First ever Cattleya - dead root system

[milks]

Well I'm pleased to report that a few weeks on and not only has the little gal sprouted two new roots but a new growth to boot

[Orchid Whisperer]

Glad to hear the plant is improving.

To keep the roots healthy, remember that Catts need the medium to dry out between watering.

It's up to you when to repot, but when you do, repot into bark or some other coarse medium, leave out the sphagnum.

[silken]

Was just thinking the same thing as Orchid Whisperer, I never use sphagnum on Catts. C. aclandiae are especially in need of fast drying and air to the roots. I too would remove that moss and only water when the media is completely dry. I like using bamboo kebab skewers stuck in the media. Pull it out to see if it is wet or dry before watering. Only water when it is dry.

[Wynn Dee13]

Cattleya aclandiae also likes to be mounted. I don't know if I would grow this species in moss ( I would probably try as long as the plant didn't already come mounted) but I grow almost all of my Cattleyas in sphagnum moss. It works great for me. I use clay pots with a few styrofoam packing peanuts in the bottom of the pot. I just don't pack the moss real tight. Pots over five or six inches I use bark or coconut husk chips in plastic pots. In my conditions the moss dries fast. I'm glad your plant is growing roots! Also when repotting Catts, always wait for new root growth from the newest growth. Good luck!

[Leafmite]

It isn't that these like to be dry but that they need a great amount of air around their roots as the roots are very prone to rotting easily.
Case in point...I just bought my third aclandiae and it was potted in a mix of large perlite with a very little amount of bark mixed in. The pot was a basket pot. Even in this set up, the roots were completely rotten. The orchid is healthy, otherwise so I believe it will recover without issue.
My other two have been potted in Vanda baskets with very little medium and they are very happy that way. They actually do seem to enjoy being watered frequently and I water them as often as I do the rest of my orchids. The only difference is that they need so much more air around their roots than most other Cattleyas.

[silken]

When I got my aclandiae as a seedling it was potted in bark. I grew it potted in medium bark for several years and it did fine. But it got a bit rambly and I mounted it and it has bloomed twice since then. I often don't water it every day, but give it a real good watering when I do. I think these don't tolerate wet media and prolonged wet roots as well as some other Catts might. I don't keep any of mine damp or wet for very long.

[milks]

Thanks for the advice everyone.

The moss is in fact only on the surface. I was using it to try and raise the humidity around the plant a little while it was without roots - I think one of the Brad's greenhouse videos champions this technique.

The rest of the pot is a medium bark chip and I've drilled extra holes in the side so it should offer a reasonable home for now. In the photo I've just given it a drink which is why it all looks a little too wet