Terrarium is finally finished! - Page 2 - Orchid Board

Paul Mc · #11 05-29-2011, 09:50 AM

Thank you for that idea Pluerothallid! I will keep that in mind as I monitor and see what happens.

This actually brings me to the next step in the built and how I think I may have gotten around this. I'm testing it now so we'll see.

Step 3:
Once I had all of the materials, the background picked out and sealed on (be sure to leave room for any wires to exit at the top and to cut off the bottom so the cork doesn't sit in the water), I moved on to air flow. Obviously, this may still be an issue for me though.

I read on the OrchidBoard a thread where a guy told exactly what he used. I searched online and ended up buying the smallest computer fan I could find, a 3 to 4 pin adaptor and a molex power adaptor so I could plug the fan into a regular power socket. I think I spent a total of about $15 or $20 dollars on everything.

After putting the fan in and having it run, I noticed that the humidity would drop if I left the fan on the entire time. This was not good. I tried having the fan turn on for 15 minutes every hour then off for the rest and it seemed to help but I noticed mold slowly starting to grow. Again, not good. At this time I also started putting my wood and other pieces in and situating them the way I wanted them and then I noticed that the air flow was not as strong as before due to the wood and overall structure.

So, I upgraded the computer fan to the next size up and completely covered the top of the terrarium to limit the ways humidity could escape. The later one was not my idea, again thank you to people on the OrchidBoard for that suggestion!

Now, other than when I'm watering the orchids which I will discuss in the another step, the fan stays on 24/7. While the leaves of the orchids in there do not really move other than a few here and there, the sphag that is not secured and hanging sways in the wind. When I open up the terrarium and put my face slightly in, I can feel a good draft.

Another reason why I'm very satisfied with the air flow currently is that the water evaporates off of the flowers and leaves of the orchids in about 30 minutes with the new fan, and most of the sphag is dry by the next watering time.

In fact, it works so well and gets the plants so dry, that I am going to add another time slot for the watering unit to go on in the evening. Currently, I have it set for 3 hours in the morning.

After having the fan in for about a week now, there is no more mold growing anywhere, and the mold that was there has completely dried up and disappeared.

Paul Mc · #12 05-29-2011, 09:56 AM

Step 4:

There are a few watering systems available. There are spraying/misting systems such as the kind that Marty offers and there are drip lines. However, I have found that the Zoo Med humidity/fog machine works just great for my small set up.

The only issue I had was originally using the Zoo Med fog machine only to increase humidity and was confused why everything was so dry.

I looked into both drip lines and misting systems, but my main issue is that I do not have a true dedicated space for the terrarium so every component is visable to the eye. This is an asthetics issue for me. Most people build ontop of a cabinet and hide their components underneath or behind their terrarium.

If I were to use any of these systems then I wanted them to hide within the terrarium, but due to the small size this was not a possibility for me.

I could have done drip lines perhaps, but it appears that the fog machine works just fine as long as it runs for an extended period of time. At the moment, I do go in and spritz with a spray bottle where I believe I need to, but I am slowly stopping this practice in favor of having the fog machine run another time in the evening. However, a misting or drip line system is not totally off of the table for me as of yet. I'm still looking for system that I feel would work given my particular situation and desires as far as aesthetics.

Again, as many here have told me, it's really a matter of experimentation and observation. Time will tell you what you need to adjust, if anything.

Paul Mc · #13 05-29-2011, 10:05 AM

Step 5:

The next step was finding lighting. Now, on this one I won't be much help as I truly do not understand much about light. However, I will be able to tell you what my thoughts were as I made this.

According to Ray, you can use your various T lights for your terrarium, Compact Flourescent Lights or the newer and somewhat untested LED's.

The important things to remember when choosing your lights and where the lights will sit are: 1.) what temperatures are you trying to maintain in your terrarium and what will your orchids appreciate, 2.) how much light do you really need in relation to where your set up is (in a sunny room vs. basement), and 3.) the fact that with every foot light intensity diminishes.

As my terrarium hold mostly Intermediate temperature orchids, heat from the bulbs was an issue. I could not use the hood that Zoo Med creates for their terrariums without also adding more computer fans to it to help push the heat off of the bulbs and away from the terrarium.

As a result, I wanted the light to be up higher. I could have used a T light set-up, but they don't make them small enough and I wasn't sure how I would hang it and make it look nice. My terrarium is set up in the guest bedroom after all.

So, I opted for the Zoo Med adjustable lamp stand and went to Home Depot to buy a CFL able work light with reflector dome. I ended up buying a true 45 Watt (not a same as) CFL bulb that was somewhere within the 6500 range. Sorry, I don't remember what that number was exactly but I'm guessing it was color temperature (which has to do with the color spectrum it produces). This is where Ray can help you better than I and I strongly urge you to read over his material on lighting on his website, FirstRay.com.

Using my light meter, I found that the light may be a bit too intense for some of the orchids but I will watch, wait and see. If need be, I will cover the top of the terrarium with some sort of shade cloth.

keithrs · #14 05-29-2011, 06:25 PM

Look'n good...... Can't wait to see it fill out.

Paul Mc · #15 05-30-2011, 10:14 AM

Here's an update on the terrarium! First some pics.

This is the terrarium with it's new plantings.

Here's a front/bottom view. Note that in the water I have some semi-aquatic grasses growing.

And a top view.

Paul Mc · #16 05-30-2011, 10:20 AM

Here are the new plants, and my first bloom in the terrarium! Yeah! But I can't take credit for the bloom as it was already blooming when I got it about a month ago, lol... However, this is the second bloom on this one, so I guess I'm giving it something it likes.

Haraella retrocalla bloom.

