# Mini orchid advice



## S2G (Jul 5, 2016)

I suck at exotic plant design. What would you recommend orchid wise in a setup like the one linked? I know it's subjective, but I'm looking for some experienced plant design guys/gals.


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## kimcmich (Jan 17, 2016)

Greetings,

Recommended orchids for a viv setup are more about species which can handle viv conditions than about orchids for a particular choice in viviscaping.

Restrepia sp are easy to grow, bloom freely and love to hang down from a background or moss-stuffed cleft in a branch.

Stelis sp are another good choice. The small-growing species can handle moist setups and bloom very freely.

Trichosalpinx chamaelepanthes is a small-leaved, trailing orchid with spidery pink, white or yellow flowers.

If you search the forums for "good orchids for vivariums" all the recommendations should work for your new tank. The best general advice I can give is: Very few plants like their leaves to be constantly wet - orchids and ferns included. So keep than in mind when you plant and design your misting regimen.


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## S2G (Jul 5, 2016)

kimcmich said:


> Greetings,
> 
> Recommended orchids for a viv setup are more about species which can handle viv conditions than about orchids for a particular choice in viviscaping.
> 
> ...


Thanks a lot. I have several ferns. Im trying to branch out into orchids, but there's almost too much info available. 

I'm just curious on how you would place them. A few per branch, staggered around. The larger res higher in the back while stelis lower in the front or do one species scattered about. Again Very subjective but I'm interested in how others would do with a jungle gym of wood.


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## kimcmich (Jan 17, 2016)

If you can blow alot of money on orchids - get one of everything! ;-)

Otherwise, I'd start with a Restrepia or two. They are easy to keep happy and can withstand mistreatment while you figure everything out.

I'd say Restrepia higher and Stelis lower. Some Restrepia are bigger than others and need higher placement so they don't hang down to the substrate.

Generally speaking, if you do want to get into orchids you'll have to do a little more research about specific needs than some other kinds of plants. I suggest Restrepia because all of the commonly available species are easy (as far as orchids go).

FYI: Ecuagenera, an exporter of commercially grown orchids, is a great source of these plants and comes to shows in the US (from where they can ship plants to you without the need for an import permit on your part). Check their website and "shows" schedule. Their prices are quite reasonable and they offer hundreds of species that can work in moist vivs.


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## serial hobbiest (Mar 5, 2017)

kimcmich said:


> If you can blow alot of money on orchids - get one of everything! ;-)
> 
> Otherwise, I'd start with a Restrepia or two. They are easy to keep happy and can withstand mistreatment while you figure everything out.


Do you suppose Restrepia (brachypus, specifically) can handle the trampling of larger darts, like azureus? (I got excited when I checked my local source to find they have these). I would have to staple it to a foam background though, as mine is not a cork mosaic. I mist very frequently- like 5 (short) times/ day. So I have to ask if packing sphag around the roots would even be necessary in my case?


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## kimcmich (Jan 17, 2016)

@serial,

Restrepia can certainly handle dart frog traffic. And as long as their leaves are not dripping-wet all day long, they should be fine on a frequent misting schedule. Likewise, if the are getting watered 5 times a day, they won't need sphagnum around their roots. 

If you see their leaves begin to look at all shriveled they need more consistent watering. They will also bloom more freely if given a little fertilizer (assuming your frogs don't supply enough).


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## serial hobbiest (Mar 5, 2017)

kimcmich said:


> @serial,
> 
> Restrepia can certainly handle dart frog traffic. And as long as their leaves are not dripping-wet all day long, they should be fine on a frequent misting schedule. Likewise, if the are getting watered 5 times a day, they won't need sphagnum around their roots.
> 
> If you see their leaves begin to look at all shriveled they need more consistent watering. They will also bloom more freely if given a little fertilizer (assuming your frogs don't supply enough).


Thanks kimcmich,
Frog-safe fertilizer? Can you give me an example of a safe fertilizer, and how I would administer it? I suppose I could make a frog turd tea from time to time if need be...


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## kimcmich (Jan 17, 2016)

Any organic fertilizer should be safe to use when diluted to 1/4 the recommended strength. I fertilize every once in a while following one of the long mist cycles.

A healthy frog population will be dropping fertilizer all around the tank - but that doesn't mean every plant will get what it needs especially if you have epiphytes on bare substrates like wood, rock or GS/silicone. In smaller vivs, I have used a squeeze bottle (like for ketchup at a diner) and for my large viv I use a pump sprayer.

If your tank does not have a drain and you don't siphon or pump the drainage layer periodically then you have to be concerned about nutrient build-up over time in your tank (whether you fertilize or not). All the dilute fertilizer and nutrients from food will slowly buildup and can begin to sour the substrate. This can eventually harm frogs too.


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## S2G (Jul 5, 2016)

serial hobbiest said:


> Thanks kimcmich,
> Frog-safe fertilizer? Can you give me an example of a safe fertilizer, and how I would administer it? I suppose I could make a frog turd tea from time to time if need be...


Alaska fish emulsio. Pumilo had a thread on it.

Dude no...just no haha


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## serial hobbiest (Mar 5, 2017)

S2G said:


> I'm just curious on how you would place them.


I'm no artist, but since you so far have no direct answers on the gist of your inquiry, I'll share some general pointers I've picked up.

1) Avoid symmetry at all costs. My viv started out pretty dorky looking, with my two background fake rocks I made, and my two earth stars down in front, and a single central neoregelia. I posted pics under the members' viv section a year ago if you care to look at what not to do. 

2) Odd numbers only! This is rule of bonsai gardening whenever using more than one tree per pot. You'll never find bonsai potted in pairs or fours or sixes, as it tends to lend to symmetry, even if it's only illusory. The brain plays tricks on us, and even numbers tend to look organized and orderly even when they're not.

Well that's about all I got. But at the risk of sounding pretentious, my own personal opinion on multiple species and multiple plants of each species, for what it's worth, is that it might be most natural looking to group the species together as if they were naturally propagating that way, save for an oddball here & there. For example, 4 plants of species A are all generally in the left corner, but the 5th one is off to the right, just past center. Meanwhile, have 3 plants of species B on the right side, and 2 just past center on the left. This way you have a little inter-mingling between the species going on to detract from any organized look, whilst maintaining some grouping generally. 

But that's just me talking out of my rear end... I haven't even built a second viv yet, so take this with a huge salt lick.


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## S2G (Jul 5, 2016)

serial hobbiest said:


> I'm no artist, but since you so far have no direct answers on the gist of your inquiry, I'll share some general pointers I've picked up.
> 
> 1) Avoid symmetry at all costs. My viv started out pretty dorky looking, with my two background fake rocks I made, and my two earth stars down in front, and a single central neoregelia. I posted pics under the members' viv section a year ago if you care to look at what not to do.
> 
> ...


I appreciate it. Kimc actually gave me what I was looking for. Res and stelis fit the bill nicely. I usually take the nautilis shell approach when laying something out, but in this case I wanted to pick someone's brain that likes designing with orchids. 

There's plenty of threads but the list is huge with a wide variety of care parameters.


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