I started using a 10 gal tank over a year ago and love the thing for some of my mounted and some potted plants. It's simple and didn't cost me a dime. I have about 8 inverted plastic pots sitting on the bottom to support a piece of waffle grating. The potted things sit on that. I hang mounties all along the sides of the aquarium. There's no top and no fan inside. I have a small fan blowing over the top of the tank on the outside.

I have mine off to the side of an east window, so it does receive some sun. I have a small fixture hanging over the top with a 26 watt CFL. This has been plenty light to grow what I want. In fact, I've been having problems with too much light on some of my plants like Restrepia. The leaves are turning purple. They sure are blooming though.

Kevin

Yes, and yes. My case is very easy for me to care for on a daily basis, and it gets no direct sunlight whatsoever. It might get some stray rays here and there, but really, I rely solely on CFLs.

I built mine out of sheets of acrylic, but while I wouldn't exactly say it was hard, I wouldn't call it a breeze either. I think an aquarium would work quite well for this. If you check Craigslist, I've found people are always getting rid of an old aquarium for cheap. I just don't have a car, and don't really want to try and carry an aquarium on the bus : )

Here's what I did, minus the whole building the case part. I first lined the bottom with mosquito netting (non metal). This is just in case I ever wanted to remove the Hydroton for whatever reason (you never know). I put down a layer of Hydroton - at least a couple inches deep. In my case, which is 12 inches high, 12 inches deep, and 24 inches wide, that took an entire 10L bag. It might be more like 3 in deep, though. Rinse the Hydroton first, or you'll have red dust all over the place. If you feel like it, put down a layer of charcoal next, and then put some bark down. I had added a bit of water (maybe an inch or so?) to raise humidity and get things started. I found that the Hydroton alone got a little stinky, so after dosing the water with a little Physan, I decided to add the bark. It was fir bark and a Phalaenopsis mix that included a bit of charcoal. It's never smelled since.

After that, I arranged everything as I liked, hung a small computer fan at one corner, and a thermometer/hygrometer at the other, closed the lid, and added lights in the form of clip lamps (brooder style lamps) with 23W and 30W CFLs. I use a chemical wash bottle (it's a squeeze bottle with an angled, narrow spout) to water everything. I don't even lift the lid most of the time. Just stick the spout in under the edge of the lid, aim, and water away. Two out of three times, I use distilled water (I figure I'm just raising the moisture level so why add the extra mineral deposits?) and the third time I use a balanced fertilizer. I do water everything mounted daily, if visibly dry, and the potted guys as needed.

I keep the humidity between 80-95% generally, just by adding moisture to the substrate. No orchid is actually sitting directly in the substrate, just the mount. The excess water drains to the bottom, so the substrate is never soggy, and I don't have to worry about water getting everywhere. Nor do I have to remove the orchid and replace it each time I need to water.

This has been working really well for me, and the orchids seem to like it too. Couple notes, though... This case has only been put together since about November, so I can't say what it would be like long term. Also, I have pretty good air circulation because my lid is actually warping upward, so the lid is not on tightly... something to think about with an aquarium setup, as you might have a lid which functions properly and sits tight.

Hope that helps. I'll attach a pic of what it looks like lately for reference.

{{gwi:152098}}

Oh, forgot... you'll see a lot of Hydroton in the middle there. That's because for some reason I don't remember now, I put a plastic saucer filled with Hydroton down for the Pleuros, to separate their drainage area from the rest.

Ooooo! Thanks, y'all. This is exactly the info I'm looking for.

Kev, does humidity in the tank stay high enough because of the enclosed space? For maintenance, do you just take everything out and clean up algae, etc.?

Quinnfyre, love it that your plants get no direct sunlight. Have you had to do any cleaning yet? The picture looks like a little bit of the tropics.

I'm inspired. WC8

If by cleaning you mean removing anything to clean it and then replace it (such as the Hydroton) then no, I haven't. I have tidied up a few things though. I had a maidenhair fern and two selaginellas (kraussiana and uncinata) growing directly in the substrate on the right side, covered with a layer of sphagnum moss. The sphag got uber soggy and would never dry out, so the maidenhair looked like it died, and the kraussiana got messy looking. I removed the sphag, and lo and behold, there are baby maidenhair sprouts coming up! Yippee! I replaced the sphag with a substrate of coco fiber and tree fern fiber, in that corner only. So that and picking out a few yellowed leaves here and there is the extent to which I've needed to clean.

