Hello! I am looking for tips/suggestions/warnings about my temporary terrarium set up. Just set it up today to accommodate my first masdevallia, purchased at an orchid show this afternoon.
I have many different types of orchids, and have had success with some that need higher humidity, like my chiloschista. So I decided to try my luck with a masdevallia. But I jumped the gun today and bought one before I had the proper set up.
It consists, at the moment, of an aquarium with a lid (with a small opening at the top), a basic humidifier, and a humidity/temperature meter. There is some distilled water at the bottom of the aquarium, and the humidifier, meter, and plant are resting on top of upside down pots. The aquarium sits partially in front of a southern window. Window is partially open at night to cool it down.
It seems ok for now, but I'm concerned about how to keep the temperature down during the day for the next few days. We are having a few more 23C days before the weather starts to get chilly. I read somewhere that icepacks can make a difference? The humidifier emits a cool mist, but I don't know if it's enough.
This might be a silly question, but is a normal humidifier safe inside of a very humid aquarium? The power cord is nowhere near touching the water, but is the humidity enough to cause a problem?
The humidifier is currently filled with normal tap water. Will this cause a problem with my masdevallia? It will only ever be watered with distilled or rain water.
I realize that I'm super new at this and it is only the most basic set up, so I would really appreciate any help I can get.