This will be a series of posts on great orchids to use in vivariums. This week’s featured vivarium orchid is Cirrhopetalum lepidum. This is a great vivarium orchid native to Thailand that grows well, blooms freely and is very useful. It has pretty light-to-dark pink, fan-shaped flowers. It likes medium light conditions, about 500-1,500 footcandles. It is good at typical tropical vivarium temperatures, anything between at least 60°F night to about 88-90°F daytime. It likes to be fairly moist, but not wet all the time. Though considered a miniature, it is on the large side of miniature, with a sprawling habit and smooth leaves about 2-4” long and 1½“ wide. It is best used tucked into a rocky crevice in a raised area of the vivarium where it can get good light and regular misting from the misting system. It will fill such an area nicely and be very attractive. Red-eyed tree frogs and other leaf frogs and tree frogs like to use the nice, smooth leaves to rest on during the day. If the orchid is positioned above a water feature, red-eyes and certain other frogs will use the leaves for their egg masses. In well-populated vivariums, waste product from frogs and other herps may provide adequate fertilization. For best performance, spray weekly with a diluted, organic orchid/bromeliad fertilizer.
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