I looked up Orchidarium.com. Like many people, I prefer to make my own box rather than buy one for $500 to $1,500. Is the price high? They look well made. I don't know how they ship these things. It says they have tempered glass, which would be good for a business office or waiting room, where it needs to be very sturdy. I see no reason they would not work well.

Check the orchid forum also.

as many people have noted, there is nothing special about the lights--any high-output fluorescent will do and they are not expensive.

-----David

I haven't. But the problems would be the same as for any enclosure.

1. not big enough/run out of space
2. too hot
3. not enough air flow (fungus or rot problems)
4. not enough or possibly too much, light
5. hard to move
6. not enough of a temp. differential

It would all depend on what genus/species you're trying to grow in one, but in general, the above are the problems you will run into trying to grow orchids in enclosed spaces.

There is nothing special about those at orchidarium.com, IMHO. While it seems expensive, the parts that go into making one of those setups are not cheap, and to make a profit, the price is a little surprising at first. However, compare that to a greenhouse, and the price doesn't look too bad.

I have my own orchidarium (built myself), and have had good luck. Breezy is right on with his comments, but it looks like the people at orchidarium.com probably have most of those things under control.