I did have the lid up for an extended time to remove the sphag, and the lowest the humidity got was about 63%. Past times I've left the lid up for more than a few minutes, the lowest I'd ever seen was something like 50-55%. This is with the fan running, btw.

WC-SO glad you're thinking of exploring the tank option. It's a great thing to have, as is obvious from Q's gorgeous setup.

If you're lucky and you catch one of those pet stores closing down, you can snag one of those amazing front-opening reptile cases for cheap. My friend got a nice one for a really low price and they are much more assessable compared to tanks.

I use an 80 gallon aquarium...snap on some lights, a misting system (a little pricey but OH so worth it), some pieces of glass to cover the top, a thermometer/hygrometer and a fan and you're good to go!

{{gwi:152099}}

My tank isn't as pretty as Qs; I don't have enough substrate to cover the entire base. I have T5s, and a misting system from Mist King, some old windows as covering and no fan (naughty, I know...but I have a gap in between the covering glass and the warm air inside seeps out, replaced with cooler air, so I get some air movement. I'm getting a fan soon - don't worry!)

If you really want to take out the need to water every day for your mounts, get a misting system. It is 110% worth the investment, in my opinion. I've been told that some orchids like angs don't like their roots smothered in moist sphag, and yet appreciate good moisture all the same...but without stifling stagnant humidity...with good air movement...what high maintenance brats! I've found that for the few angs I have, a good mister with some fans provide pretty good conditions. Humidity goes up to 99% following misting, and drops to about 50% in between misting cycles. This is perfect because everything gets a chance to dry off before getting misted again = no stagnant water. I find I can water with fertilizer every 5 days or so by dunking and things generally stay well hydrated, although I am still tinkering with getting the misting nozzles positioned correctly.

{{gwi:152100}}
Hanging angs and other plants on dollar-store cookie cooling racks hooked over the side of the tank - a thrify way to set up your mounts :)

{{gwi:152101}}
A nearly dead encylcia hybrid coming back to life in the tank

{{gwi:152102}}
A previously rotting aeranthes recovering. I actually water this one incredibly seldom (ie once a month) and it just grows away...I guess it just likes the occasional moisture settling on the surface of the bark (it is potted). It now popping out two new growths and two spikes!

Hopefully Kevin Q and I have convinced you the merits of tank growing - especially with all the nice little things you have in those jars, they would certainly LOVE a tank setup. And it makes a good rehab place too.

-Calvin

And now to blow your mind, Whitecat, consider placing your tank(s) vertically instead of the 'normal' way! voila:

{{gwi:152103}}

On the far right is a fairly large (maybe 30 gallon) cube shaped tank that is sitting in the normal orientation. Next to it is what i believe is a 29 gallon (tall) style sitting on its end with the 'top' facing front. It is proping up one side of two 4' light fixtures. Next to that tank is a third one, 20 gallon, on its end. The two end-sitters have pieces of plexi that mostly covers the opening but leaves a bit of room for ventilation. Smaller hoses lead from the main humidifier outlet to each of these tanks (plus two others going to the left side of the Sangtuary). Excess water hasn't been an issue but I don't water them in the tanks either. Occasional spray but otherwise i pull them out to water.

Anyway, the point is, use a tank...sure...but don't be afraid to think outside the box on *how* you use it.

Here is what happened to me back in the day, using a tank the normal way. I had a big thick piece of plexi over the top with two 4' light fixtures and cords. So in order to water I would have to unplug and move the lights, remove the lid, then figure out some way to light it enough to water...then usually leave it open for awhile to dry out, then put it all back. It was a major ordeal and sooner or later there will be a temptation to not water that day. Then two days. You get busy...you leave it for a week without checking. Sooner or later you've killed a tank full of plants. I've found that having the opening more easy and quick to access allows me to take better care of the plants. Good luck.

Can I live in your room? please? I'll promise not to feed the squirrels

Just curious... what are the dimensions on an 80 gal tank? It sounds huge! I'm wondering how much space that puppy takes up.

Somewhere I saw a gallon calculator that converts your tank dimensions to how many gallons it holds (approximately) but I can't remember where I saw that. I'm a bit curious as to how many gallons my case would theoretically hold.

Hey Mr. B, inquiring minds want to know: how many plants (all of 'em, not just orchids) reside in that humungo enclosure system? Looking at that still floors me. And you pull them all out to water them? Impressive.

The front-opening reptile tank has gotta be revolutionary. I'll look for one. D'ya think one of those little misters/foggers would help w/ humidity? Do you know what I'm talking about?

