Orchids in rain forest terrarium. - Orchid Board

RaVe · #1 03-18-2010, 03:35 PM

Hi there.
I need some help to find some Orchids i can use in a rainforest terrarium (with poison dart frogs).
My issues is "all the water" the will get, in the rain forest the misting system will water 7 times 40 seconds each day. Rest of the year it will be around 3 times 1 min of rain each day.
Temperature will be around 26-27 celcius at day and around 20-22 at night.
The plants cant be to big, and max like 20-25 cm (terrariums will be 50x50x50)

So far my list looks like this:

Aerangis citrate
Aerangis biloba
Aerangis punctata
Angraecum dideri
Bifrenaria aureofulva
Bulbophyllum alagensa
Bulbophyllum ovalifolium
Bulbophyllum alagense
Bulbophyllum dearei
Bulbophyllum maxillare / Bulbophyllum blumei
Bulbophyllum psychoon
Cephalotus follicularis
Chiloschista lunifera
Cirrhopetalum curtsii
Cirrhopetalum medusae / Bulbophyllum medusae
Cryptocoryne parva
Cryptocoryne pygmaea
Dendrobium aberans
Dendrobium atroviolaceum "pigmy type"
Dendrobium cucumerinum
Dendrobium Kanburiense
Dendrobium prenticei
Dendrobium rigidum
Dyakia hendersoniana
Epidendrum longirepens
Epidendrum porpax
Gastrochilus japonicus
Goodyera pusilla
Haraella odorata / Haraella retrocalla
Hemianthus callitrichoides
Leptotes bicolor
Ludisia discolor
Lycaste aromatica
Macroclinium manabinum
Malaxis metallica
Malaxis species N. G.
Malaxis species Thailand
Maleola baliensis
Manabi Macroclinium
Masdevallia floribunda
Masdevallia infracta
Masdevallia wendlandiana
Mastigion putidum
Maxillaria uncata
Monosolenium tenerum
Nanodes medusae
Nanodes porpax
Neofinetia falcata Onamisecai
Nephelaphyllum all species
Oeoniella polystachys
Ornithophora radicans
Paphinia cristata
Paphinia hererae
Pelatantheria insectifera
Pescatorea wallisii
Phalaenopsis parishii
Phalaenopsis pgibbosa
Phalaenopsis deliciosa
Phalaenopsis lobbii
Phalaenopsis minus
Phalaenopsis wilsonii
Plagiomnium affine
Plagiomnium trichomanes
Platystele stenostachya
Pleurothallis alata
Pleurothallis allanii
Pleurothallis grobyi
Pleurothallis malmeana
Pleurothallis Stricta
Pleurothallis tribulariodes
Sarcochilus ceciliae
Schoenorchis gemmata
Schoenorchis pachyacris
Stelis Barbata
Trias oblonga
Trichoglottis triflora
Trichosalpinx rotundata
Trizeuxis falcata
Tuberolabium kotoense
Vanilla planifolia

Anyone who have any expirince keeping any of those in a rainforest terrarium, or have any comment / can tell that some of them wont work etc etc.
Or maybe other sugestions i didnt spot.

Thanks in advance
Rasmus

RaVe · #2 03-18-2010, 04:27 PM

oh and regarding light in the terrariums, i uses for 2 terrariums, 2 x 54 w T5 light. 1 is a grolux and the other is a Philips master 965.

Tindomul · #3 03-18-2010, 05:27 PM

Probably way too wet for any Masdevallias. Are you sure you need to keep it that wet for pdf's? I've kept them before, at one or two mistings a day.

RaVe · #4 03-18-2010, 06:15 PM

dry season no but for the rain season and to get them to breade i think its around that.

need to say though there wont any water left in the terrarium, there is a drain in the buttom, so extra water will just run out.

calvin_orchidL · #5 03-19-2010, 10:57 AM

Just a few FYIs:

The vanilla will be too large - we're talking 6-12 feet long. The lycaste aromatica requires a drier period which may not be condusive to a terrarium environment.
Neofinetia - benefits from a cooling in the winter, although I know some people who grow this intermediate. Not sure if that works well on the long run though
Ludisia will grow a bit large as well - I know lots of people who have it in terrariums though, but it could get a little weedy after a while

Some (ie the bulbophyllums) don't really appreciate that long of a dry season, and others do, so be wary of that! These are the only ones I could think off the top of the my head though

Good luck and keep us updated!

Mike Davis · #6 04-22-2010, 12:12 AM

My dart frogs bred fine with 3 20 second mistings a day. You might have some issues with rot running that many misting cycles a day.Would be fine(For the PDF's) if you used a drilled tank for drainage, but you might drown out a few of those plants listed.

RaVe · #7 04-23-2010, 11:32 AM

hi there.
Ye there is drilled hole with drains etc setup, so not much water would remain in the tank

King_of_orchid_growing:) · #8 04-23-2010, 12:23 PM

My recommendations would be Lepanthes.

Robert G. · #9 06-13-2010, 04:21 PM

Hi,
I guess you will try to make your own expierences first. Do so and learn from them.

The tank is a bit too small to provide the right climate for most of the mentioned orchids. Especially the stagnating air at night might be a problem.

Best regards,
Robert

RaVe · #10 06-14-2010, 07:57 AM

Thx for the reply Robert.
Ill keep up with what i find out