# Biopod



## gdupont (Jun 13, 2018)

I was surprised to find nothing on this forum about biopods! Has anyone used them for Phrags? I'm thinking of trying one out, maybe even for a _kovachii_. Any thoughts would be appreciated!


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## NYEric (Jun 14, 2018)

Good luck. Don't see anything there large enough for a grown Pk.


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## gdupont (Jun 14, 2018)

Mine is still a seedling. I'd also like to try it for Phrag. andreettae or Dendrophylax lindenii.


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## StreetVariety (Jun 15, 2018)

Seems cool, but obviously not designed for plants.


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## Linus_Cello (Jun 15, 2018)

Maybe small orchids? I know someone who bought one at the go-fund-me or whatever stage, and uses it for poison dart frogs and bromeliads. Probably some small pleurothallids would work too.


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## xiphius (Jun 18, 2018)

gdupont said:


> I was surprised to find nothing on this forum about biopods! Has anyone used them for Phrags? I'm thinking of trying one out, maybe even for a _kovachii_. Any thoughts would be appreciated!



I don't get it. Just Looks like an over-priced, somewhat automated, vivarium to me...

That said, I know a lots of people who have converted old aquariums into similar setups for growing miniature and micro orchids with a lot of success (simple, cheap, and very effective). Unless you plan on keeping animals that are super finicky and need exacting environmental conditions (like rare, sensitive, reptiles and/or amphibians), I think this is way overkill for orchids and you'd be better off saving your money to buy more plants.

Just my 2c.


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## CarlG (Jun 18, 2018)

It probably is an over-priced, somewhat automated vivarium.

BUT: I think the point is that a good proportion of people have no idea of how to go about setting something like this up, and so derive a level of comfort from a turnkey system.

Also, it looks rather snazzier than a typical aquarium build.


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## xiphius (Jun 19, 2018)

CarlG said:


> It probably is an over-priced, somewhat automated vivarium.
> 
> BUT: I think the point is that a good proportion of people have no idea of how to go about setting something like this up, and so derive a level of comfort from a turnkey system.



That's fair. I am personally a very gung-ho DIYer, so a part of me died a little when I saw what they were asking for those. Even the small ones (which would only be appropriate for a rather small collection of mini orchids) are like $500. The "larger" ones (which still aren't really big enough for much beyond minis) are north of $1000. That's a lot of precious orchid-money! 



CarlG said:


> Also, it looks rather snazzier than a typical aquarium build.



I've seen some very snazzy DIY orchidarium builds. But yeah, a lot of them tend to be more functional than "centerpiece worthy." However, I think this was the intention from the beginning for most of them (most people just want something that will grow the orchids they want to grow reasonably well). I guess it's all in what you want and how much time you have to make it work - and some people have more money than time (nothing wrong with that).

That said, the one with the integrated aquarium is pretty cool looking . Now I suddenly have an idea for a new project I wanna build... doh! :evil:


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## gdupont (Jun 23, 2018)

Yeah, I was very impressed by the "centerpiece worthiness" of the device, and the ease of use. I've never built a vivarium or other system like this, and I really appreciate the temperature control of the system, too. Guess I'll steer clear for now! You make a good point about precious orchid-money


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