Help with 20 gallon tank~~~~~~~~~~~

[nodaisycutting]

I want to start a paludarium and I only have an old 20 gallon tank. Will this be enough room to fit water and land?

P.S. Also, what kind of plants are good for paludariums?

Thanks bunches

[Epiphile]

You can have a look at mine here for some ideas- it's in a 20G high:

http://www.vivariumforum.com/communi...aludarium.html

Here's what I have in there currently:

Above water
Ficus pumila
Gastrochilus japonicus
Hydrocotyle sibthorpioides
Microsorum thailandicum
Phalaenopsis equestris
Taxiphyllum barbieri (I know, I know- probably stretching it, locality-wise)
+ 3 unidentified tropical moss species

Below water
Monosolenium tenerum
Rotala rotundifolia
Rotala sp. 'Nanjenshan'
Taxiphyllum alternans

Fauna
Neocaridina heteropoda

[claymore]

The one thing I've noticed is, the smaller the tank the more difficult the water section is going to be to setup.

Maybe it's just me...

I think a 20 gal will work nicely.

[DazzleDiscus]

Here are some plants that you might find of interest:

Aquatic:

mosaic plant
duckweed (very invasive in most areas - DO NOT throw out in the trash- should be burned.)
Java fern
parrots feather



Terrestrial:

dwarf mondo grass
Japanese rush plant - Acorus pussilus (and other varieties of Acorus) It has a nice grass look to it.
Arrowhead plants
Aquatic "Sword plants" also do very well when grown in moist areas. They have a different look to them than when they are grown submersed, but they still look great.
pothos (over-rated in my opinion... it is everywhere! lol but is great plant- I still have some in one of my vives.)
MOSS MOSS and MOSS!!! <3

Java moss and riccia are both nice looking and can do well in both the aquatic and terrestial areas (as long as they are kept moist).

Here: this link will give you more ideas. Basically a riparium is the same as a paludarium (please no bashing from the dictionaryists lol). hydrophytesblog.com

If you have a hard time finding a plant you like, try posting a want add at herp and aquarium forums, post a thread on craigslist, or check ebay and other sites. You should be able to get these plants fairly cheap. Or you can ask around here too I'm sure someone wouldn't mind giving you some of their pothos snippings lol

[DazzleDiscus]

Sorry-- not all of those plants may work for a 20gal... *blushes* I wasn't paying too much attention to size... they are so many choices for palu plants! ^^

[eos]

Originally Posted by Epiphile

You can have a look at mine here for some ideas- it's in a 20G high:

http://www.vivariumforum.com/communi...aludarium.html

Here's what I have in there currently:

Above water
Ficus pumila
Gastrochilus japonicus
Hydrocotyle sibthorpioides
Microsorum thailandicum
Phalaenopsis equestris
Taxiphyllum barbieri (I know, I know- probably stretching it, locality-wise)
+ 3 unidentified tropical moss species

Below water
Monosolenium tenerum
Rotala rotundifolia
Rotala sp. 'Nanjenshan'
Taxiphyllum alternans

Fauna
Neocaridina heteropoda

Don't mean to jack the thread, but that's a damn nice looking palu!

[Kyle The Toad]

What are the dimensions of this tank?

[Epiphile]

Originally Posted by eos

Don't mean to jack the thread, but that's a damn nice looking palu!

Say, thanks.

I guess I should have noted that there isn't really a land area anywhere. Still, though, it may give you some ideas of how it can work. I think a 20G is a great size to work with for something like this.