My first Terrarium Build

Thanks, that's what I suspected, but it is good to hear definitively about the subject. The plants should be here this afternoon so I should have

 

I should have pictures up today or tomorrow.

 

First off, I would like to thank KellyW for his gracious gift of plants. I couldn't wait this afternoon to get them. When I got them, I thought Kelly sent too many but some how I got them all to fit in the terrarium. I really don't know how he fit them all it the itty bitty box.

 

The plants from top left are Scaphosepalum rapax, Dinema ( Epidendrum) porpax, Encyclia polybulbon, Oberonia sp. ( Burma), Restrepia trichoglossa, Medeocalcar decoratum, Neolauchea ( Isabelia) pulchella, Trichosalpinx chaemelepanthes. The Neolauchea is somewhat hard to see.

 

Added some new additions thanks to wpinnix.( including a nice bonus orchid) Epidendrum sancti-ramoni, Bulbophyllum odontopetalum, Lepanthosis astrophora, and Barbosella cucullata. The next step is to mount a small computer fan in the light hood to increase air flow . Since I added the partial top( just glass from a 5x7 inch frame I had laying around, it seems to be holding rh in the high 80s and temps in the high 70s to low 80s. The Restrepia trichoglossa has dropped two leaves and seems to be on the way to dropping a third. Is this cause for concern? Am I running too high of temps? Additionally the Restrepia purpuera has some serious red/ purple pigmentation in the leaves( see last photo), is it getting too much light?

 

I am using a 13watt EcoSmart Brand CFL grow light on a 14hour daylength. I don't have a running fan yet, but I just pulled one out of dead laptop I had laying around and ordered the necessary adapters and fan controller this morning. Who would have know it was so tough to get a correct adapter for a computer fan to a wall outlet. I ended with using a 110 volt to usb converter( my old cell phone charger) then USB extension, then a USB to 3 pin converter which plugs into the fan speed controller which ultimately plugs into the fan. So it is a pretty ghetto set up.

I haven't really thought about setting a timer for the fan. I had planned on setting the controller(which does not have a timer, only speed controls) to a fairly low setting and running continously. Is that a bad idea? The fan is definitely needed as I have noticed a little mold and it is smelling somewhat musty in the terrarium. I am also considering swapping out the LECA drainage layer as it seems to wick into the sphagnum moss on the base more than I would like and I am worried it will break down pretty fast. The other option would be to remove the sphagnum from the base and put a thin layer of river pebbles over the LECA and mesh separator.

A Lepanthes calodictyon would be great. Let me know when it is ready to ship.

 

I think you guys are right about the air movement being the problem. I think the lack of air movement is also making the sphagnum the Restrepia ( and everything else ) are mounted to not dry fast enough. I am going to
the door on the vivarium open at least some of the time until the fan set up arrives to give it some better air flow.

 

I also pulled some of the sphagnum around the roots of Restrepia trichoglossa so it dries a little faster.

 

I finally got the last part I needed to set up the fan so that is up and running. However I am having some problems with it. First I had it tucked all the way up in the light hood, and it didn't get enough airflow to really make much of a difference and drew too much outside air in and dried the terrarium out too fast. I have it set further down so it is recirculating moist air rather than pulling in dry air but now it is so powerful that it is making the leaves shake even on the lowest setting. Is this too much air movement? Also the Bulbophyllum odentopetalum is really taking a turn for the worse and I don't know why. Too low humidity perhaps? Before I installed the fan yesterday I was leaving the door on the terrarium open so my rh was about 65-78. Now it is in the 80s with the fan and being closed up.