Orchid heavy ExoTerra

[Trollsvans]

ExoTerra 30x30x45 cm (12x12x18") with Epiweb drip wall on back side and one half side, plus a bunch of DIY Epiweb roots and lianas/branches.

Current inhabitants are:
Bulbophyllum fascinator, taiwanense and frostii
Epidendrum porpax
Masdevallia norae x2
Schoenorchis seidenfadenii x2
Platystele misera
Pleurothallis niveoglobula
Various stowaway ferns and (possible) gesneriads from the moss mix (and mosses, of course).
Larry the Giraffe

The setup is rather straightforward: epiweb covered in moss mix, covered in orchids. A mini-fan is running daytime and intermittently nighttime, the waterfall runs for two minutes four times a day.
I'll be adding another mini-fan soon, just because I found a spare at home. I'm thinking along the lines of "one on, one off" and "redundancy in case of breakdown".
Humidity is usually 70-100%.
Lighting is 2x23W compact flourescents in ExoTerras standard topside mounts.

The tank started in late February, and got the M. norae and P. niveoglobula in mid march (or rather, half the Masdie and a third of the Pleuro, the plants were rather big, and the tank very much isn't), so they're more established than the rest, and growing well. The Pleuro has been flowering since just after I put it in, and seems to continue to do so for a while.


Unfortunately, the tank looks rather unbalanced at this time: most of the plants are orchids (while I don't mind this, there are so many other interesting plants to have), and they're mostly located in the lower half of the tank.
Anyone has tips on plants that'd do well in the upper half (say, on the liana "shelf" to the left, for example), I'm mercifully accepting them.
Orchid or muggle plants (non-orchids, that is) doesn't really matter, but blooming or handsome foliage is preferred over plain evergreens.
I'm open to suggestions regarding plants (again, any type) that might like the more shady areas as well, because if there's space, it means I've got too few plants.
I'm hoping for plants that are rather easily aquired, and, considering the tank size, not too fast growing.

[rbarata]

With those humidity levels, you could try carnivorous plants (Droseras, Nephentes, Bromeliaceae, Dionaea, etc).

Look here for more info.

[Andre]

You could plant the bottom with jewel orchids such as ludisia. I have an exoterra extra large tall forget the dimensions, but the biggest one they make. Can't tell if you re using two lamp fixtures or just one. I have a LED flood light over an area of
screen penetrates the canopy to the floor gies off little heat... I also have a Madagascar day gecko in the terrarium that gives a lot of colour.


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[Trollsvans]

Jewels might work, although Ludisia is way too big to fit well. Are the others smaller? I did try Macodes petola way back when I had day geckos, but with 820 litres (216 US gal, 181 UK gal), nearly everything seems smallish...
I've got two light fixtures, ExoTerra's smallest single-bulb ones.
I found a (sort of) local supplier of gesneriads, looking for some micro-mini Sinningia, but she seems to be a bit slow to reply, I fear she's closed down.
I'll look into the carnivores, they're easily obtainable as well as attractive.

[Pattywack]

Beautiful tank! Really natural looking. I would suggest for your lower level of the tank maybe a Masdevallia erinacea, they are very small, almost grassy looking with the coolest blooms. Another for the bottom area the Lepanthopsis astrophora, my favorite mini. Mine is always blooming.

The upper shelf would be good for Epidendrum longirepens maybe? Or a mini Tolumnia. I have a Pleurothallis luctuosa that would be so cool on that shelf and mine gets pretty high light. It grows very well for me.

Hope you fill it up with some nice ones, it really looks great as is.

[Trollsvans]

Thanks!
I've got L. astrophora on the list of stuff to get, adding P. luctuosa, saw that both are available from Wubben.... along with a host of things I'd want to try (a few Barbosella, Restrepia and Aerangis punctata).
This is probably going to be really expensive in the long run... oh wait, ex-coral-grower; used to costly stuff

[Pattywack]

Youre most welcome! Another one that may do well on the upper shelf is Leptotes bicolor. I have recently purchased a small one and mounted it. Mine is grown in a window so not the humidity of a terrarium but I believe they do well with humidity and strong light. Really awesome blooms.

I find TOMMYMIAMI'S plants as my inspiration. He can grow and bloom anything!

[Trollsvans]

Ah, that one, yes. I've always had a view of it as larger, but it'd probably do well there, especially if I can convince it to go pendant; then I might fit something smallish and fan-growing on top, some small Tolumnia or a Psygmorchis.
This will end up being one h*ll of a mixed box of chocolates...

[RandomGemini]

Leptotes bicolor gets too large for this terrarium. Way too large. Mine is currently sitting in a 4 inch pot. At mature size, the leaves on the Leptotes get to be between 4 and 5 inches long. They do bloom when smaller, but long term, probably not a good choice for a terrarium this tiny. You want to stick to micro miniatures in here I think. You'll get the most mileage out of them.

I would not put the masdie or the lepanthopsis near the bottom in this terrarium, they won't get enough light there. I have mine placed in the mid-range in my terrarium (the same one as the original poster's, actually) at approximately the same height, but I have the masdevallia positioned so it is slightly off to one side of the light bulb and they do well there.

The masdevallia erinacea can be tough to come by and is difficult to acclimate. So if you decide to try it, be aware that it might drop all of its leaves on you if you try to acclimate it to your conditions too quickly. Nothing with orchids happens fast, so when you acclimate it, take several weeks and read Tommy's thread on these plants several times. They can be kind of touchy.

I'd recommend you look at other non-orchid plants for the bottom of your terrarium, but the things I would suggest, have to be regularly pruned which is why I chose not to try them in mine. I went with a layer of sphagnum moss instead and I am considering tracking down some of the live stuff, so I can just plant it in the bottom of my terrarium and see if it will grow. It will give a grass like covering and I could just pull the stuff out in clumps and use it for medium when I remount my plants... but that idea could be a tad far fetched.

[Amyzes]

psygmorchis do well with high light and humidity so that would be a good one for high in your terrarium
Also lepanthes caprimugulus likes more light than most lepanthes and is very small. It could go about as high as you have your schoenorchis I think


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