# Orchid help



## asturianu (Jul 23, 2005)

*Hey guys!

I'm interested in trying some orchids for a stream setup that I'm working on. Could any of you give me any advice as to a few that would work well in a terrarium?

I'm trying to do all plant species from Latin America. Any advice for plants for near the stream would also be welcome.

Thanks,

Nick*


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## littlefrog (Sep 13, 2005)

Can't go wrong with most jewel orchids. Little bulbophyllums are good too. Lots of orchids work well in vivs.


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## alifer (Oct 24, 2005)

I bought an odd little orchid called jacquiniella globosa at a local orchid auction a while back. It’s a very small Latin America orchid that actually is found in dry steam beds & on hill sides. Unfortunately the flower is very small, so it’s grown mainly for its foliage.
http://www.orchidspecies.com/jacqglobosa.htm

-Rick


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## asturianu (Jul 23, 2005)

*That one is interesting. Thank you guys! 

Would either of you be able to give me specific species that would work from Latin America?*


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## AlexD (Sep 19, 2007)

I find that Masdevallia nidifica will do well in a terrarium provided it doesn't get too warm in there. It is native to Costa Rica, and is a pretty nice little(~2 inch) plant.

Oh yeah- I also recommend Tolunmia species and hybrids. They are small, undemanding and beautiful, plus they are from Latin America/Caribbean.


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## asturianu (Jul 23, 2005)

*Thank you for the response! That is great to know! Any other suggestions? Let me know.*


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## qwertkb2d (Aug 14, 2007)

*Orchids vs. Darts*

The difficulty lying in putting orchids next to a stream involves their roots. Although orchids love humidity and wet environments, most of them need to have good air flow over the roots to prevent root rot and leaf yellowing (too many nutrients). 

Most pleurothallids like it wet as well as some restrepia, lepanthes. I generally don't recommend masdevallias, but masdevallia barleana seems to be quite hardy even in warmer temperatures and wet environments. Lusidia 'jewel orchids' (as previously recommended) is probably the best for what you are describing.

A way to plant others:

For orchids suck as pleurothallids I'll take a chunk of tree fern and set it on a surface. Take a bottle (like a water bottle) and put a chunk of sphagnum moss over the top. Then remove the plant/moss and place it over the tree fern. Tie it with floss (careful not to sever too many roots). Then set it where you want it. The slight rise above the water will help prevent rot and the tree fern will ensure some air movement around the roots. If the plant likes it dryer you can use a piece of cork instead of tree fern. Basically this is just like how the mount them typically, but instead of a vertical surface you are mounting them horizontally.

It may look unsightly at first, but give it time and your ground cover plant (if you have one) will cover it up and make it look more real so to speak.

Also remember to change your water out every few weeks with DI as the accumulated nutrients will kill orchids. Think of them as a sponge....they are used to getting periodic rain water==not a constant source, so if the nitrates or ammonia is high in the supply they will not care because they are like starving children and take in everything they can...even if it kills them.

Good luck!! They can be quite sensitive, but once you get the hang of it and get a few established you can build on your experience! Hope this wasn't too confusing for you


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## doncoyote (Apr 20, 2005)

asturianu said:


> Hey guys!
> 
> I'm interested in trying some orchids for a stream setup that I'm working on.


Depending on ava space, perhaps a phragmipedium? South American, and some species like (demand?) wet feet. I'm trying a _Phragmepedium conchiferum (caricinum x longifolium)_ next to my water feature - too early to tell how things are going...


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## qwertkb2d (Aug 14, 2007)

*How wet?*

Yes, some orchids don't mind wet feet and some even "demand" it I suppose, but there is a difference between planting an orchid above (moist) and below the waterline (waterlogged) for substrate. 

I agree that phrags are a good choice, but if you get any wet substrate above the roots where the active growing area is, the leaves will rot out. They also do get rather large, but grow very slow so buy small and you'll have a couple years before it will grow too large  Then you could pot it and put it next to a window to enjoy it in your home.

