Had a long boring night at work last night so I though I'd write a novel
. Hope this is helpful to someone out there. All this is based off what I have tried and Andy's sells, I have other plants that are doing great but they were acquired though other means
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The short list for those who don't want to read the wall-o-text:
Must haves from my experiences - Haraella odorata, Bulbophyllum alagenese, Cischweinfia glicensteinii and all the Epidendrium (Nanodes) species you can get your hands on!
I'd love to hear your experiences with Den. laevifolium and Ceratochilus biglandulosus if you end up with them, I've almost purchased them a few dozen times and will probably end up with them next summer.
I'll chime in with my experiences, I currently have about 11 or so Vivariums/Paludariums with various amounts of light/humidity. They are all around the temperature ranges you mentioned.
Some have fans, some do not. Humidity ranges from 45% lows (day)-85% highs (night) to the other end of the spectrum 75% lows (day)-99% highs (night)
Few have as little as 1 14W compact flourscent up to a max of 4 T5HO bulbs.
The Haraella odorata is a great choice, get 1 get 10!!! Mine has not stopped blooming long enough to pot it in its new home, been a few months, some day some day.
I got a Den. cuthbertsonii a few months back and divided it up, placing it in a number of different envoirments (all 70-80 degree vivariums) and I now have 1 piece left, I fully expect it to die next summer, it might recover some other the winter. I would recommend passing on this one to the cooler growers. If you really love this plant you might be able to make it work, all vivariums are different.
Some info on the terrarium would be helpful also, what size is it, and how much light will it have, any critter?
Anyway lets start with plants I've ordered from Andy's since your looking there.
Bulbophyllum alagense - they have a large and small form, I love this little plant. Mine is growing very nicely about 9" from 2 T5HO lights with 55-75% humidity. No flowers yet thou. Of course I had to get both forms, the plants were HUGE (40+ bulbs on the small form easily, the large form had 75+), so you might want to see if someone around you wants to split them.
Bulbophyllum lasiochilum - actively growing with the alagense, although I did not get this one though Andy's they have them, no flowers yet.
Cischweinfia glicensteinii - have these in 3 vivariums, the ones growing with the alagense are happiest, they like moist to almost wet feet. I took a single bulb/leaf cutting and placed it onto a waterfall in one of the Paludariums its been there for 2-3 months and is doing nothing! Not dieing not growing.....I have never let any of this plant dry out and it seems to like it, nice flowers too! Beware another HUGE plant (10+ bulbs on mine).
Constantia rupestris - Only about 6-7 bulbs on this one, a little small for Andy's but a very healthy plant none the less and I'm happy with it. Remounted it on Epi-web and currently have new growths in a similar vivarium with a little higher humidity. Nice plant if your low on space, no flowers yet. Oh random note on Epi-web, I've read horror stories about little froggy feet and Epi-web fighting, the Epi-weeb won.....So you might want to pass on this stuff with critters.
Dendrobium lichensastrum - or Dendrobium prenticei or a few other names, I have a mature one of these growing 3" from 1 T5HO bulb with 75-85% humidity, its put on 2-3 bulb/leaves/whatever in the last 2 months, so I'd say its happy, no flowers yet thou. I also obtained 2 flasks of these and all the seedling are moving right along from low light (4" from a 14W compact flourscent) to a medium/low light (10" from 2 T5HO lights). wide range of humidity for the seedling and they all seem happy. None of these came from Andy's, but they sell them.
Dendrobium rigidum - Another with 400 names, a mature one of these is growing a few inches from the lichensastrum and is not as happy, no new growth at all but its not dieing either. Just waiting for what I don't know. I was also able to obtain a flask of these (most have new homes by now), whats left is growing 9" from 2 T5HO lights under 95-99% humidity, they are slowly bulking up (seedling leaves/bulbs/thingies were flat in flask, they are fattening up now, inflating like little ballons!), so I'm taking this as a good sign. Another not from Andy's but they sell them.
And now for one of my favorites the Nanodes, another fun orchid naming thing, they are/were/maybe/will be a subgroup of Epidendrum. Quite a few discolor, porpax, schlecterianum, whittenii just to name a few. I have these EVERYWHERE!!! Just had a porpax alba open today, I'll post photo's in the show and tell soon. They are very easy to grow and love everywhere I've put them. And I've put them in some really odd places. I have one now that keeps growing so close to the light bulbs it burns its leaf tips! Silly plant. So yes you can burn plants with T5 lights. Did I mentions I love these guys? Andy's has a few listed and probably a few not listed. Ordered a discolor from them a few months ago, nice plant.
Phalaenopsis parishii or wilsoni or lobbii - 3 different ones all seem to be doing fine 7-9" from 2 T5 lights with 75-99% humidity. Fine is probably the right word for these 3, they are doing fine, not dieing but not really growing either. None of these are from Andy's but they sell the parishii and wilsoni.
Pleurothallis corniculata - a nice little plant and cheap too! I don't have any long term experience with this one, but it appears fine so far. 7" from 4 T5Ho lights in a Paludarium. 3 new leaves and 1 flower so far, lots and lots of new roots shooting out into the air, its not rooting onto the moist driftwood like most of the other orchids are. Another from the Not from Andy's club, but they sell them.
Pleurothallis grobyi - have a nice one of these 2-3" from 1 T5HO bulb with 75-85% humidity, its been there a long while, in a dryer spot. Never blooming.......I'd have to do some research to see if its growing or not, small plants with 40+ leaves are hard to tell if its 43+ this month. Another not from Andy's but they sell them.
Pleurothallis ornata - flowered, flowered, flowered, flowered, yes yes so many flowers like 20, then nothing. Its just sitting there....umm yea I don't know. Its in the Paludarium, constant 99% humidity with alot of light.
Sedirea japonica - a good old standby, it works time tested over and over again.
Scaphosepalum ovulare - very interesting flowers on this one, its grown 3-4 new leaves in the last 2 months 9" from 2 T5 lights with 55-85% humidity. This is on the high side of light for these guys, the new leaves are purplish (from too much light) but otherwise healthy, this one was moved down a few inches last week so hopefully that will help. Otherwise seems happy and growing.
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