73 gallon Orchidarium Help and advice welcome

[Nievesgirl]

Hi everyone , New here. I was lurking and thought I should join. I see so many nice Vivariums and need some help. ( I never made one before)

I been bitten by the orchid bug ( like I needed this to happen when I have over 200 Hibiscus cultivars ) lol. Originally I was trying to sell my tank but decided to make orchidarium. My comcerns are with the species of orchids I like. I researched which orchids do well in a vivarium but IMO most are ugly or boring. I love Dendrobiums and find them very colorful compared to recommended vivarium orchids.

Last night I was sketching out some plans for this project just not sure what to do. Anyways here is the tank.

34.5 L X 20.5 W X 24 H

[eldalote2]

Nice tank to start with! I am just now starting a miniature orchidarium so I wish you the best of luck! I think the main things are lighting and air movement.

[WeeNe858]

I have a mini tank for orchids and froglets and the set up is nearly identical between hobbies. I suggest a full cork background to allow for mounting and some manzanita branches to double the mountable surface. A layer of leca or a false bottom for drainage, topped off with some ABG mix and leaf litter. Pick up a mist king for watering and some T5HO or LED light set up and you are set!

I suggested the the floor covering for a more natural look. You can of course opt it out but it would look like a glass house/ orchidarium. And as soon as your orchids are all settled in and happy, you can pick up a pair of your favorite dart frog and add them to the mix.

What equipment do you have now? Are there any specific questions you have?

[Nievesgirl]

Thanks eldalote2 and WeeNe858

WeeNe858, so far I just have tank & I have t5 lights that I use for my hibiscus. I can use one and I have another fixture that came with the tank when I bought it off CL.I want it too look natural but not sure what to do. My concern is placement of plants. If I made background out of foam and mounted orchids, I would not be able to take them off easily with out ruining the back ground?

I would also like a water feature. The frogs is a maybe also I actually was looking into dart frogs months ago before I was bitten by orchid bug lol.
I see your in socal as well. I just went to an orchid show at the Huntington library

[Okapi]

Ecoweb or coir mat for the background to mount orchids to. Alternatively, you could do a cork bark and sphagnum mosaic. Branches and driftwood to add more mounting spots. A false bottom or leca layer for drainage, topped with leaf litter, fir bark, or coir chunks to keep the humidity up. Internal fan for air movement, and an external fogger with a tube to add fresh, humid air to the tank a couple times a day. To keep pests like snails from forming a breeding population, I would recommend quarantining or CO2 bombing all orchids before they are added to the display. A misting system would be good too, as long as you have a way to remove excess standing water from the tank via a drain or a pond/ section of vertical pvc pipe that you can fit a turkey baster into. Plus with a misting system, be sure to give the orchids enough time for the water to evaporate off their leaves before the lights go out.

[Okapi]

Links that may be helpful to you:

Pleurothallid focused terrarium - Orchid Board - Most Complete Orchid Forum on the web !
Oxyglossum wall on epiweb - completed - Orchid Board - Most Complete Orchid Forum on the web !
Orchid Heavy Vivarium - The Peninsula - Orchid Board - Most Complete Orchid Forum on the web !
Orchidarium - a set on Flickr
my home made ceramic orchid 'wall' - Orchid Forum by The Orchid Source
greenfreak.net » Blog Archive » Grand Cayman Orchidarium
S*Maine Orchid
New Terrarium Idea
125 Gallon Vertical Build Log w/Pics - Page 5 - Vivarium Forums
The cracked cork mosaic/living drip wall/pond method...How to

[stkupprnces]

I've recently been bitten by the orchid bug too. I'm Thinking about doing an eggcrate/sphagnum background. The idea is to have the layer of sphagnum sandwiched in between the eggcrate.

I haven't decided on the thickness yet but hopefully thick enough to mount orchids. Possibly tie a few branches with fishing line to the eggcrate as well. Does anyone forsee any issues with this type of set up for orchids? Thanks, Alex

[Nievesgirl]

Originally Posted by stkupprnces

I've recently been bitten by the orchid bug too. I'm Thinking about doing an eggcrate/sphagnum background. The idea is to have the layer of sphagnum sandwiched in between the eggcrate.

I haven't decided on the thickness yet but hopefully thick enough to mount orchids. Possibly tie a few branches with fishing line to the eggcrate as well. Does anyone forsee any issues with this type of set up for orchids? Thanks, Alex

Stkupprnces I was thinking about doing the same with eggcrate/sphagnum. It would be easy to move orchids around if needed. worst case scenario I can have them mounted on wood and find what spot they like best before permanently mounting them on eggcrate. I looked at the eco web Okapi suggested this looks do able as well. I wanted to get real elaborate and use dow foam and carve branches. ( still deciding). Right now I am cutting down my long list of plants and researching their needs atm.

[frogparty]

With exceptions, most dendrobiums will
1)get far too large for that tank. The most spectacular can have canes multiple feet long, and an inflorescence equally as long. There are minis, but these are not the most stunning
2) with the exception of the species in the Dendrobium limpidum complex,and some other of the new guinea types, dendrobiums prefer high high light, high temps and thorough drying between waterings, something no always easily done in a Viv environment. I'm not saying you can't find suitable species, bit you will definitely have to do a little researchto find suitable specimins

[frogparty]

Look for Dendrobium atroviolaceum and oligophyllum for really cool species, and check andys orchids for miniatures with great care instructions