IKEA vivarium

[Larq]

Hello All,

This is my first post, my first attempt for orchid vivarium and orchid mounting. I have had orchids before but had them mostly near the window or hanging in the bathroom next to the shower.

Anyway I have been moving around the world for a couple of years and when I got back home I collected the orchids my mother took care of (that had survived) and I also found this old IKEA vase that I had bought a long time ago. I thought of making a "cheap" orchid vivarium. I wanted an automatic water system with lightning. After looking around on the net I found a small cheap usb powered waterpump on ebay and also a plant growth led lamp that costed 10 and 6 usd incl. shipping. I also bought a 200mm comp. fan for 12 usd that fits almost perfect at the top of the vase.

Now I had to find a good mounting system and I looked for a treetrunk looking branch and I got hooked for the epiweb that I ordered together with 5 orchids from Germany. Erangis mystacidii, Bulbophyllum nymphopolitanicum, Liparis rhombea, Stanhopea oculata, Dendrobium sulcatum. Only the Bulbohyllum was to big for the vase. I think that costed me 100 USD. Now I only had to open up the branch, place the water hose and water pump usb cable inside it and glue it together with aquarium silicon. I also found in my biol. lab old pipette box that I placed the water pump inside and filled with filtermaterial and active coal. Now I placed my orchids on the branch and fitted the branch inside the vase. Filled the vase with some stones to cover the ugly pipettebox and presto I had a orchid vivarium.

Bought a digital timer "cheap" but I can not get it to work correctly for the waterpump so the pump is now connected to an old analog timer that powers it every 2 hours for 15 min of rainfall during the day and in the night water every 4 hours. I am worried that they get to much water but time will tell.

I think the final cost was about 150 USD, but most of the money went to the orchids.