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Journal My First Terrarium

Another 3D Printed piece for the Terrarium, couple of times a week I place this under the light to perform some air exchange and then mist it at the end and close again.

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You need another home office to actually do some work in, because that one is going to be much too distracting.
I am thinking of ways to add some more to the space! lol think I can add another behind my chair!! At least a 60cm, emersed setup would be awesome liking these now! haha

Why not go the whole hog and have some <"leaf cutter ants as well?">.
Well now you're saying that.... haha nope already have springtails in the terrarium and noticed some worms in there also today! So that's enough, and transferring the springtails to the terrarium was interesting as i made a mess of it and had springtails and soil all over my very expensive NAS! Now my data has bugs 🙁😀😱
 
This is true 😀 and I would have to do the same if I did.

Sorry if you've covered this elsewhere, but how many tanks (terrariums and all) are you up to now?
Just the single Terrarium, I run 3 nanos in the study (30l cube houses a pairof Pea Puffers at the moment setup last summer, 2 x 12l shrimp nanos one houses Cherry and the other Yellow shrimp running since 2011, cherry colony is from 2011, yellows are just over a year), in the living room I have the Aquascaper 900 high tech setup in June last year, plus a 60cm lowtech that have been running since 2010!
I don't run my tanks for "aquascaping" I run them for myself and stick in them whatever I like 🙂
 
I am thinking of ways to add some more to the space! lol think I can add another behind my chair!! At least a 60cm, emersed setup would be awesome liking these now! haha


Well now you're saying that.... haha nope already have springtails in the terrarium and noticed some worms in there also today! So that's enough, and transferring the springtails to the terrarium was interesting as i made a mess of it and had springtails and soil all over my very expensive NAS! Now my data has bugs 🙁😀😱
have you seen on the gram

ikeagreenhousecabinet, there are some seriously planted up rooms on some of the users there

 
I am wondering is it too humid in there for it? or is it too near the light source and dries up quickly?

It could be either or both and it depends a lot on the specific species from where it originates and what conditions it prefers. This goes for more kinds of epiphytes than Orchids only. Some prefer to stay rather constant moist others prefer to dry out once in a while. I had similar results with different kinds of small terrarium orchids they can be very sensitive to sudden changes. And in such microenvironments, especially with an external light source, it can be pretty tough to regulate a constant ideal climate. It quickly goes from one extreme to the other. Then if the plant does not get the time to adapt and establish itself in its new environment recovering from the transplant shock t it might suffer too much. I had more failures than successes with the small terrariums orchids. The only one of the 8 different sp. I tried only the Bulbophyllum sikkimense is thriving and it took quite a while to establish in a naturally lit greenhouse.

I might have missed it but don't recall what terrarium orchid you have... But as an example take the Asian Bulbophyllum ambrosia rain forest orchid, which likes good lit epiphytic spots preferably on a moss base with constant warm temperature, good watering, and high humidity. Next to the Dendrobium jenkinsii which originates from India at higher altitudes much more picky needs a tad dryer substrate but still a good air humidity and a seasonal cooler dryer resting period to thrive and flower. Both available and described as relatively easy terrarium orchid but still have specific demands and well-choosen correct low or high placement in the terrarium.

As for most tropical epiphytes, I guess the difference in this demand is in if it's a Highland rainforest or Lowland rainforest sp. This also goes for the terrarium ferns, take the Microsorum pteropus, lowland rainforest fern, high air humidity, and constant moist substrate vs Pyrossia nummularifolia, highland rainforest tree fern, high humidity but dryer substrate it suffers if kept constantly too wet and it actually prefers a dry period before watering again.

Take the Nephentes sp. all regularly available ones for us are all highland rainforest sp. the lowland rainforest sp. are all too demanding if not impossible to keep in hour climate even in a terrarium it's a difficult challenge. While the Highland hybrids can be kept in the living room. 🙂

Playing with terrarium orchids demands research and quite some trial and error. Then if you start with keeping them in the microenvironments is like jumping unprepared into the deep. It's a tricky and expensive hobby...
 
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I might have missed it but don't recall what terrarium orchid you have...
It's back in Page #2 Journal - My First Terrarium

Many thanks Marcel very good explanation there 🙂 food for thought. I will see if it can survive, Darrel did mention that one should be OK and the other might not be, but seems to be the opposite lol

Playing with terrarium orchids demands research and quite some trial and error. Then if you start with keeping them in the microenvironments is like jumping unprepared into the deep. It's a tricky and expensive hobby...
Indeed, too expensive for my liking haha those two cost me £50 😉
 
I know the feeling I guess over a few years I also destroyed about €150 worth of orchids. All sold with the description relatively easy... I guess it's a relative interpretation...
These hobbies are not cheap by no means and you know I like doing everything the "cheap" way haha or build something cheaper!
I do have some orchids on my window sill and those do well, but only seem to flower if I repot them every year 🙂
 
The only ones I still have are 2 orchids in the living room that Darrel did send me a while back. They are doing well but yet didn't flower.

The Bulbophyllum in the Wardian case only flowered once and never again, but does relatively well with sufficient new growth. And still, have a tiny Barbosella sp. in another Wardian case, that still is suffering... I often notice that the glass is foggy then it's obvious to think all is OK. But if I open it and feel the sphagnum bed the Orchid is on often is dry to the bone, then the orchid doesn't completely die but also doesn't grow. It seems despite the high air humidity it requires regular inspection and some spraying now and then. Foggy glass doesn't tell it all... This might be the most difficult task, finding that sweet spot of required maintenance with creating the correct climate, not to wet and not to dry, when and how much.
 
Miniature orchids are tricky things... I had a cool growing orchid in a warm room all year, constantly moist. It grew well but didn't flower. Then I moved it outside this summer (for the cool night time drops that it needs) and it hasn't grown at all. Meanwhile my Neofinetia has grown slowly inside but I put it outside and it has started to grow 2 new plants. I think many need a cooler night time temp
 
most orchids don't like it if the roots stay wet al the time. it often results in rotting roots, or fungi infections.
planting them with there roots on top of the moss will be better and also make sure you have some air circulation inside the glass cover will help to keep excess moisture from the roots.
to much light often shows in a purplish sunburn on the leaves first.
 
most orchids don't like it if the roots stay wet al the time. it often results in rotting roots, or fungi infections.
planting them with there roots on top of the moss will be better and also make sure you have some air circulation inside the glass cover will help to keep excess moisture from the roots.
to much light often shows in a purplish sunburn on the leaves first.
Many thanks, I am going to replant it today and leave the roots a little more open, see if that helps and prevents it from dying off.
 
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