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Heliamphoria Help & Tips

Recently ordered a small heli minor and am needing some help in figuring how to best grow it. I have a small terrarium that is fairly air tight and stays anywhere from 70 to 99 percent humidity. The light I am using is a T5 florescent that puts out 10,000 lumens, bulbs are both 6400 kelvin, the problem I need help with is the fact that the light heats the terrarium up to about 85-90 degrees fahrenheit and need a way to cool it down to about 70-80 degrees. I also have a reptifogger and use it to keep the humidity up. If you can help me that would be great and if anyone has any growing tips it would help out this newbie. Thanks in advance!
 
these two are incompatable: "small terrarium that is fairly air tight" and "T5 florescent"

not a lot you can do with that combination, for all practical purposes.. its an oven
 
Then what should I do to better equip my terrarium?
 
The only thing you can do is ventilation, got to get that hot air out.
Heliamphora really need low 70's as a max. especially if you are new to the genus.

To be honest, the best thing would not be use the T5 and small terrarium combination... most people use a more open "rack" design
 
Have to look into it but am a little tight on cash at the moment...
 
sorry I dont have better answers, but what youre trying to do is very common with new heli growers.... and the result is always the same
You might go with LED lighting, and keep the small terrarium, but get it out of 90f temps Jr or you wont have a new heli long....

they can take lower humidity much better than they can take high temps, just acclimate slowly... follow the sticky
 
May craft a grow box with some ventilation but how do you ventilate and keep high humidity?
 
  • #10
typically you use an ultrasonic fogger.... but heli can do well above 60% RH if you acclimate
You wont have the big nectar spoons at that, but they grow and grow well at that

Some even grow them on windowsills Jr

I can assure you, at 90f you wont have a heli a month from now...
 
  • #11
Ok, got to start building and get working on a design, got some room under a T8 setup for my nepenthes. Just need to craft something hopefully less warm then 90...
 
  • #12
your primary concern with heli, keep em cool....
 
  • #13
K Ill try something cant cancel the order and am a bit eager to grow the plant.....
 
  • #14
I can assure you, at 90f you wont have a heli a month from now...

My heterodoxa x minor didn't get the memo, it thrived outside in the heat of SC summer and has been sulking indoors through the winter. :suspect:
 
  • #15
I have grown some outside over the summer as well, but the failure rate is definitely greater with increased temps...
Hybrid vigor must also be considered as well as a multitude of other variables,

But I stand by my advice, a new grower with a heli in a 90f terrarium = dead heli
 
  • #16
I have grown some outside over the summer as well, but the failure rate is definitely greater with increased temps...
Hybrid vigor must also be considered as well as a multitude of other variables,

But I stand by my advice, a new grower with a heli in a 90f terrarium = dead heli

My intent was to point toward a hardy, heat tolerant Heli that is good for beginners, not to discount your advice. I am sure that my experience reflects more on the plant than on me. :beer:
 
  • #17
biomass also plays a part with a plant's ability to deal with a higher temps. smaller plants and divisions will suffer the most.
 
  • #19
If you raise the lights off the tank and run a fan an over the lights it will help but not sure you will be able to consistently keep the temperature in the low 70s.
 
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