Now, here's the new plants.
Aerangis fastuosa

Dendrobium cuthbertsonii

Haraella odorata (same as the retrocalla, but did not arrive in bloom - not even a nubbing, lol...)

And finally, Dryadella zebrina. It's the one on the very front, somewhat on top of the porroglossum that has darker green leaves.

Paul Mc · #17 05-30-2011, 10:24 AM

Another update, I have a thermometer reader in there that records the highs and the lows. In the past few days, the highest it has ever been is 78F degrees and the lowest is 66F. I have discovered that if I leave a small crack open near the fan (and I mean small so as to not lose humidity) that the temperature drops and is a bit closer to the temperature of the room during the daytime (around 72F).

Also, the Bulbophyllum sikkimense has a brand new leaf! So I guess it's happy as well. The Maxillaria and the Mediocalcar also seem to be producing some new leaves but the growth appears to be small at this time - so I'm not sure if it's new or if it's what was there during the original mounting.

The next thing I'll tell everyone about is how I made the fountain from scratch. Then really, after that, it's all about having fun putting in the final layers of substrate and medium, then on to planting.

Gin · #18 05-31-2011, 06:16 PM

Looking good ! Plants look happy

Paul Mc · #19 06-02-2011, 08:50 AM

Thanks Gin! I can't take all the credit for the plants though as they all arrived within the last 2 months in really good condition. However, I guess I can take credit for keeping them that way, lol...

Step 6:
To create the fountain, I took slabs of styrofoam and used aquarium sealant to seal them together. I then took a knife and cut out a space in the bottom for the top portion of the pump (the part that sits above my eggcrate), a place for the water line to run up the back and then a resevoir for the water to spill into with an opening for the water to pour out the front. This meant putting it in the terrarium over and over again to make sure that I had all of the cuts correct. I also left enough room around the pump to avoid the styrofoam melting should the pump get too hot. Then I cut the sloap for the water to run down and the sides to how I envisioned it. Before I started the next piece, I put the pump in to see if the water flow would work the way I envisioned. Luckily, it did on my first try.

Once that was all done came the tedious part of using the aquarium sealant to adhere each little stone onto the sides. Some people just smear the sealant on the sides and then apply their substrate that looks like soil to cover it up, but I wanted a more rock like feature somewhat resembling an old wall.

Then I moved on to creating the top piece (which is the flat slate piece you see on top. I adhered more rocks to the top piece so it would have a perfect fit everytime on the top, and the rocks rolling out over the top of it would look like it belonged as opposed to a removable piece. I made it removable just in case I ever needed to get in there to clean or anything else.

FYI: Aquarium and aquarium safe sealants have aecedic acid in it - the vinegar smell. Work with it outside and wear a gas mask if you are going to doing tedious up close work as it is corrosive and can burn your nose, throat and eyes! I learned the hard way. Should have read those directions, lol...

After it had completely cured (about 1 week before the vinegar smell had completely gone and stayed gone), I put the waterfall feature in and turned it on. I did not adhere it to the bottom again as I wanted to ensure that I could get to the pump and remove everything with ease.

To complete the water feature, I put rocks up against the eggcrate to hide it and to build a bit of a wall up above the eggcrate so the substrates would not fall in.

After testing the waterfall, it was splattering way too much, so I added more rocks to where the water fell and it helped to reduce the splatter. I also added some semi-aquatic grass from PetSmart to the side that had the most splatter to act as a guard and to make the edge of the pool more natural and less hard edged.

While building up the rocks under the waterfall, I placed a bag of charcoal for aquarium's (again, from PetSmart - those people know me by name now, lol...). The charcoal will help to reduce any toxins that build up in the water and help to keep it fresh. Again, the rocks are not sealed to anything so it will be easy to remove and replace.

Paul Mc · #20 06-02-2011, 09:12 AM

Step 7:
There are many substrates available for use. Here is where I would suggest that you should research the pros and cons of each. Currently, I am using rocks (pea gravel) on top of the eggcrate because I like the more natural appearance. On top of that is a thin layer of New Zealand Sphagum moss to help retain moisture and to hold the final top layer in place and ensure it doesn't slip down into the rocks and onto my mesh screening on the eggcrate. Then I added a natural forest bedding which you can buy at any PetSmart. I preferred this over anything else primarily because it looks like good brown dirt while it stays moist. It also helps to add humidity by retaining some water.

The one issue I am having right now that I am seeing I will have to change is that the substrate's seem to stay completely wet all the time. This is not good as it invites mold. The issue I believe is that the water in my resevoir seems to be creeping up the rocks a bit and into the sphag. I will be removing the top two layers and adding some more rocks to elevate the top two layers.

Once you have your substrate completed, it's time to start planting. Use your imagination and whatever you have on hand to mount.

Also, be sure your lights, fans, pump and fog or misting is on a timer system attached to GFCI outlet of some sort. The only thing you will need to do is monitor and make adjustments. Watch the temperature, humidity and timing of everything to ensure that your orchids will get what they need (drying time, watering, air flow, etc...)

Currently, I have a piece of plexiglass on the top over the screen portion to keep the humidity inside, but leave a very small crack for fresh air to get in and to help bring the temperature down during the daytime. The highest temperature recorded is 79 degrees which is about right, and the lowest is 64 which is fairly perfect for the diurnal range of the orchids I have put in there. Just keep your orchid requirements in mind before you put them in there.

Lastly, always use RO or distilled water in your terrarium as the chemicals in tap water can quickly build up and kill your plants. When you fertilize, be sure you don't over do it as again there is no where for the fertilizer to go and it will build up.

I think that about sums it all up!

Thanks for viewing and for reading if you were interested in the step by step process.