# lumens for a Masdavilla



## johnnymo (Jul 20, 2007)

i have ten vert in progress and i would really like a masdavilla nidifica and imposter. I wanted to attach them to a a piece of driftwood low to the ground. The light i am planning to use is a 30 watt CF from lights of america, Puts of 2000 lumens. Is that enough lumens for the spot that i chose for them? Will they have to be higher up in the viv?


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## Guest (Feb 21, 2008)

They will require more lighting if these species have thick leaves.


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## Toad and Bun (Feb 11, 2008)

Its difficult to say, but you can try to move them if they don't seem to like it. IME masdevallias are pretty hardy, but some are a bit "flimsy" and most like relatively cool environments. I'm not sure about yours...

Sorry if its a bit vague, but generally you can tell by looking at the leaves (changing color, new growth, blooming, etc.) if they like it or not. Typically dark green means it wants more light.

Give em a try, they'll probably do just fine! Keep us posted, too!

MF


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## JWerner (Feb 17, 2004)

Masdevallias are my favorite Genus group, but most I ahve not had luck with in the terrarium. They (most) don't require a lot of light, but many seem to need good air movement. Also, make sure their leaves etc are dry by the time your lights turn off. Leaf drop may occur. I no longer place them in the terrarium and leave them in the greenhouse. Large - 100 gal + may yield better results. Stelis though - I have had good results with in terrarium -


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## Guest (Mar 3, 2008)

I have the same experience. The only species out 6 that has done okish in a terrarium setting is _M. floribunda_. Otherwise the only times they have done well, as in no leaf drop well, are planted in sphagnum moss in a pot left outside the tank.

I've tried _M. barleana, M. tovarensis, M. floribunda,_ _M. rolfiana _x 2, _M. lamprolita_, & _M. princeps._ Only the last two are still doing very well, while _M. floribunda_ is hanging on in the terrarium setting.


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## Toad and Bun (Feb 11, 2008)

I agree with JWerner, the air movement is probably the biggest "issue" related to keeping most orchids in vivaria, esp. non-epiphytic types and in enclosures with extremely high humidity. It's too bad there isn't a good way (that isn't unsightly) to ventilate smaller (i.e. less than ~100 gallon) enclosures well. I'm going to try my luck with a variety of orchids in my viv tho. 

I think it would be good to get a compiled list of orchids that were and were not kept with success in vivs with emphasis on what they thought did or did not work. I recently found a similar thread at the orchidboard that is pretty interesting: http://www.orchidboard.com/community/ar ... /f-28.html

Also, getting back to Johnnymo's original question about lumens... If your lights really put our 2000 lumens (which seems a bit high, but maybe right by the bulb...) I think that would be sufficient to keep most masdevallia's. With that much light you can grow them anywhere.

FWIW, Masd. strobeli (spelling?) is one of the easiest, orchids to keep in the house they bloom constantly and smell nice if you get right up to em. It's one of my all-time favorites, even though it's a bit understated. Its difficult to find orchids that like to grow in Iowan homes. They temperature and humidity is very unstable.

Hope that helps!

Matt


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## Guest (Mar 3, 2008)

It looks like a worthy Masdie to me. Thanks for the suggestion!
http://www.orchidspecies.com/masstrobelii.htm


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## Corpus Callosum (Apr 7, 2007)

M. nidifica doing just fine in my 30gallon


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## johnnymo (Jul 20, 2007)

hmm,I forgot about air movement. I doubt my vert allows good air movement. I might just hold off on the orchids =/.


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## Toad and Bun (Feb 11, 2008)

No problem Khamul1of9! They smell like fruit (tangerines?) if you stick your nose close.

Johnnymo! Don't give up yet! I'm gonna put some in my tank, but Ithink we'll just have to watch the plants and make sure we aren't overwatering. Stagnant water on the roots is the major problem with lack of airflow (from what I understand...) and you can probably work around this by controlled misting and watering. Look at corpus callosum's masd., it looks great and ours will too!

Corpus, what is the lowdown on your setup and "moisture-regime"?

Matt


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## Corpus Callosum (Apr 7, 2007)

Matt, it's a simple setup. The orchid itself is just mounted on to some tree fern with sphagnum at it's base, I don't have automated misting so I hand mist whenever the sphagnum gets dry which is usually every 3 days or so. Then I have a fan that recirculates air within the viv that turns on for a few minutes each day. But even before I added the airflow the orchid was doing fine, since I only mist twice a week rather than daily like some other tanks which may be too wet.


