# SURVEY: vivarium orchid successes



## Drteeth (Sep 17, 2016)

I help out at Andy's orchids and have been learning about the orchid species that would do best in planted frog tanks: 70-80 (intermediate/warm), not much air movement, lower light levels, and small.

They said the plants on the site listed in the "vivarium" category.should do well, but they don't really get any feedback about which ones are actually succeeding. Since everything is in greenhouses there, it's a bit different than a frog tank. 

Would anyone with longterm successes and/or failures please share which species do well and a quick description of the growth: near the lights, very wet feet, blooms frequently, grows well but never blooms, stays compact, etc.

Any information will be really helpful for sharing with orchid growers and suppliers to help frog keepers have an easier time knowing which plants could really be nice additions to a tank. 

I can start with some that do really well:

Scaphosepalum rapax
Scaphosepalum ovulare
Haraella odorata
Pleurothallis rubella

These are all miniature and constantly in bloom under LED lights with daily spraying and little air movement. 

Thanks for any input! I've read many of the threads on here to get ideas for what to grow.


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## erik s (Apr 12, 2010)

Lepanthes calodictyon 
Lepanthes tentaculata 
Pleurothallis grobyi /Belize/Ecuador
All of above are kept fairly wet...near the top... 
Restrepia amgushcabia...kept wet but allowed to dry out periodically. ..
Scaphosepalum cristatum...wet..dry..near top
Zootrophion sp. Got a couple. ..same as above...
Got more...but this is a good start for you....


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## Dendrobait (May 29, 2005)

Restrepia sp. in general are a big favorite of mine. I got one from Andy's that I have divided and given away to folks. 

I killed Dinema polybulbon in one tank. It is successful in a tank that has ventilation.

Zootrophion do well in my experience.

I had luck with Dracula mopsus(and also Dracula cordobae). mopsus is not very showy unless mounted high up on a thin branch so you can watch the flowers look at you. 

Trichosalpinx chamealepanthes doubles as a cool dangler...


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## Auri (Jan 7, 2016)

Mine are kept in a viv with good passive ventilation but no fans. Generally 66-72 degrees in the winter, 70-74 degrees in the summer. Humidity varies from about 70-90%, and the plants are watered by daily hand misting. Light is a pair of Josh's Frogs LED grow lights.

I ordered the following orchids from Andy's in February:

Leptotes bicolor
Masdevallia amplexa
Cirrhopetalum tingabarinum
Plurothallis alleni
Stelis sp (Mex. sm. green)

All have put on new growth since then. Everything but the Cirrhopetalum has bloomed. That one dropped a few leaves in the beginning and looked a bit sad, then it had a mini growth spurt and put on a few more leaves. I was just starting to worry about it again recently because it's done nothing in months, but last week it put out two new leaves. Still, I would say it has clearly struggled the most. The other four look great. All 5 plants are mounted either on a log or on the background with some sphagnum.

A couple of others that have done well (not purchased from Andy's):

Paphiopedilum maudiae x, this one's planted directly in the substrate. It's been in there probably about a year now, and is currently blooming again.

Howeara Lava Burst Pacific Sunrise, branch mounted, probably been in the viv close to 18 months. It's about to bloom for the 3rd time now, and a division off of this plant is blooming in another viv under similar conditions.


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## roundfrog (Jan 27, 2016)

I agree with trichosalpinx chamaelenpanthes (whoof, thats a hard one) , although my specimen is a very very very very very very very slow grower. I've had it for about 3 months. It had 4 leaves when I got it, and it still does. How long do these take to grow? It is a really cool plant though, with it's leaves with veins.


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## Drteeth (Sep 17, 2016)

Great replies!

I thought of some ones that definitely didn't work out as well:

Aerangis hyaloides
Porroglossum takachii

Both stayed alive but had troubles flowering. The Aerangis needs more airflow and can't have it's roots toot wet or they start to root. I had another Aerangis species I put in my vivarium and the leaves fell off within 2 days and it rotted.

The Porroglossum has nice leaves and sent out lots of buds, but they always burn off. It likes cooler temps, so I think it's just too warm in the vivarium.


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## Pubfiction (Feb 3, 2013)

It is worth mentioning if you have AC and keep your home temps fairly consistent or if your home is allowed to get hot or cold. I think this variation is one of the least mentioned issues that affects success and blooming. 

Ooceoclades maculata grows fine for me right in ABG in a low ventilation vivarium, but it never blooms.
I do have AC and my house stays a consistent temperature though.


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## Ian Hiler (Apr 9, 2009)

One of my favorites is the genus Kefersteini, a clumping small epiphyte that is very tolerant of conditions, including humidity, air circulation, and light. The three types I and my friends work with seem to do well in a variety of enclosures. The best thing about this plants is they are in bud or in bloom year around with nice sized flower from the base, some times as many as five or more flowers at once. I have attached an not so good image of one of the more colorful flowers.


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## Okapi (Oct 12, 2007)

I second D. Polybulbon doing well in vivariums. I've had it flower sporadically under a CFL bulb near the top of a vivarium by the one inch screen vent. I don't know if the passive ventilation is required or not, because the one I grew in a sealed vivarium with no air movement was overgrown by other plants and died. 

Pleurothallis grobyi did well lower in the tank. Too much light made its leaves turn red and drop off. But it did not seem to need as much air movement. This orchid never flowered for me.


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