I have had my orchids in the terraria for a month or so now and they have all survived. One of my L. telipogoniflora and my L. tsubotae were blooming when they arrived but immediately stopped once they came into my care. For the past 3 nights I put the glass orb with these plants sealed in a plastic grocery bag (to keep out pests like spider mites) on the porch during the cool overnight hours to achieve a substantial temperature drop and temp variation and after just 3 days they have suddenly started budding and one of the L. telipogoniflora is putting on new growth as well.
A couple months into it and all the plants are still doing well. My light levels, temperature, humidity and water quality must be nearly ideal. I have read that distilled water (water completely devoid of minerals) might actually not be the best for orchids so I have started mixing a bit of either Fiji water or Icelandic brand water with my distilled to add a bit of minerals while keeping the total dissolved solids low. I am also mixing regular (the kind you can buy at any big box store) in every other gallon of water at 1/4 strength.
I just ordered 5 new species for the terrariums. Taeniophyllum biochellatum on a twig from Java, Microcoelia gilpinae, Chroniochilus minimus, Neocogniauxia monophylla(!) and Pelatantheria scolopendrifolia. Orchids are so addictive.
My Lepanthes tsubotae isn't looking good in the last couple weeks. I have read that this species does well right along side Lepanthes telipogoniflora (my L. telipogoniflora are doing extremely well) but I still had a feeling L. tsubotae was going to give me trouble. I just misted it before I took the photo, but the leaves do dry out a few hours after I mist it. Does anybody want to take a shot at what might be wrong?
Well here they are: Neocogniauxia monophylla, Microcoelia gilpinae and Chroniochilus minimum. So is N. monophylla a pleurothallid? I saw it mentioned in an earlier thread that it is.
So far my N. monophylla is doing well kept between 70F and 75F. The Lepanthes tsubotae finally died, but all the others are doing well. I think the Schoenorchis scolopendria would like more heat.