Poor mans terrarium.

[Greendream]

Hi,So im taking the plunge 1st time orchid keeper with $200 dollars worth of orchids on the way.

All mounted on tree fern fiber.(attaching them to egg crate)
Bulbophyllum lasiochilum Thailand
Bulbophyllum tortum New Guinea
Bulbophyllum roxburghii India
Bulbophyllum baileyii Australia
Bulbophyllum Fascination hybrid
Bulbophyllum vaginatum Philippines

Question is will they grow?

Set up
Fan : 15W
Light : 2 36W GRO T8 "If you can comfortably read a newspaper without squinting or straining to see then you have the right light." ?
Capacity: 75 Litres
Dimensions: 51W x 34D x 54H (cm) (5mm glass)
Aquarium heater.

[Bud]

Dude, by owning a terrarium ... you cant be poor. You must have the money to buy the contraptions and have the money to sustain its upkeep.
Thats why I cant start my own terrarium even if I inherited two 55 gallon empty fishtanks.
But you have a great set up there.

[Greendream]

i had all that stuff at home, do you think the lights will be strong enough?

[Bud]

You have a variety of Bulbos coming from different parts of the world.
It is hard to provide any specific recommendations since Bulbophyllum orchids are found in such a myriad of different environments. Here is a tip: If you are unable to find species specific guidelines you can assume that the wider the leaves are, the less light demanding will the plant be.

[Greendream]

The guy said they need strong light,Whats strong light in terms of lighting?

[Paul Mc]

Variant. I give mine a lot, though I also water them a lot. As in bright window. But they haven't bloomed either so hopefully an expert will chime in.

[Greendream]

Is there any bulbo experts out there?

[Connie Star]

Welcome to OB!
You've started like I did, by jumping right in. I started with 2, a phal and a den, 3 years ago, and now I have about 80 of various genera. It's so much fun. Most of what I know I've learned from OB.

[PaphMadMan]

I would be a little concerned about the light levels for the higher light species. With a set-up like this the light intensity drops off very quickly, especially if not directly under the light. Probably bright enough high in the center of the terrarium, but much dimmer along the front and back.

A couple other things to think about. With the lid propped up on a fan of that size you will get very little humidity benefit from using the terrarium, and unless your room temperature will often fall below 65F I doubt the heater is needed even for these warm growing species. Lights can add a lot of heat to even a partially enclosed system. You definitly want to monitor both humidity and temperature to see if they are where you want them. With what you have invested in plants you'll want to make sure the conditions are right, not just hope.

But most mature orchids (and for what you are paying I hope none of these are seedlings) are tough damn plants that will tolerate a wide range of conditions for a while, especially low light. You should have plenty of time to adjust things if it proves necessary.

[Greendream]

Originally Posted by PaphMadMan

I would be a little concerned about the light levels for the higher light species. With a set-up like this the light intensity drops off very quickly, especially if not directly under the light. Probably bright enough high in the center of the terrarium, but much dimmer along the front and back.

A couple other things to think about. With the lid propped up on a fan of that size you will get very little humidity benefit from using the terrarium, and unless your room temperature will often fall below 65F I doubt the heater is needed even for these warm growing species. Lights can add a lot of heat to even a partially enclosed system. You definitly want to monitor both humidity and temperature to see if they are where you want them. With what you have invested in plants you'll want to make sure the conditions are right, not just hope.

But most mature orchids (and for what you are paying I hope none of these are seedlings) are tough damn plants that will tolerate a wide range of conditions for a while, especially low light. You should have plenty of time to adjust things if it proves necessary.

Hi I added some branches directly under the light to attach them too. Have the heater on set too 31c as they will be going into a snake enclosure that requires that temp. Yep mature plants only, hope they all fit.