Pictures would really help Amerlia, the more, the better!

But without seeing pictures, I can already imagine this poor thing may have been drastically over-watered and/or living in saturated media with lots of sphag. The roots probably haven't gotten any air circulation, which they need.

I wouldn't use the cactus mix, no soil. You're better off cleaning the roots thoroughly under running mild water (removing ALL media from them), placing it in an open pot with NO media and misting roots daily until you know what's really going on.

Amerlia, here's a picture of an unknown color Phal I got at Lowe's back in January. I mist the roots every day and I actually "bathe" them when I bathe my other Phals in the kitchen sink. Phals do not need media to survive...remember, they grow on trees.

Just want to show you what I explained in my first reply earlier. A picture speaks a thousand words! *wink*

JerseyGirl, you are giving advice to a newbie and implying that she can grow phals without media..?

quote 'Phals do not need media to survive...remember, they grow on trees."end quote, and the statement is correct.. IF you are growing orchids in the jungle in the Philippines, not in an air conditioned and heated house in US... bad advice

Ben, my suggestion was merely a temporary solution until she figures out what is going on...nothing more. I thought I made that clear in my original post.

On the other side, Orchids are mounted and grown without media all over the world, by those with experience, of course!

Amerlia, thank you for the pictures. My original instinct is correct, it's been trying to survive in saturated sphag moss.

Take it to the sink and carefully start removing every last piece of moss. You can do this under tepid/mild running water to help loosen the stubborn pieces. I see some healthy green roots, but you won't know if there are any dead roots until the sphag is completely removed. Then give it a real good rinse under the running water to ensure all the sphag has been removed.

Cut the dead roots off with sterilized tool and pot in a clear Orchid pot with lots of holes. Do you have Orchid potting media at home (no soil)? If you don't, you can follow my instructions above until you have whatever potting media you want to use.

I wouldn't water this plant for at least 10-12 days, depending on the media you will be potting her in.

Also, please do not use ice cubes, much too cold for a tropical plant. Use only room temperature or tepid/mild water. Ice cubes are more of a marketing technique than anything else!

Good luck and let us know how she does!

How can I decide on an appropriate potting mix? I honestly don't have anything but perlite and the cacti soil, i keep succulents. When you say orchid pot, how do I know if it's for orchids? Also, how much should i be watering the orchids per week? 1/4 cup?

Oh and how do i know if the roots are dead too?

Dead roots are brown and maybe also be mushy. If they're green, they are healthy.

You can find Orchid pots online at Amazon...they're specifically labeled for Orchids. They're clear plastic pots with lots of holes on the underside. You can make extra holes on the side to allow for more aeration.

There are many different types of Orchid mixes on the market, and I've tried several with no real preference. I love the mixes from www.rePotme.com They also have Orchid pots too! Their site also has lots of great articles too!

Since I have 2 orchids, would it possible to put them in one pot?

Amelia, even though you are growing your orchid indoors, it is helpful if you tell the posters where you are in the USA.

As for the spag, even it is fine if you you can control your watering instincts.

Look at the Phalaenopsis leaves. They store water!

Anyway, note what is in the previous posts. Find some complete culture notes written for where you are and proceed from there.

I have 12 Phalaenopsis orchids. They are potted one per pot.

I have 19 Phals potted one per pot too, like arthurm.

Amerlia, if you decide to use Better-Gro or another bark mix, be sure to soak it for a couple of hours before using it. When I have used Better-Gro Orchid mix, I would measure out how much I need (right in the pot I planned on using), then transfer to another pan/dish, pour hot "coffee pot" water on it and let it soak until cooled down. If the bark is not soaked first, it will be very difficult for the bark to soak up water from future waterings, and soaking makes it so much easier to work with.

Speaking of waterings, I do a combo of goldstar's #1 and #2 above. I bring my Phals to the sink, flush each one under tepid water (to remove salts from any previous feedings), then I fill up the sink with tepid water and let the Phals "bathe" for a good 15-20 minutes. This method works for me, but #1 above might work better for you since you have 2 Orchids.

Goldstar is correct, don't water your Phals on a schedule. The roots and the weight of the pot are the best indicator of when they need watering. As many people say, if you're not sure you should water today, wait another day!

One more advise. If you use softener , do not use such water for orchids. For example, our house has well and softener, I used bottled water for my plants. Eventually we installed reverse osmosis, and now I use only RO water.