Mr. B - Mind blown - yes. The vertical tanks sound terrific. If a plexi-glass cover for the vertical opening left about 1.5" open at the bottom and the same amt. at the top, would that take care of ventilation?

I'm pumped about this! Thanks, guys. WC8

Here is a link that might be useful: Fogger

WC - You really must try one of these and like I said, I really didn't want to invest $$ in the setup, so I really kept mine simple. It certainly isn't a work of art, but it really doesn't look ugly at all. Note: I'm using the exact same lights as Quinnfyre in picture # 2, but realized I am using 2 not 1 as earlier stated. I added an additional one this winter. Now my problem is almost too much light for some of the lower light plants, but you can really move things around to take advantage of corners etc. that don't receive as much light. I'm also doing exactly the same thing with the waffle-grating-sitting-on-top-of-pots as Calvin is doing.

I generally only clean mine out once or twice per season and it isn't gross at all. I simply stick a piece of aquarium tubing through the grating and siphon off the water in the bottom of the tank maybe once a week. That keeps the algae under control.

You know, I stopped trying to measure the humidity in the tank. I know it's higher than the outside room and I know how well the plants have responded. When I stick my hand in there I can feel how moist the air is and that's about all I care about. Since my bout with that horrible fungal stuff last winter, I really wanted to make sure this tank had lots of air circulation - hence the open top. With a fan blowing over the top of the tank, you can water or mist the hell out of the mounts everyday and the foliage still dries off within a few hours.

Just to show you the variety of plants I have in there, here's a list of what I am currently growing in mine. Some of these are small or seedling sized, so they may get moved out when they grow up:
Aerangis distincta
Aerangis mystacidii
Chysis laevis 'Hopbrook' x self
Cleisostoma sagittiforme
Epidendrum magnoliae var. magnoliae (conopseum)
Maxillaria sophronitis
Oncidium variegatum
Pleurothallis velaticaulis
Podangis dactyloceras
Porrovallia Phil Jesup
Promenaea rollisonii
Restrepia antennifera
Restrepia muscifera
Restrepia striata

I had to move some of my other Pleuros out because they were getting too much light.

K

Hi
Check on the web on "Vivariums" though most of the info is on keeping reptiles particularly frogs still applies to a terrarium. Particularly interesting is the "Dutch Vivariums" Pix of one that is 5x5 times 8 feet high complete with waterfalls even a lake lol. All powered by electric lights Though I coulsd see that this must be expensive I'd bet it cheaper to build and operate than a GH.?? Particularly in a cold climate. One tremendous advantage would be absolute control ofit. gary

There are probably around 150 or so plants in that area.

The plexi front will have to sit on something because of gravity, unless you somehow clip it to the sides. I only have an opening along the top because of that. I don't have any fans in the tanks and I may regret that one day. I do have an oscilating fan going in the room and a celing fan so my hope is that they will provide enough air flow to suck air out of the tanks. They're not tight enough to prevent that. As a preventative, i use a lot of peroxide in my soaking water and in a spray bottle and periodically spray down the plants and the inside of the tanks with it.

And I agree with Kevin, i have a ton of little humidity and temp meters but they're all in various stages of not working or aren't acccurate and in the end, what difference does it make? You can only keep the humidity so high indoors and knowing that you are only getting 45% sometimes doesn't change the fact that it is super hard to keep it high. I'd rather just try to keep it up but not know the actual numbers. Plant growth is a better measure of it anyway.

Super info! Gary, the thought of maintaining a GH or anything close to that size makes my stomach hurt - so very many very major things that can go so very wrong so very fast.

Mr. B, I was thinking exactly of clips of some sort for space at the bottom and top of the vertical cover. Because spider mites have gotten going here in the past, I'm focused on air circulation.

And you’re right - the 5-jar thing gets to me, the way your earlier set up did to you. When I can’t deal, I aim some spray in each jar and slap on the clear plastic covers.

Yeah, the plants will let me know if the humidity's high enough. Just wanted to make sure a tank w/ an open top would trap enough moisture, or if humidity outside the tank was high already.

Quinn, that chemical wash bottle oughta be sold by orchid supply places. :) I’ll look for one online. And my big box of alifor went to a buddy because S/H wasn’t my forte. Who knew it’d come in handy for a tank?

Calvin, your rehab successes are impressive, and I'm loving those $$ store cooling racks. Any misting system will need to wait, but it sounds slick. An orchid buddy gave me a little fogger w/ LED lights that's still in the box.

