Hi. Can I have phalaenopsis orchids in my chameleons 5.5ft. High X 2.5ft. deep X 3ft. long with a ceramic heat emiter, waterfall, ficus, repti vines, and UVA and UVB bulbs?
Since I'm on an opinionated tear this evening, waterfalls, although having moving water, also can harbor unwanted bacteria. Any container with water is prone to bacteria buildup. It cannot possibly provide as much humidity as a good humidifier. Invest in a Venta Sonic. I am sure you will find others here to discourage the waterfall. The humidifier is equally good for the orchids. Look on Ebay for a bargain but Bed Bath and Beyond have them and they will run for well over 12-15 hours before refilling.
Everyone is going to tell you to get rid of the water fall. A good solution would be a dripper that can run down some plants. If you have more serious humidity problems maybe try covering a couple sides of the cage during the winter months to keep heat and humidity up more easily.
What kind of lighting do you have? If you are using the heat emitter during the day as his heat source I would change it over to a normal house hold spot or flood lamp. You seem unsure about your UV lamps... UVA will emit from a normal house hold incandescent lamp. UVB needs to come from a Fluorescent lamp. Using a linear UVB lamp is your best bet. The CFL or coil/screw in UVB lamps are no good. Check out the UV Guide site to read up on good UV practice for Reptiles.
Here is an example of two types of lamps. The bottom is the lamp you should buy, the one on top is a HUGE negative, do NOT buy one.
I agree with everyone on the waterfall thing. I had one and it became a pain to maintain the damn thing. Much better with out it.
Orchids in the viv. I have 3. Certain species do better than other. Watch out for the fertilizer that most of the plants will have, and the ocassional wood chips that they use to pot. Also keep the bottom of the plant slightly off floor to assist with drainage. From what I have been told they should do well in the same cham conditions.
If you have a cham that eats vegies be aware that there is a good chance that your cham will eat the flowers too. They are not poisonous. They have been used as garnish on salads here and can be eaten by humans.