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## Toad and Bun (Feb 11, 2008)

That's what I thought you would say... From the sounds of it a lot of people go WAY overboard on spraying and in fact the frogs are fine without it an the humidity is still awful high... This has been the bane of orchid keepers.


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## Bob S (Mar 5, 2008)

Corpus Callosum said:


> M. nidifica doing just fine in my 30gallon


Are u getting any blooms out of your plant?


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## Corpus Callosum (Apr 7, 2007)

Not yet, I've only had it for two months or so. About half of the leaves are new growth from when it was with me, so it's growing well. It's under 18/6, I haven't dropped the photoperiod to 12/12 yet.


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## jbeetle (Feb 8, 2004)

I use to have M. nidifica in an old tank where it did rather well, even flowering from time to time. I don't have any in a tank currently, but I am growing it outside of a tank and it flowers all the time. I would highly recommend this species as it seems to be a pretty tough Masdevallia.


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## stchupa (Apr 25, 2006)

I've had great luck w/sp. pygmea and erinacea in the vivs I've tried them in. They seem to do fine w/ low-er ventilation and can sway through a bit warmer temps (prefers cooler), and can withstand constant root moisture. Almost continual blooming. Been wanting to do a tank w/ mostly just one type of masde taking over the whole thing and some mosses, but to sacrifice anything for one thing( especially under limited space) seems to be a lot to ask. 

The perfect plants for those who despise having to prune overgrowth.


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## yadokuningen (Jan 29, 2008)

Anyone use M. Bicolor in a terrarium? 

Corpus Callosum: Any pix of your whole tank? Looks like you have some other orchids in there.


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## Bob S (Mar 5, 2008)

Corpus Callosum said:


> Not yet, I've only had it for two months or so. About half of the leaves are new growth from when it was with me, so it's growing well. It's under 18/6, I haven't dropped the photoperiod to 12/12 yet.


I am by no means an orchid expert, but I got my ludisia, resrepia,and tolumnia to flower in my viv and among other house orchids. I do have a epidendrum that I have had for a year and cant get it to flower. It has done a lap or two around the tank to try to find that happy spot, but nothing. It grows very well, but when I had it too close to the light it started to turn redish purple. I knew it was too much light for I live by parkside orchids and I go there to pick their minds on info. Only by looks of your plant it seems to be geting too much light unless that is the way it looks I am only trying to help for there is a great feeling when you get a flower bud. A plant will still grow if getting too much light, but will at some point burn. Good luck let me know how it does. If your looking for a mini orchid try resrepia. It flowers all the time all year when happy. At some points it has sends up 7 flowers. I sent one to saurian (Mr. Nabors) for doing me a favor and he loves it.


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## Guest (Mar 6, 2008)

I've been wanting _Restrepia_ for a long time, but was unsure on how easy it was to take care of it.
How do you care for it? Wet, humid, dry, bright, shade, etc...


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## Corpus Callosum (Apr 7, 2007)

Bob, I am not an orchid expert either, not that much experience at all. It's very possible it could have too much light in which case I can move it a bit lower. I would appreciate any other advice on that topic.


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## jbeetle (Feb 8, 2004)

Khamul1of9 said:


> I've been wanting _Restrepia_ for a long time, but was unsure on how easy it was to take care of it.
> How do you care for it? Wet, humid, dry, bright, shade, etc...


Well the care will depend on which species of Restrepia you grow, but in general the species I have grown have been pretty tough and free-flowering. I grow most of mine mounted or potted in mostly sphagnum moss that is kept damp most of the time. The ones I have worked with like it humid, more wet then dry, and I keep them more like a shade plant then a high light plant. A species that I really like is Restrepia striata, as it has done well under different conditions.


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## Bob S (Mar 5, 2008)

C Callosum A good book on orchids is Complete guid to orchids by ortho. I don't have any masdevallia for I killed a bunch when I started and they where not cheap if I remember. Restrepia is in the masdevallia family. I keep mine just the way jbettle says, but i do a weak fert every few weeks. My tiny tot is the one that thrives and I also have a new mounted striata. The flowers are the same different colors. My advice on your plant is to go down to 14hrs lights on 10hrs off and move the plant away from the light some. It took me some time to find each plants happy spot so I like to mount so I can move the plant easy. Another great plant is paphiopedilum chamberlainianum it gives bloom after bloom after bloom. Good luck


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