# frogs, orchids and humidity, how much?



## fullmonti (May 10, 2013)

I have built a large paludarim for frogs & orchids.

from what I have researched/know of frog, they like little air flow & never dry out. Orchids need some airflow & many if not most don't want to be wet all the time. 

I see many viv with frogs & orchids so I know there must be a happy middle ground. I'm testing out misting, fans & lights now. What should I be aiming for???

Thanks
Jim


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## aspidites73 (Oct 2, 2012)

A bright, humid environment with good air circulation. Try Andy's Orchid site. You can search for specific types of orchids by catagories like: Temp, water, light, and size. Otherwise, just do a searche here for: terrarium orchids. The topic is discussed several times. Good Luck!


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## Urban Jungle (Oct 10, 2013)

Your substrate should be moist but not soggy. You should never be able to squeez water out of it but it shouldn't ever dry out completely. In my experience most orchids do like to dry their roots out once in a while.


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## hypostatic (Apr 25, 2011)

Dart frog and a lot of orchids like the same conditions. Both like good air flow, high humidity, and slight moisture.


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## fullmonti (May 10, 2013)

Guess the main thing I was wondering is orchids could be perfectly happy & need drying out a little between watering or misting with say 60% humidity. From what I understand about dart frogs is they may not do well with drier periods like that. 

I was asking what is the sweet spot? Enough drying for the orchids but not too dry for frogs.


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## hypostatic (Apr 25, 2011)

Both dart frogs and most orchids need a "dry out" period. Ideally, a dart frog viv should have high humidity, but not be "wet". Being constantly wet all the time can lead to skin infections in dart frogs, and it can cause orchids to rot.

The "sweet spot" would be where the viv looks relatively dry, but if you stick your hand in if feels really humid


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## fullmonti (May 10, 2013)

Think I'm pretty much there. I was concerned it was too dry for the frogs. 

Thanks


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## hypostatic (Apr 25, 2011)

I would aim for at least 70% humidity for the frogs if you have a good hygrometer to measure humidity (I think most break before long because the humidity is usually around 100% and the hygrometers can't handle that?)

For my azureus viv I basically just mist whenever I don't see any more condensation in the glass. Which for my viv could take a few days. You'll often see tanks that are always "wet", but unless you're trying to have your frogs always breeding, you don't need it that wet.

And if you're worried about the frogs being TOO dry, a shallow water dish (or some water feature) is always a nice insurance to settle your nerves.


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## dartfrogs3 (Jul 30, 2010)

Has anyone tried orchids from like Lowes or Home Depot? I have not been successful in getting them to live in the viv for very long.


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## hypostatic (Apr 25, 2011)

I would advise against those, because they are treated with pesticides and harsh chemicals that could be dangerous to frogs and mircrofauna


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