I don't mean to switch the subject, but in all honesty the best plant you could have around the river in your vivarium is probably anubias. They may not be orchids, but the grow really slow...love water...and have very stiff leaves that even a tinc could hop all over without hurting the plant. Their blooms are like miniature peace lilies.


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## housevibe7 (Sep 24, 2006)

Also, again depending on available space.... Disa uniflora grow in or along streams in the wild.


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## asturianu (Jul 23, 2005)

*Thank you for all of your responses! I can't tell you how helpful they are! 

John, your stream viv is beautiful!! What is the Anthurium that is pictured all the way on the right side? How did you mount that?

Are all of those plants from Latin America?

Do you have a construction journal for the stream? 

Also, with a stream, how often should I change the water? Does anyone have any recommendations on that?

Keep those choices coming!

Thanks,

Nick*


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## housevibe7 (Sep 24, 2006)

I have a stream in one of my vivs with a 4 inch deep pond in one end, duckweed and java fern in the pond. I NEVER have changed my water. With the constant circulation and plants, it is never a problem. I have occasionally had to drain some water of because of mistings, but other than that...


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## doncoyote (Apr 20, 2005)

Thanks - I'm glad you like my big viv - I'm partial to it m'self  .

The plants on the right (in the water) count (I think) as aroids, but not anthurium - they're spathiphyllums - aka Peace Lilies. I stuck them in the gravel of the stream so that their crowns were just even with the water level. They love the water - there are roots extending all the way to the other end of the viv- but they're big. I keep mine pruned back to 14 - 16 inches tall, but I regularly chop dowwn 18+ inch leaves. You can get miniature varieties of spath (Black Jungle had some a while back) - pro: from South America; con: not nearly as tough/stiff as an Anubias.

I think, at this point, all the plants are from South/Central Am. I just did major surgery - there were some broms and ficus taking over. If you look here you'll see the culprits - those 3 purplish broms in the center got to be almost 18 in each in diameter and the tigrinum took over the left side. I replaced them with smaller growers, 2 kinds of vining peperomia and Cissus amazonica.

No construction journal, but here are some key things I did:

Sump!

Leca - didn't try to seal the land/water divider (in fact the main drain is in the left back corner - rather I just put leca in to at least water level.

Size - it's a 90 gal, so I had a lot of room to play with.

I change maybe 2-3 gals every couple weeks (estimate total system volume = approx 12 gal) - way less that I would with an aquarium.


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## asturianu (Jul 23, 2005)

*Thank you guys for the help! 

John, I'm trying to invision how you did the stream. Did you use any specific type of background? You did a wonderful job! Could you explain a little more?

Is there any way you could post a list of the Central/South American plants that you used in the tank? I would really appreciate it.

Thanks,

Nick*


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## doncoyote (Apr 20, 2005)

asturianu said:


> Thank you guys for the help!
> 
> John, I'm trying to invision how you did the stream. Did you use any specific type of background? You did a wonderful job! Could you explain a little more?
> 
> ...


Here goes nothin'...

The background is cork embedded in Handi-foam (similar to Great Stuff, but made for wet applications and dark gray in color). The spaces between cork are covered with coco fiber on brown silicon caulk.

In front of all that, we (credit really goes to my son) arranged 3 pieced of ghost wood - leftmost piece defines the shoreline. rightmost piece provides a shelf and root-butress-y thing and the middle piece has a hole drilled in back for the "spring". The water supply comes up from the sump inside the right drain, out through the strainer and takes a 90 degree turn to horizontal to traverse the back side of the tank to the ghost wood.

Plants. In the water I have salvinia (and some azolla, but the salvinia seems to like the light levels better) and spaths. In the ground I have Pereomia puteolata, Peperomia obtusifolia and the Phrag. Vining around are Cissus, vining peperomia with round leaves (BJ) and vining peperomia with heart shaped leaves. The peps (with the one exception noted above) came as cuttings from a friend in ME. On the back wall and up on wood are a variety of small broms (my favorite came in as Devin's Delight, but I'm not sure, because when I re-ordered, the second batch was completely different), Pleurothallis quadrifica, Scaphosepalum breve and Maxillaria picta.

HTH!


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