Orchids that do well in terrariums.

[vmax3000]

Hi Duane,
Nice listing of plants. Congratulations on the bloomers! I have all of my scaphosepalums in my greenhouse. I hadn't thought of trying them a terrarium. How much light are you providing?

[Duane McDowell]

I have a 30 gallon terrarium - so that's about three feet long and a foot wide. I use 4 100W-equivalent compact fluorescents. The tops of the leaves of the Scaphosepalums are about 7" from the bulbs. Looks like plenty of light for them, the new leaves are as wide as the old ones, and they have good color. It's only been about three months, so long-term success under these exact conditions is not proven yet. I've grown them successfully under lights in the past, though. I kept them in with Paphs and they never gave me any trouble. The one I'm really interested in finding out about is Soph. coccinea. I have it touching the plexiglass at the top of the tank, so it's less than an inch from the bulb. Six fat new growths on a four-growth plant - good color on leaf sheaths... I'll know in Jan-Feb next year!

[vmax3000]

I have a S. cernua in my greenhouse and I have seen it in a terrarium. It was an impressive specimen. The terrarium was a tall 20 gallon and the Sophronitis was fairly high up with no growth above it. How big is your coccinea? I thought they were generally larger plants. Do you have any pictures of it? Pictures of growth are good, too!

[Duane McDowell]

Vanessa, here are a couple pix of the Soph. coccinea. It's in sphagnum in clay (with the bottom hole greatly enlarged). I water it every morning and it's dry every night. So far, so good!
I mount all of my pots on wires. The bottom of the terrarium has 2" of styrofoam (covered with coir and moss).

[Hedge]

Originally Posted by vmax3000

Jim,
I don't think we compiled the list. I suppose we could and that would probably be a good idea, as the thread has so many posts, it would be a chore to read through.

Yes, but it passes the time while the football(soccer) is on

[Robert G.]

Hi,
in my 280litres poison dart frog terrarium I keep at the moment the following orchids. The ones marked with a * grow especially well.

Aerangis biloba*
Aerangis brachycarpa*
Aerangis distincta*
Aerangis mooreana*
Anoectochilus roxburghii*
Ascocentropsis pusilla
Ascocentrum pumilum
Barbosella cucullata
Bulbophyllum gracillimum
Bulbophyllum macroleum*
Bulbophyllum newportii
Bulbophyllum pectum veneris
Bulbophyllum wendlandianum
Dossinia mormorata*
Goodyera sumatrana
Haraella retrocalla (syn. odorata)
Lepanthes calodictyon*
Lepanthes telipogoniflora
Ludisia discolor var. alba*
Macodes lowii*
Macodes petola*
Ornithophora (Sigmatostalix) radicans
Phalaenopsis chibae*
Phalaenopsis lowii
Phalaenopsis minus*
Phalaenopsis parishii*
Pleurothallis grobyi*
Scaphosepalum rapax*

best regards,
Robert

[vmax3000]

Originally Posted by Hedge

Yes, but it passes the time while the football(soccer) is on

What, compiling or reading said list?!?!

[vmax3000]

Nice listing, Robert.

[tropterrarium]

Tomorrow I will upgrade from a 50 to a 100 gal custom tank (63x14x24" LxDxH). Took about four months of planning. It is a 60-85F relatively high humidity setting, with a Tek 60" 4x 80W T5 bulbs hung from ceiling. New will be an actively cooled swamp cooler, and looking into Digital Aquatics new HerpController for better control on MistKing mister, heating pads, swamp coolers, and light cycles.

I wrote an article in Orchids 77: 846-853 on my old set-up. Will do a follow up on the new one.

What has grown well is
Epidendron propax, Angraecum distichum, Cirrhopetalum sikkimense (= Bulbophyllum roxburghii???), Bulbophyllum acutebracteatum, Sophronites cernua, Haerella odorata = retrocalla, Dendrobium prenticei, Lockhartia lunifera (a bit large), Dendrobium rigidum, Specklinia = Pleurothallis tribuloides.

Platystele ortiziana is troubled soul, almost dies, then recovers, dies again (almost), recovers ... Same with Ceratocentron fessellii
Eria amica is a very slow grower, but it has flowered more than once. Have one Onchidium (don't remember name off hand) and it has flowered once.

I have killed several Masdevallias; most seem to like cooler temperatures, so check carefully on temp requirement of particular species. Also killed other more cold-intermediate species such as Dryadella zebrina, Lepanthes callodictyon, Sacphosepalum microdactylum (killed twice!).

Just bought a few new ones from SBOE and Andy's at the SB orchid fair, too early to tell.

thanks for all the other suggestions. Will be a good road map to fill the tank a bit more.

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[Duane McDowell]

Originally Posted by vmax3000

I have a S. cernua in my greenhouse and I have seen it in a terrarium. It was an impressive specimen. The terrarium was a tall 20 gallon and the Sophronitis was fairly high up with no growth above it. How big is your coccinea? I thought they were generally larger plants. Do you have any pictures of it? Pictures of growth are good, too!

Sophronitis is doing well - 1 bloom and 5 buds!