Suggestions for a first Terrarium

[Tabbyblack13]

I'm looking at creating a terrarium for my orchids to keep the humidity up and the cats away.

I just moved to a region that is a lot colder and just as dry as my last place. I've been keeping a seedling heat mat going under the orchids. Unfortunately my cats also like the heat mat and have been knocking my orchids off of the shelf. I have them currently potted in carousel pots with a sphagnum moss and bark mixture. There are four phalaenopsis and one cattleya.

I would like your input for my potential setup. I was looking at getting an Exo-Terra 18x18x24 tank and get a fogger/humidifier to keep the humidity up. I'm going to keep my heat mat below the tank since I have a sensor on it to turn it on automatically if the plants get to cold.

My main concern is lighting and I would like to know if there are some good lighting setups. I have two LED Vivarium lights plus several daylight florescent light bulbs. I would like to continue using the LED lights with this setup so any suggestions would be good.

[estación seca]

The Desert Valley Orchid Society has several members from northern Arizona who grow plants amazingly well. You can meet a lot of people who can help you to grow orchids here!

Our next meeting is this coming Thursday, August 20th in Scottsdale, Arizona. It will be an AOS program on the native orchids of southern Australia. During nicer weather we can convince experts to come and speak to us in person, but we have canned talks during the summer.

It is about a 1 1/2 hour drive from Prescott and about 2 1/2 hours from Flagstaff. You will probably find people to carpool to future meetings.

[Tabbyblack13]

Unfortunately I just moved to Northern Nevada and won't be able to attend any meetings.

[estación seca]

Oh! When I started typing your Location was set as northern Arizona. Good luck!

[Tabbyblack13]

That's where I came from.

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[Optimist]

I am going the first post, assuming warmth, humidity and terrarium. I created a paludarium with a heater warmed aquarium below and places for orchids above. I have had astounding growth so far from mini (very, very small) vanda types mounted on wood, good from tiny bulbophylums, decent good from dendrobiums.

All are the same lighting (low 500 to 1500 FC). all are moisture loving. So it is not random orchids thrown together, they are purchased for the tank.

I would also like to accumulate a somewhat higher light terrarium (1500 to 2000 fc). That is in the future. As far as humidity the fish tank thing works out well. I have a 75 gallon but even lower gallon tank or no fish at all and only a low amount of water would really work well.

The way that I keep my heat up is using the water, fish tank heater, and the filter to circulate the water. My water is always at about 80 degrees. I put the aquarium heater near the HOB filter and that circulates the warm water.

The orchids love it and it is a very simple system. You could do it with a tank or with some kind of pond situation as well. Even a little "fountain" in an indoor pond would circulate warm water with a fish tank heater.

I am adding I am in new Mexico right at the Texas Panhandle area a place called Llano Estacado. The "staked plains" the High Plains to the Texans. It is dry but not "death valley" dry.

[Tabbyblack13]

The humidity here is currently between 10%-20% in my house since I don't have a central AC unit here. I was able to keep the humidity up in my previous house but since I moved it hasn't been possible.

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[Tabbyblack13]

I found a 18 x 18 x 18 Exo terra tank on craigslist. So now I think I can get started.

One of my main issues is what to do with the water. I was looking at creating a false bottom with hydroton pellets. The pellets would be about 4 inches think and I would have a hole with a tube in there about 3.5 from the bottom to allow for drainage out of the tank. On top of the pellets there would be a layer of mesh and a mixture of bark, coir, and sphag moss. I really don't want to do a water feature so that's why there is the drainage. Do you think this will work?

I'll be getting a misting system for the tank. If I can swing it I will try to get the drain line to go back into the water tank for the misting system.

The heating for the tank is going to be done by my seedling heating mat that my orchids are sitting on right now.

I'm not sure what I would do for a background but I might use what came with the tank. It's not pretty but it will work, for now.

The orchids would be mounted with moss on driftwood pieces. I might add other plants like air plants for something different but I have to see how my plants behave before I do that.

That's my plan so far. Does anyone have any input on this?

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