Orchid Terrarium (especially flooring) suggestions?

[Stripeyiscool]

I recently got a couple terrariums for free off Craigslist. The first one I want to set up is what I think is around a 55 gal tank. it is one of the lengthy ones. I have a plan of putting is branches which I could mount bromeliads and mini orchids on. I have seen people put gravel, dirt, a mix of those, moss, etc. I sort of like the moss or the dirt ones except Im not exactly sure if I should be able to plant plants directly into the dirt or media that would be flooring. But then it would get to moist? Im really kind of lost with this. Anyone done this before and can give some suggestions or maybe even some pics? (Also posting this on the orchid forums)

Thanks!

[estación seca]

I bet you wind up with a really spectacular terrarium. It sounds like you need to do a lot of reading first, though. You need a lot of basic information. This board has a forum devoted to

terrarium orchid growing

where you can learn an enormous amount.

[Anastasia Beverhausen]

Were you going to plant the bottom of the tank as well? If you were going to plan on planting orchids on the bottom, dirt would be a no go. I've used orchid bark, hydroton, or pea-gravel in some smaller tanks before, but nothing the length of 55 gallons. If you were not going to plant orchids on the bottom, then I think you could use some very airy potting mixes like those for African violets and amend with perlite. I think I saw some smaller terrariums that had this mix at the bottom and we're planted with tropical plants (non epiphytes) but had the orchids mounted on wood. Just some suggestions

[Ray]

FWIW, I've had success with the #8 "Precision" Orchiata Bark as a terrarium substrate. It's billed as being 1/8"-1/4" size, and I've had terrestrial orchids and bromeliads do well in it.

[PaphMadMan]

You need to have a drainage hole in the bottom or always be careful with watering no matter what you decide or you will end up with stagnant standing water sooner or later. With drainage all options are open.

[Ray]

True enough!

My most recent endeavor had a "standpipe" to create about a one-inch later if standing water, filled in with PrimeAgra. I topped that with sphagnum, and that with the fine Orchiata.

The LECA wicked water up to the moss and bark, so it stayed loose and uncompressed. Water was trickled down a sheet of cork bark for mounted plants and misted onto others.

[Tindomul]

I use light diffusers and short pvc pipes to prop up the diffusers to desired height. The diffuses' purpose is to lift the bottom of the tank and hold substrate above any accumulating water. This is called a false bottom. That way your substrate will never be soggy. You will need someway to get rid of excess water. You can incorporate a pump that goes on every so often to pump out the water, or you can drill a hole at the side near the bottom of your tank so that is spills out of the tank when it gets to high. Or drill the bottom so you can drain and never hold excess water. Or you can make water feature so you can manually go in and suction water out when you see that there is too much of it. That last option requires to most amount of work. Even if you don't plant the bottom of the tank, you will need to get rid of excess water somehow because you will be watering your plants and that water ends up somewhere.

This link shows a false bottom
Amphibian Care >> Constructing a False Bottom

[Optimist]

I put an under gravel filter under my bed of strata (just rocks) to create a kind of humidity tray in the terrarium. One thing in common with most of the terrarium plants I get is that they are moisture loving and want a humid environment. I do not plant any thing directly into the strata though. I am moving in about 2 years and know I will need to dissassemble the terrariums before I can move them, so I do not want to risk it.