What orchids are easy to maintain solo & in vivariums?

[agoutihead]

wiki also states about Phals...

In nature, they are typically fond of warm temperatures (20 to 35 °C), but are adaptable to conditions more comfortable for human habitation in temperate zones (15 to 30 °C); at temperatures below 18 °C watering should be reduced to avoid the risk of root rot. Phalaenopsis requires high humidity (60-70%) and low light of 12,000 to 20,000 lux. Flowering is triggered by a night-time drop in temperature of around 5 to 6 degrees over 2 to 4 consecutive weeks, usually in the fall.

I'm not sure right off the bat the humidity level needed to keep poison dart frogs, but I would assume 70% is probably a good general area.

[agoutihead]

mauiorchid.com has a faq that says the following...
Are Orchids Fragrant?

Some are powerfully scented, others less so. A few orchid fragrances defy description, while others resemble familiar fragrances - raspberry, coconut, lilacs and citrus.


Which 'chids smell liks reaspberry?

[cb977]

LOL...one for sure raspberry fragrance is Dendrobium anosum aka Den superbum...YUMMY!!!

As for the phals in the viv question, I am in no way familiar with frogs in vivs so I can't help with those questions. I also don't know whether size is the only reason a regular phal might not work in a viv...it was just the first reason that popped into my head.

What I do know is that most of what I've read about people having orchids in tanks is that they are usually minis.

Let's see if anybody else can give us some input on this...

[agoutihead]

wow, those dendros look awesome! do they really smell alot like raspberries?

are they really hard to care for?

I would like 2-3 different orchids in my viv, 1 being a normal phal and the other two can be minis. that would be perfect.

(the frogs generally wont affect the orchids at all. But I do have to mist and fog the tank for the frogs, but apparently that is ok with orchids right?)

[cb977]

That Den definitely won't fit in your tank unless you build a room! They get very large

[Tindomul]

Your best bet with a largish Phal would be Phalaenopsis Mini Mark. Not really that small, and has a nice sized flower stem.

[agoutihead]

No I wouldn't put that dendro in my viv, but will keep it in my house.

Are they pretty hardy?

That last phal you told me about is pretty cool.

[Dorothy]

I didn't see any raspberry fragrant phals going through my fragrant phal list but -
According to Fragrance and Orchids - FRAGRANCE AND ORCHIDS

" In Paphiopedilum fragrance can be transmitted by the pollen. Paphiopedilum delenatii smells like citrus blooms and Paphiopedilum malipoense has a very powerful raspberry fragrance.
They are the two most fragrant Paphs in the Parvisepalum section.
Some clones are more heavily scented than others, especially in the morning when the sun first reaches the bloom. Crossing these two (Paph Lynleigh Koopowitz) produced a pleasant fragrance of raspberries.

Paph Wossner Jade (malipoense x niveum) produced only a limited number of fragrant offspring."

Agouti - If you would like to see a list of fragrant phals - Let me know and I'll post them

[markr]

Originally Posted by agoutihead

Someone else suggested a mini Phalaenopsis

that one I posted was just a regular Phalaenopsis and not a mini?

Are the regular ones not as easy to maintain as the mini's?

I do like those pics you posted, but these Phalaenopsis are probably my favorite orchid thus far.

What are the chances of one of those doing well in a viv?

so when it comes to Phalaenopsis, when they have that particular body style, but different color patterns, are they generally all Phalaenopsis?

"Regular" Phals are not more difficult to grow, it's just that they will grow quite large and the flower spikes will take up a lot of room.

Most miniature hybrids are from Phal. lobbii/Phal. parishii so they look similar to those, such as Phal. Micro Nova and Phal. Mini Mark (two popular minis). There are others around - it's perhaps best to email some orchid dealers and ask what they have or can suggest. There are also some species that remain small for quite some time, Phal. cornu-cervi comes to mind - I've been growing these in small terrariums for several years. It will eventually take up a lot of space but it grows slowly and the flowers are small.

I would have suggested Masdevallias and Restrepias too if you're into small orchids with bright colours and unique flowers, but most need cooler temperatures than is easy to maintain in an enclosed box under flurorescent lights. I've had trouble doing it anyway, maybe you'll have more luck.