Myrmecophila crisis! Emergency de-flesk advice!
 

Hello all.
My first post, so a little background detail.
I will admit straight up front that I am a newbie to orchid collecting and care, but, having been smitten, am now obsessed with the little devils :drool:
Thus, jumping in the deep end, I have been buying them left- right-and-center to the extent that I (perhaps foolishly) decided on some exotics from Costa Rica.
I won't bore you with the sordidly dull details of my introduction to the world of quarantine seizures and battles with (Australian) bureaucracy for their release; however having successfully acquired my flasks and survived the arrogance of bureacracy, I now find that the very two orchids I longed for are looking very sick indeed.
I was going to deal with the de-flasking down the track when I had read up more on the topic and felt confident on approaching the episode, however, my hand has been forced.
Can anybody please advise how I might deflask the sick orchids in a way that may allow them to survive?
One of the myrm's has a translucent glossy green look to it; the other a few bedraggled leaves, but appearing worse for wear.
Any help advice greatly appreciated.
Thanks!

Hi Kb,

I'm not sure I understand what happened. The flasks were damaged when they arrived? Are they contaminated? Jumbled?
Also are you saying there is only 1 plant in each flask?
How big are the plants in each flask, and do they appear to still have their roots intact?

Is it a plastic flask or a glass flask that will require breaking to get open?
Please give details so we can help properly. I wouldn't want to give you advice that will harm the seedlings.

Seedlings in a flask have been treated to 100% RH, probably moderate light and a nice steady supply of nutrition.

The biggest shock to them upon unflasking is dehydration - and that's a matter of humidity more than watering.

I find that potting them up in a moist but airy medium (loose sphagnum) with a minor amount of fertilizer in the water used to wet it, is a big plus, but then they MUST be kept in saturated air, at least initially. That's what plastic bags were invented for!

Keep the bag sealed and away from direct sunlight (or it becomes a broiler bag) for a few weeks until the plant rebound. Then open the bag for an hour a day for a week, two for a week, then at night for a week, and the little suckers are ready for release into the "general population".

Hi again.
Thanks pr the prompt response - wasn't expecting it so fast!
7 flasks, each with one seedling.
They are the following orchids:
1 x Myrm tibicinis
1 x Stan wardii
1 x Stan gibosa
1 x Onc cariniferum
1 x Enc cordigera
1 x Epi eburneum
and 1 x (what I think is Catt dowiana.
Some have been dislodged from the gel; all have roots.
The flasks are glass with screw caps with a glue-type seal on the threads.
Each seedling is approx. .5 to 1.5 inches tall.
For the really sick looking myrm I opened the cap - perhaps foolishly.
Thanks.

Thanks Ray!
So I should deflask all now and follow your instructions or only the sick ones?
The instructions that the shop supplied is to let them grow inside the flasks until touching the cap(flasks are about 3" long) then transfer to sphag.

Hey again :)

As long as the flask and plant is in good condition in the flask. (roots touching gel) etc then I'd say follow the sellers instructions. For the ones that were damaged I'd probably get them out quick. I'd put them in sprag like Ray suggested above.
Without seeing them I can't really tell you if they will survive but theres always a chance.
I really hope they do! I wish you much luck!

Sounds to me like they're too small to move out of flask, but as DJ said, there are a couple of situations in which it's almost a necessity, even though it's really risky.

If you do, they will need to stay in the max-RH environment a lot longer than I originally recommended.

Thanks again.
I will take some pics and post them . . . .
Hopefully they will tell the story better . . . (dashes off to find the bag of sphag . . .)
;-)

Here are the images of the flasks - the two Myrms are labelled.
Any furtehr suggestions greatly appreciated before i bite the bullet and de-flask.
Thanks!

. .. sorry.
Labelling didn't come through.
The Myrms are the last two images.
Thanks.
Keir