Need Serious Advice on Specific Miniatures

[Groundhog]

Greetings Y'all:

I originally posted this on "terrariums, but didn't get a reply Some of you many know me as the Groundhog from Dendroboard. For years, I have maintained a big natural viv with several epiphytes--but not much luck with orchids (well, except angraecoids: )

I want to mount one neotropical, one African, and one Asian orchid on the background (left to right). I have narrowed it to:

Epidendrum peperomia (=porpax) vs. Epi schlecterianum (=Epi longirepens=Nadodes discolor);
Aerangis fastuosa vs. Angraecum distichum;
Haraella retrocalla (=odorata) vs. Schoenorchis fragrans

Before you answer, here are the terrarium specs:

--Has a coir mat background; l
--is lit by 2 30w full spectrum tubes across the front, 1 65 w equivalent CF bulb and 2 15w flourescent tubes in the back;
--Left half just a screen top; right half covered with that most high tech of inventions--saran wrap. Why?
--Tank has a motif; like any good mercator projection , the left side is neotropical (Gloxinella, Episcia 'SIlver Skies,' mounted on a cork tube Peperomia bicolor, Rhipsalis, Codonanthe, Tillandsia bulbosa, Vriesea carinata, a cork slab with Til bergeri and Neoregelia dungsiana, etc); center is African (Begonia 'Buttercup' on a lava rock, Anubias nana on a log in a pool, etc); right side is Asian (and moist--Java fern, Sellaginella, Pellionia pulchra, Begonia U074, Schismatoglottis, etc., yes it seems moist for jewels

Can ya dig it? Here are the temps:

Winter: Day 70F, Night 65
Spring/Fall: Day 77, Night 68
Summer: Day 88, Night 78

Humidity ranges from 50% on the left to 70% on the right, btw

SO, to use YOUR orchid therms, I guess the tank ranges seasonally from intermediate to warm to hot, no? (I am not getting an A/C; I have big lizards--in case you are wondering, I do not have dart frogs, but geckos, anoles, hylids and reed frogs--too warm in the summer for pdfs).

Now as you might imagine, the tank shows some "seasonality;" the bromeliads and gesneriads do better in the summer, the begonias and primitives do better in the winter.

So how say you guys? Thanks for reading!

[littlefrog]

Neolehmaniana porpax and Schoenorchis fragrans... I don't grow angracoids well enough to have an opinion on those.

No real reason. I just like them. Both should tolerate your temperatures pretty well.

[FinnBar]

Hi Groundhog and welcome to OB!

i'd definitely get haraella odorata. it has a reputation of being close to a constant bloomer in vivarium-type setups.

between the two Angraecoids it's tough. Aerangis fastuosa is more "a classical choice" whereas the Angraecum with it's more peculiar form and growth habit could grow into a real eye-catcher..mmm,yes I'd go with that

sorry, no opinion on the first two.

i'd love to see some photos of your setup.

[jmateosky]

Hi,
Your setup sounds fine except for air movment orchids like the air moving, they all (the minitures) live in the mountains there is plenty of breezes or strong winds this helps the plants dry off from the abundant rain the recieve.

Jim

[Tindomul]

Hey Groundhog, glad to see you here as well. Harella odorata is great. One warning, it HATES drying out for too long. Otherwise it will do very well for you. Doesn't need that much light either. I cannot comment on the other two though. Good luck.