 60% to 70% humidity.


I understand some people like to grow Ceratostylis rubra potted, but I would mount this plant on either cork bark or tree fern for several reasons. One, Ceratostylis rubra rambles. It also doesn't like it too wet or too dry. Growing this plant potted in sphagnum and leaving the media wet for longer than a day while humidity is high is a disaster in the making. Air circulation is important for its root health.

If you've never grown Ceratostylis before or don't know anything about it, here's some more info:

Delayed appreciation for this advice, I'm struggling on a second attempt and was considering moving this into a 'bottle' terrarium with my Mediocalcar.

Based on this advice it sounds like it's getting too much water while being potted in sphagnum. I've recently started up the misting systems and it's losing leaves (yellowing) after doing great through a dry winter, I thought it was the heat but may need to mount or relocate it near the Bulbophyllums. Cheers.

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[DirtyCoconuts]

I have no option about that plant but I will just add to this thread that there is
Nothing inherently wrong with super high humidity in a tank. It is how the plants and the tank are situated that separateS thriving from rotting death.

My cloud forest terrarium is over 95% half the day and all the plants (including Telipogons and half a dozen other “difficult” plants are doing great.

[Fredmax]

I'm experimenting with an Angraceum distichum and a closed lid aquarium at 99% humidity without air movement . I've never quite understood how this 'closed' environment works but have seen people have success with it and miniatures. I have a bottle of peroxide ready at the first appearance of trouble.