Phalaenopsis in water culture

[OrchidInEveryWindow]

Phal bellina 'Montclair' was removed from its shipping pot and placed in this vase with ordinary tap water on 7/11/08. The blossom opened on 8/4/08. A weak solution of Dyna-Gro plant food helped the algae develop, which provides oxygen to the roots and prevents slime mold from developing. I had to wash the roots and change the water almost daily at first, due to the mold problem. Now it's only necessary to keep the water topped up and changed every few days. Advantages over s/h? You can see the roots! Are they healthy, growing, rotting? Plus, fancy vases look better than plastic buckets full of rocks. I switched all orchids and houseplants to water culture, and all are doing well. No more surprises of ants pouring out of clay pots during watering, either. That one alone was worth the change. (ants are a big problem here in South Florida)
I also have Phal Orchid World, Phal brother wild thing and Phal Sogo Rose blooming in water.