Here's my list for the tank:

Aerangis fastuosa
Bulbo ambrosia
Bulbo barbigerum
Dendrobium crumenatum
Dendrobium cucumerinum
Ghost Orchid
Dinema (Encyclia) polybulbon
Dryadella simula
Encyclia bracteata
Gastrochilus japonicus
Lepanthes manabina
Leptotes bicolor
Luerella (Masde) pelicaniceps 'B'
Masdevallia Celtic Frost
Masdevallia erinacea (horrida)
Masdevallia floribunda
Maxillaria sophronitis
Phal lowii
Phal. parishii
Phal. speciosa 'C#1,' was Phal. tetraspis 'C#1'
Pleurothallis strupifolia
Porroglossum dalstroemii
Restrepia muscifera
Rodriguezia decora
Scaphosepalum anchoriferum aberrant
Specklinia (syn. Pleurothallis) tribuloides
Trichoceros antennifer

Managed to make the list without counting, but Kev, it's loads longer than yours. Most are mounted. Maybe a 20-gallon tank?

And Kevin, I KNOW how you get that suction going. Grosser than algae. I’ll spend the extra $$ for a self-starting suction tube thingie.

If you didn’t get thanked for something brilliant you’re doing, it’s because you’re all doing so many brilliant things that this whole thread needs to get printed out. There’s a spreadsheet in its future.

Thanks more, WC8

Kev and WC - I need to hear more about this sucking water out of base of tank thing...I have water buildup from misting that I need to get rid of, and short of moving everything out and draining with bowl bit by bit, like someone stuck in a boat with a leak, I don't have any method to get rid of that water. Is there some pump that's available?

Q- I think tanks come in various dimensions for the same volume, and I remember the site you are talking about, but don't know where I aw it! Mine is 4'x2' and 18" high. I originally intended to do a vertical setup like Mr. B cause moving the glass on top to water IS annoying (although the automatic mister makes things easier) but I already had 4ft T5 lights and it would have been a waste of light to stand the tank upwards (4x2ft of lighting versus 18"x2ft lighting). The tank IS big...big enough that I have areas which are drier and areas which are wetter, which makes finding the micro climates challenging but fun

WC- I have one of those ultrasonic foggers too with LEDs...looks trippy. A little annoying to use though, cause the thing spouts a little stream of water into the air and causes a bit of splashing and mess. Some people put them into reservoirs with taller sides and use a floater, or use a little umbrella (available online) that shields the splashing. I ended up cutting a hole in the side of an ice cream container, as well as on the lid, then putting the mister inside with water. I put a fan on the hole in the lid, and when turned on, it blows the mist out of the hole on the side. Worked ok except my wires were getting wet and tangled...which scared me a little and I stopped using it. Just a warning - don't touch the disk while it's in the water and turned on! I did and man did that hurt!

I think Mr. B has a nice cool mist humidifier thing going on with multiple tubes siphoning mist into tanks...I've only seen these for sale in Canada at the mall at those 'new innovative products' stores for pretty high prices...which is interesting considering these aren't really new at all!

It is just an ultrasonic type like you can get just about anywhere.

These are what I have: Nalgene economy wash bottles, 16oz (500ml). They were about $4 each. I have three of those. I paid way too much for my first one, about $13, but it has a wider mouth for, I don't know, ease of filling? It doesn't really have an advantage for me. The spout tip is a little larger too, again, not an advantage for me, as I like the greater control of having a finer stream. You might notice your hands getting a workout though, akin to using those squeezy stress ball thingamajobs : ) I swear by them, though. I can aim the water straight at the roots and not get water where I don't want it, like in the crown or between leaves, and have a better chance of avoiding rot. Or so's my thinking. And my favorite part is not having to move the lights and lift the lid on a daily basis. The humidity stays up, I water my orchids regularly enough, and we're all happy.

Here's the wash bottle:

{{gwi:152105}}

Funny enough, I originally got one for my African violets. Still use them for that purpose too, but I find it much more useful for the orchid case.

Calvin,

The siphoning thing is simple. Just take a long piece of aquarium tubing, stick one end through your grating into the water in the bottom of the tank you want to get rid of, the other end going over the top of the tank and down the outside. As long as the end on the outside of the tank is below the water level in the tank, you can get get some siphon action going by briefly sucking on that end. And NO, you don't get a mouthful of icky water if you're careful. I have this down to a science and never get any in my mouth. If for some reason you do, just have a spit cup close by and a bottle of beer or any alcoholic beverage of your choice.

