My Odd Little Vivarium Project - Micro Mini's

[buffalo]

nice setup i recently made a terrarium and wanted to know what i could place in a mini terrarium. I like anubias and the mosses. Anubias is often available at the pet in this area. Any small orchids can go in?
my terrarium is 12x12x 18 inches high.

[RSS]

Without knowing what lighting/humidity/temp's it hard to recommend any specific orchids. There is a good starter listing sticky'd in the Terrarium Gardening forums.

As for the anubias just make sure you get one of the smaller leaved ones, I've had some anubias species that grew 12" leaves on 6" stems. The variation in this tank is very small maybe 3" total.

I've been slowly moving away from mosses and more toward Utricularia species (bladderworts) with the newer tanks, just something else to look into.

[vmax3000]

This is really brilliant. Me Wanteee

[10010100102]

Cool setup, RSS! I love the idea of a terrarium full of teeny-tiny orchids. Any updates/'s for us to over?

[RSS]

Lets see, I was out of town for 6 weeks for business, then it took me about 2-3 weeks to get to this one, and this is what it now looks like. I'm about to "groom" it. The large missing area on the HC is because I sold some of it .

1. Plagiomnium trichomanes - is holding onto its terf, but just barely.

2. Pellia (Monosolenium tenerum) - did not like my wife taking care of it, there is some die back, so I'll have to trim it and help it recover.

3. Plagiomnium affine - is a nice think 1/8-1/4" mat in alot of areas.

4. Anubias barteri var. nana 'Petite' - Too much light for this guy, but I've managed to take a few cutting here and there and get it going in other tanks nicely. It should get cut up today.

5. Dwarf Baby Tears (Hemianthus callitrichoides) - What can I say its the green mass on the left side. I've sold alot of it and used it to fund other orchids. Gogogo expensive, easy to grow plants . I've already prepaired there new homes, so its hair cut time! This cutting should easily pay for my project plant.

6. Cryptocoryne parva - Looks like I have 2 more little plants in there, Yay! Have to clear out some weeds (HC mainly) from its terf.

7. Macroclinium manabinum - did not like me being gone, hoping I can coach it back into shape.

8. Weeping moss - removing alot of it today, its just not working out.

9. Cephalotus follicularis - all is well and there is a picture a little larger than 1/2" now. I'll try and add a close-up tonight of the plant.

10. Dendrobium prenticei - few more leaves and more affine! Some random moss that I don't want, so I'll pull it out.

11. Pleurothallis grobii - seems to like its home, lots of roots and new leaves, still no flowers

12. Stelis barbata - Did not make it.

13. Den. cucumerinum - Forgot to tell my wife to make sure the nana didn't overgrow it...well you can guess the rest.

14. Mediocalcar decoratum - few more months and it will be completly covered by the affine.

15. Epidendrum longirepens - bit of live sphagnum growing by it, and its growing slowly, just a bit faster than the affine is covering it. Its like a race, who will win?

16. Epidendrum porpax - nice and healthy, new roots and good leaves.

17. Bulb. ovalifolium - moved and happier

18. Den. rigidum - nice fat bulbs, not much else to say. Little salt build up I need to address on the bulbs.

19. Bulb. alagensa - 4 bulbs now and starting its 5-6th, rooting right along

20. Mystery plant - few new leaves, the leaves are small right now thou.

21. Removed the random sundew and replaced it with a Drosera prolifolia which has 4 flower stalks running all other the place. 2 plantlets off one of the stalks.

22. I'll have to look up the name, its small and you need to zoom in on to see. It has done nothing noticable so far. Pleurothallis leptifolia

[Tim]

Very nice set up, I love miniatures All of these plants are growing well under only 2- 18" T5 bulbs?

[RSS]

Yep 1 daylight bulb and 1 blue bulb (can't spell the "a" word).

The tank is only 6" tall so all the plants are 1-4" from the bulbs.

[amcoffeegirl]

I just love this idea. this is a beautiful project.
thanks for sharing.

[RSS]

I was taking a picture of the Ceph in there and though I'd post a quick update. I really need to get some more maintenance time on this tank.

I've added a piece of Utricularia calycifida in the top right corner it seems to like it there, but the flower stalks are massive so if it desides to flower I'm in trouble.

1. Plagiomnium trichomanes - About the same, its not earning its keep...

2. Pellia (Monosolenium tenerum) - recovering very nicely now that my wife is no longer taking care of it .

3. Plagiomnium affine - is a nice think 1/8-1/2" mat in alot of areas, I can see this may became a problem plant. Its covering up a few orchids.

4. Anubias barteri var. nana 'Petite' - Too much light for this guy, still need to get this one out.

5. Dwarf Baby Tears (Hemianthus callitrichoides) - What can I say its the green mass on the left side. I've sold alot of it and used it to fund other orchids. Gogogo expensive, easy to grow plants . I'm still farming the HC and using it to buy other more interesting things.

6. Cryptocoryne parva - Moved a few of these to another tank in the hopes of getting some more to grow in. They are starting to grow better.

7. Macroclinium manabinum - did not like me being gone, hoping I can coach it back into shape, It may be a lost cause

8. Weeping moss - the thing with moss is...its hard to remove it...it keeps growing.

9. Cephalotus follicularis - This one is doing great 3 pitchers just over 1". I can't see any roots though, really odd.

10. Dendrobium prenticei - Good steady grower.

11. Pleurothallis groybi - Took a few cuttings to fund other things, still no flowers.

14. Mediocalcar decoratum - few more months and it will be completly covered by the affine, not yet thou!

15. Epidendrum longirepens - somehow I upset the live sphagnum and it collasped, its growing again, so the longirepens is mostly uncovered right now

16. Epidendrum porpax - currently growing too tall and is becoming sunburned from the lights. I need to trim it.

18. Den. rigidum - nice fat bulbs, not much else to say. Little salt build up I need to address on the bulbs, its still being neglected. Poor plant.

19. Bulb. alagensa - 4 bulbs now and starting its 5-6th, rooting right along, it looks funny its just growing straight up.

20. Mystery plant - few new leaves, the leaves are small right now thou., still there

21. Removed the random sundew and replaced it with a Drosera prolifolia which has 4 flower stalks running all other the place. 2 plantlets off one of the stalks, the random sundew returns! I'll have to remove it again later. Lots of flower

22. Pleurothallis leptifolia - Its still there, just sticking up through the affine.

[Epiphile]

I just wanted to say that this tank is lovely- your use of "aquatic" plants is inspiring. I'm going to have to go to an LFS and get some HC myself, I think.