Welcome, EJ! It is great you're beginning your history with orchids as a teen. You will enjoy them your whole life.
Shredded coir stays wet a long time. It probably compacts too tightly for Paphs if used by itself. There would not be enough air to the roots. That is why people tend to mix it with something larger. If you can find volcanic cinder or pumice, that is very similar to perlite. In fact, those are better; they don't float out of pots and blow away with the wind. You could use particles of pumice or cinders with diameter 5-50mm with coir. 50% - 75% rock to 25%-50% coir would work well. Much coconut fiber has been rinsed in sea water, so rinse it carefully before use with plants.
If you can find coir sold in chunks, that may work well. Gardeners often refer to it as coconut husk chips or CHC. Chunks in the range 1-3cm diameter probably would work well. Don't pack them down into the pot; the point is to allow air to the roots.
Most Paphs grow in loose leaf litter on forest floors. Their roots don't extend much into the soil, but run sideways through the dead leaves. They get plenty of moisture and plenty of air. We try to duplicate this in cultivation.
Paph roots are brown and fuzzy when healthy. In this they are different from other orchids, which mostly have white or tan, spongy roots.
A good resource for reading about species is the
Internet Orchid Species Photo Encyclopedia, IOSPE.
Threaded Mode
