Looks great love the roots you made they look really realistic.

coming along nicely! I really like the episcas. Do you know the name of the pink-leaved variety?

I also looked at the other pics. Great orchids! You really do have a talent for growing them! And nice backyard, too! I'd LOVE a greenhouse. Are arucanas some kind of fancy chicken? Why do you have pics of them? Do you raise them?

WOW! Mike! That's one h**l of a terrarium, specially all the work you put into it!
Congratulations!
Can't wait to see the huge one you'll make!
Where did you get the fan for it?
Ana :)

OOPS! Never mind, Mike, I saw the name on it.... duhhh! I wrote to them to see if they ship to Guam, better than hunt for it here :)
Did you see mine? Is the same size as yours, not finished yet, waiting for the lights, have some now but they are a mixed bag, one white hoood, 2 blacks, so I ordered just one hood with 3 fluorescent lights, same size as the tank, and I can add another one if needed. How many watts are your lights?
Ana :)

The lights are compact flourescents. They put out more wattage than regular lights. I will have to look at the package. it's also not the wattage but the kelvin rating(I think it's kelvin) it rates how much the light is like daylight.

I got the fan at Radio shack along with all the other parts. You could easily get one from an old computer or any computer store.

LOL I took the chicken pics for my sister to show her what the Arucana look like. They are the ones that lay light blue and green eggs. We are first time chicken owners. thought it would be fun. They eat the bugs in the yard, I compost the poop and we get eggs. All are hens, no roosters.

I have no clue what the names of the episcas are. Komi gave them to me so she would know. I am not one for tropicals and I think they will be the only tropical besides ferns in the next terrarium.

Sahoyaref - I sent you mail.

Thanks, I got it! Wrote you back too. =)

All i got was spam... :( but Mike's terrarium is cool !!!

ooohhh Mr. B - are you volunteering to take some gesneriads??

no I was just whining cuz I never get any fancy fun emails from anyone cool...

but now that you mention it...no wait...i have no room for plants!!! I mean....i don't have a LOT of room...no wait...I have NO ROOM!!!! NONE!!!! well maybe a little bit...

what's a gesneriad? do I like them? must i have them?

Gesneriads are a family of plants that includes african violets, episcas, sinningias, gloxinias, kohleras, chiritas, petrocosmeas, streptocarpus, etc. The good news for you, Mr. B, is that these plants are generally quite small, and take up little space! They also need less light than orchids (in general). And yes, you must have at least a couple! =) They are very enjoyable plants that flower more than orchids, are easier to take care of, and are cheaper. And especially the episcas have very nice foliage. Petrocosmeas are so symmetrical it will blow your mind! Check out the 'Melanie' Streptocarpus pic at the link below. I'm in love!

Here is a link that might be useful: Strep. pics

...and if you decide you want a few (say, like the micro mini sinningias that might get as big as a quarter when mature... or some episcias or something), email me. Or, I could forward you a joke sent from a GWer's SIL....

but by all means, stay the hell away from gessies - they have a way of taking over.

For sahoy... I have a young strep from seed - with seed pods... (it'll be a 1-2 months until they mature) lmk:
{{gwi:1271230}}
{{gwi:1271232}}

That's not an orchid!!!!! No wonder your orchids are ailing. You are spending too much time with the lower class plants!!!!

That is gorgeous, Komi! I have a gesneriad dealer near me who just this year got some of the famous Dibley streps, and my oh my, almost nothing will stop me from ordering some next year! They are just amazing! And yes, gessies are addictive, but I wasn't going to tell Mr. B that. =) I was going to let him find out all by himself. . . heh, heh. . . =)

slander! how could you, Mike? My orchids are doing very well, thank you. (Well, most of 'em are.)

No, to clarify for Mr. B... gessies are not addictive. They are just a million times better at propagating themselves.

I'm gonna continue shamelessly hawking them off.