Truly tiny Miniature species?

[Leafmite]

That looks really cool!
One of my favorite minis is Angraecum distichum.

[ChipMolly]

What about Bulbophyllum shepherdii which is native to this part of the world.

[Nepenthesguy]

Originally Posted by RandomGemini

Nice! What kind of temps and humidity are you maintaining in there and what are you using for substrate?

I hadn't actually measured it lol, but pulled the sensor out of the whites enclosure (no plants for her, she enjoys sleeping on the plants and kills them... she is big lol) and put it in the orchidarium.
Readings:
-----Humidity:

Bottom: constant 70% reading
Top: reads at 66%
Around the plants: 74% reading

The humidity should be higher once more moss is established (the moss is happy and so are some fussy species so things are going well).

Temps are variable, when both the lights are on they raise the orchidariums temps to around 80F, nighttime temps drop to 68F.

The substrate is an inch of peagravel (unwashed so a little clay is still mixed in), then 2.5 inches of a typical orchid mix.

[RandomGemini]

Nice!

I used hydroton for the base of my substrate, so that I could put a tiny pump in there for my water feature, which just trickles down the back wall of my terrarium. On top of that, I have a layer of NZ sphagnum moss sitting on top of a piece of mesh, to keep the moss from clogging the pump. I tried it with just moss initially, but that was, oddly enough, too moist. Humidity stayed at around 90% in the bottom of the terrarium and there wasn't enough air movement, so I had a mold problem and had to pitch all of the old moss and start from scratch.

[Nepenthesguy]

Originally Posted by RandomGemini

Nice!

I used hydroton for the base of my substrate, so that I could put a tiny pump in there for my water feature, which just trickles down the back wall of my terrarium. On top of that, I have a layer of NZ sphagnum moss sitting on top of a piece of mesh, to keep the moss from clogging the pump. I tried it with just moss initially, but that was, oddly enough, too moist. Humidity stayed at around 90% in the bottom of the terrarium and there wasn't enough air movement, so I had a mold problem and had to pitch all of the old moss and start from scratch.

The black bar that the terracotta pot is hanging from is a spray bar for a water feature. The basin is filled with moss right now and keeping species that like extra moisture moist. The pea gravel layer lets extra water drain below the pots and the bark mix allows air to get in and any excess water can evaporate increasing the humidity.
How does you terrarium look now? (pic?)

[RandomGemini]

http://flic.kr/p/pjupCw

Hopefully this link works, as I am away from my laptop and Tapatalk photos are hit or miss.

[gnathaniel]

Lots of great suggestions so far, here are some of my favorite minis I've grown:

Cattleya (Sophronitis) cernua
Cattleya (Laelia) kettieana
Cattleya (Laelia) milleri--not as tiny as some in this group but well worth the space
Cattleya (Laelia) sincorana
Isabelia virginalis
Isabelia (Sophronitella) violacea
Isabelia (Neolauchea) pulchella--this can grow into a large specimen over time
Dinema (Encyclia) polybulbon--ditto on getting big
Meiracyllium trinasutum
Comparettia macroplectron
Tolumnia guianensis--spikes get very long but growths clump nicely
Ornithidium (Maxillaria) sophronitis
Christensonella (Maxillaria) madida
Ornithocephalus inflexus
Trichosalpinx chamaelepanthes
Restrepia striata
Dendrobium (Epigeneium) nakaharae
Dendrobium lamyaiae
Dendrobium jenkinsii
Dendrobium bellatulum
Bulbophyllum hirundinis
Bulbophyllum pecten-veneris
Bulbophyllum gracillimum
Bulbophyllum vaginatum--kind of a rambler
and a bunch more I forget right now...

Not all of these will like growing in a tank, but most can thrive in a bright, airy windowsill setting, or outdoors much of the year in my climate zone. Sorry to hear about your setback ,but I hope you have fun rebuilding your collection!

[Nepenthesguy]

Originally Posted by gnathaniel

Not all of these will like growing in a tank, but most can thrive in a bright, airy windowsill setting, or outdoors much of the year in my climate zone. Sorry to hear about your setback ,but I hope you have fun rebuilding your collection!

Thanks! It's a good thing the VA springs and summers are an orchid paradise (we are in a really humid microclimate). Though the seedlings that came with me to Eatonton this summer really loved it! A backbulb that I also bought sent out roots after 3 days. lol

Trust me when I say the orchid loss was the least of my setbacks I collected carnivorous plants before I got into orchids and that entire collection did not make it (well 5 plants survived but now down to 4) and the 4 months worth of propagating stock for sale went down the tubes to but c'est la vie! (I don't think about the $$$$$$ lost since I'm healthy and that's pretty important lol) Orchids really began to take over my focus after that and are becoming my new specialty

[tropterrarium]

RE books, forget Northern, get Parsons & Gerritsen's Compendium of Miniature Orchid Species, A SUPERB book. Highly recommended. $140 is a bargain for what you get in those two volumes.

One cool miniature is Stelis uniflora. Flowers quite regularly, too.

[lepetitmartien]

Eclecticus chungii (my avatar elsewhere, check on the forum, I've posted on it)
Gomesa colorata (Oncidium coloratum) got to take the pic it's in bloom now.