K

Hi
The 150 aquarium I ran for years in the sh has sprung a leak that is unfixable so it seems I will be getting into "tank " culture also. It's either that or move the monster lol. I see so many problems with using it as a terrarium I don't know where to start
Have been searching the internet for some clues but can find nobody inventive(stupid?) enough to run one outdoors.lol have used terraiums in the past but mostly as cutting sheds, An 18x72 glass box seems excessive for that purpose though lol
Good luck with whatever you decide there are obviously hundreds of ways to go about it. gary

WC, just don't set up a 30 gal. tank with a leak above it...I did that and ended up losing the ID on a whole bunch of baby phals and paphs... ;)

You dogs! The link below was 3rd in the search for front-opening terrariums.

The site gives detailed instructions on making a gorgeous vivarium, complete w/ water dripping down the back wall. Waaaa. Not a good time to be between jobs in a rotten economy. The site for a local place says they have new and used tanks, and they carry at least one of the front-opening brands.

Michigoose - good to hear from you. The leak sounds awful, plus you probably had damage to the whole area, huh?

Calvin, ouch - watch those wires. :) Glad you weren’t hurt. I’ve seen the little umbrella things for the foggers for about $4 online. Maybe they’re available locally, too.

Earlier, I bought a $5 aquarium suction tube @ Petco that was supposed to be self-starting - you pumped a bulb at the end of the tube or something, but it didn’t work. Maybe a real aquarium place would have a real one.

Yeah, Kevin, you’ve got that self-suck suction thing (oops - that sounds bad) down to a science NOW, but how many alcoholic beverages did you down along the learning curve?? Hmmmm…?

Also, for $16.99, Black Jungle has a 9-outlet dripper manifold for a drip wall terrarium. Intriguing. ‘Course, then you haveta buy the thingie that gets the water back up to the manifold…. http://www.blackjungle.com/Merchant2/merchant.mv?Screen=PROD&Store_Code=BJTS&Product_Code=M-9&Category_Code=W

Gary, too bad about your huge aquarium biting the dust. Can you cut it up and make 2 smaller tanks?

Q, the Black Jungle site says gallon capacity is estimated and that you need to go by dimensions, although they give the # of gallons for most tanks.

Well, this tank project is now the latest orchid obsession. What I get for asking you guys innocent questions.

Thanks, I think (I know) - WC8

Here is a link that might be useful: Tank heaven

Hi
i can tell that you've never picked up a 150 gallon glass tank lol Can we say HEAVY can't be fixed as they want 150 bucks for a back glass not to mention several gallons of silicone and you can buy a new one for around 300. lol Too bad you dont live around here a neighbor recently gave away a 350 gallon 24x36x120 inch tank .Being plexiglass could be easily modified for a terrarium. I suspect a tank that size would cost around a thousand bucks.!! Given the prices you seen for terrariums on the internet I 'd say aroun 3 grand lol gary

Gary, you are so right - never encountered a 150-gallon glass tank, except maybe the tanks for saltwater fish at the Rainforest Cafe, much less tried to lift one. Silly me had a picture of you carving it up on the spot, but that may be laughable.

The 2-drawer file cabinet that'll be the base for a terrarium is 15"W x 25"L, so that huge one of your neighbor's would probably sink the file cabinet & tank down to the next floor!

A front-opening glass terrarium that's 18"x18"x24" is $133:
Full screen metal top ventilation
Raised bottom for easy Substrate Heater mounting
 Up to ten closable wire or tube inlets
 Natural Rock background
 Deep (45 cm), enlarged ground surface
 High fixed front window for thick layers of substrate, an aquatic section or reptile den

Hoping you find a solution for your humongous, leaky tank - WC8

Hi
I'm going to go ahead and turn it into a landscaped terrarium in spite of being outdoors and in partial sun.
Can't think of anything else to do with it. Unfortuneately it also served as the water reservoir for the waterfall and a temporary heating system for the shadehouse . Will have to rethink those purposes lol.
Wife says I could use it as a coffin as it is possible to lay down in it. Somehow i'm not too thrilled with that idea lol. good luck with yours!!! gary

Maybe your wife will plant you in that tank after she offs you for bringing one too many orchids onto the property. :)

My tank's still at the dreaming and scheming stages.

Please post pix of your terrarium when you get it set up.

WC8