# Ghost orchid in dart frog terarium?



## Michael Shrom (May 20, 2004)

Do you think a ghost orchid would be a good candidate for a dart frog terrarium with a water feature? The guy selling them said it would be perfect. I figure I could put it close to the water for the real high humidity they like.


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## frogparty (Dec 27, 2007)

Seems like a good fit. I don't think it needs to be right by the water feature, anywhere should be good. I hear they prefer certain types of bark, but Ive never grown one myself.


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## Tony (Oct 13, 2008)

I tried one and lost it to rot. Mine came on a cedar shingle with a pad of sphagnum under it, I ditched the cedar and moved it to cork, but I think it would have been better to get rid of the moss and mount it directly to the cork. I will probably try again soon, I need to build more vivs.


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## frogface (Feb 20, 2010)

I had one that was doing well. Ok it was lots of tiny ones tied together on a slab of wood. I took it off the wood and siliconed the pieces to a piece of umm that wood from the pet store that isn't grapewood. 

Anyway, it got a little dry, so I added a little live sphagnum moss here and there and made sure they were getting light and some air. They were growing.

Unfortunately, after several rearranges of the tank, I ended up knocking them off the wood and into the substrate, one little piece at a time. I'll be getting some more soon, to try again.


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## frogparty (Dec 27, 2007)

It is my understanding that removing them from their orginal mount is THE WORST thing to do to them. In the orchid hobby, Ive heard best results in simply attatching the current mount to a lrger one, allowing the roots to continue to grow and photosynthesize un molested. With this in mind, I would reccomend finding specimins mounted to cork.


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## fleshfrombone (Jun 15, 2008)

Why mounted to cork and not tree fern?


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## Tony (Oct 13, 2008)

frogparty said:


> It is my understanding that removing them from their orginal mount is THE WORST thing to do to them. In the orchid hobby, Ive heard best results in simply attatching the current mount to a lrger one, allowing the roots to continue to grow and photosynthesize un molested. With this in mind, I would reccomend finding specimins mounted to cork.


I can't speak for anyone else, but mine were newly mounted and had not attached to the shingle yet.


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## frogface (Feb 20, 2010)

Tony said:


> I can't speak for anyone else, but mine were newly mounted and had not attached to the shingle yet.


Same here, Tony. They were strapped on with fishing line but not attached to the wood.


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## frogparty (Dec 27, 2007)

fleshfrombone said:


> Why mounted to cork and not tree fern?


Because they apparently like a harder, even smoother surface. They lik pond apple and mango trunks quite a bit, bark smoother tha Id expected


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## Michael Shrom (May 20, 2004)

I think a lot of the ones being offered are recently deflasked and mounted. From what I read the harder woods and no sphagnum work for them. I had an opportunity to pick up some established plants locally. The problem was they were mounted on a fairly coarse wire mesh.


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## frogparty (Dec 27, 2007)

I have heard no moss as well. Id try mounting one right to some ghost wood


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## Brotherly Monkey (Jul 20, 2010)

I'm pretty sure they also have a seasonal watering requirments. Tending to stay on the dryer side in winter, with a propesnsity to rot, if this is not done


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## Spaff (Jan 8, 2011)

I kept a small "plant" (many plants tied to a small piece of grapewood with sphagnum moss underneath) alive and growing in a small fish tank with about 3 inches of water and an ultrasonic fogger set to come on for 15 minutes 2x a day. Unfortunately, I lost this plant when I went to college and had to leave it home. 

I've read that they are much easier if they aren't the newly deflasked tiny seedlings, and I've had some success with Dendrophylax funalis, a Jamaican relative. I would suggest trying to find the oldest one you can. Also, they actually need alot of light. The one I had growing was under just basic aquarium hood lights but the whole tank was in front of a large western window which received almost full sun most of the afternoon. Also, I would make sure they dry out quickly. They like high humidity but will quickly rot if they stay constantly wet.

If I were you, I'd say go for it but only if you don't have to pay an arm and a leg for a plant... keep it bright and humid and let it dry out between waterings a little.


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## RarePlantBroker (Aug 3, 2008)

I had one in my large display vivarium--and was growing well for almost 1 1/2 years--until the snails hit it this winter!!!!

I had purchased one that was fairly recently "out of the flask" and mounted. I carefully removed the mounting, and the sphagnum, and re-mounted it to a piece of pond apple wood. I attached the pond apple branch to a "tree" in the vivarium fairly close (approx. 6") from one of my 60mm "exhaust" fans. I also installed a new misting nozzle to spray the orchid directly (7x/day for 9 sec., and 1x a day at 25 sec.). The tank also uses an external ultrasonic humidifier twice a day to create fog. I dry-cycle most of my viv's in the winter--by increasing the fan speed and eliminating the long misting cycle. 

It is possible to grow them in a vivarium--just need the right setup. I'll try another one after I eradicate the snails!


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## froggymike (Jan 11, 2010)

I have had two, one died and the other is surviving but not thriving. I heard they do not like a lot of air movement but need relatively high humidity. Hopefully the second thrives in the spring.


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## Michael Shrom (May 20, 2004)

I won one on ebay today. I guess I'll hang it pretty high up in the terrarium and mist every day to every other day. I think if it has much sphagnum on the mount I'll pull the sphagnum off. Maybe I'll redo the whole thing depending on how it comes in. My guess is it will be a little wisp of next to nothing.


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## frogparty (Dec 27, 2007)

good luck to you! I would try the ghost wood mount if it were me. Its a hard, fairly smooth wood, andif mounted to it directly I think it could aequately dry between waterings. I would be STOKED to see one doing well in a viv.


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## motydesign (Feb 27, 2011)

I've got two going one of each species, and ones doing really well... Well see how the other does in a few months


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