Terrarium - Here's what mine looks like...

[Duane McDowell]

I cleaned the glass this morning - thank you for the encouragement! Seems like the same conditions that are good for Pleurothallids and mosses are good for algae on the glass...

This one shows the plexiglass "ceiling" of the terrarium. The fan blows upwards. The tube is the output from the fogger.

This one shows the front of the terrarium with all the workings. There's a timer for the lights and one for the fogger.

Plants in the terrarium

Front view showing how it looks most of the time.

[gavstang]

Im so thankful I live in a tropical country!

[pavel]

Neat set-up, Duane. What are your temps like in there?

[Brutal_Dreamer]

Thanks Duane! Great looking setup for your orchids!

Cheers,
BD

[Duane McDowell]

Neat set-up, Duane. What are your temps like in there?

This time of year - sixties (fahrenheit) during the day - maybe as low as 55 at night on occasion. During the winter, sixties at night, mid-seventies during the day.

[Germinatorman]

uh, WOW! What kind of fan are you using? For what purpose was it originally made?

[Duane McDowell]

uh, WOW! What kind of fan are you using? For what purpose was it originally made?

It's what's called a "muffin" fan, originally used for cooling the power supply of a computer. The top of the tank is not tightly sealed - there are gaps both at the front and back that seem to provide for enough air exchange.

[tcatl]

What size tank is that and what type of lights are you using? I have two empty tanks, just waiting for the snow to melt to set up like this one 30 gal and one 125 gal. The local hardware stores sell flourescent fixtures relatively cheap, but also special "plant" bulbs (that aren't very bright). So I guess I am asking if I should use regular white light bulbs, the plant spectrum, or mix one of each?

[pavel]

This time of year - sixties (fahrenheit) during the day - maybe as low as 55 at night on occasion. During the winter, sixties at night, mid-seventies during the day.

How are you maintaining those temps? Is your apt/house that cool? What will you do during the summer?

[Duane McDowell]

What size tank is that and what type of lights are you using? I have two empty tanks, just waiting for the snow to melt to set up like this one 30 gal and one 125 gal. The local hardware stores sell flourescent fixtures relatively cheap, but also special "plant" bulbs (that aren't very bright). So I guess I am asking if I should use regular white light bulbs, the plant spectrum, or mix one of each?

I'm using a 30-gallon tank. The lights are standard compact fluorescents. I use 3 60W equivalents with relatively high temperature ratings (cooler colors) and 1 100W equivalent with a lower temperature rating (warmer colors). The compacts run so much cooler temperature-wise than standard tubes that insufficient light just isn't a problem any more.