my dream of a paladarium

[FireFly_1976]

I am moving in a month to a new apartment, and I plan to stay there a few years until I buy a house. So, I am finally setting up all my huge fish tanks at once, and am planning on actually making my dream of a paladarium. I plan to do it slowly over time, starting with the construction of the land/water feataures, then adding plants, and once those are established adding the fish and animals. (Fish first, after they are settled, animals).

I am using a 60gallon tank (same dimensions as a 55g, a little taller), and I am creating the land on a false bottom so that I can maximize water space for fish. (I have the fish I want picked out, and I want to focus more on fish than land animals. I plan to do an African butterfly fish (very cool, eats crickets), a school of about six African Spotted leaf fish (ctenopoma), and a good sized school of cories. (not sure what kind, or maybe a couple kinds....) I may also add a bushy nosed pleco or two.) I've not at all decided on the land critters, I want something not too hard, but also kinda cool. I'd like frogs, but I'm not sure what can go with the large water feature--I don't want drowning. I'd love to do a PDF tank again, but I know the water feature will be a problem for them, unless I screen off the main water from the land, but I don't think I want to do that. I was wondering if Reed frogs would work, but I'm not sure I can find ones big enough for my taste--I'd rather not do fruit flies either (again rules out PDF). I might just do anoles or something simple, but I'd like a little more of a challenge. At any rate, I've got tons of time to think of that, as those are last on my list to add.

For the construction, I want to keep it kinda simple,but I also want it to look good. I don't really want to use bent acrylic, though it would look cool, and more natural. I'm thinking of square glass or acrylic (though the tank is glass, and I think silicone and glass will adhere better) on one side of the tank, about 1/2-2/3 up the tank (maybe 12" or so of water depth--again, my focus is more the fish, but it's about a 20" tall tank, so I will still have some room for land critters...). I would probably have half the tank with land, and then the other half open water. Water would of course go under the land as a false bottom..... I would then probably use a close to exact fit rubbermaid type container on top of the glass bottom to hold substrate and plants and such. I would use a foam/fake rock type thing to make the edges more natural and make it look nice. I plan to use cork bark or coconut fiber on the dry portion of the background. I will have a small river/waterfall feature going diagonally across the land section into the pool. I plan to use a cannister filter to make this happen, with the water flowing from the filter down to the pool, and then the opposite tube in the far end of the tank for return. I'll hide this with slate/plants/driftwood. I figure then I can have easy access to cleaning the filter without having to bother the tank much. I'm not sure if I need supports for the shelf of land (pvc piping or something) rather than just having it attached at the sides with silicone. I'm sure I do, but I don't really want the look of the supports... maybe I can hide them with rocks/plants/etc.
I plan to use a flourite substrate, with some river rock over it, and driftwood and slate for aquascaping. As for water plants I like both emmersed and submersed. I plan to use java fern and moss, anubias (in the driftwood, growing in and out of the water), and some water wisteria. Dunno what else, but I'll probably have other stuff, depending on what I like that looks good together. Some stem plants for sure.
On the land side of plants, I would like some of this cool purple stuff (I forget the name) that occasionally comes in our store as a water plant but dies in the water right away. (def. a land plant...) I may do an African violet or two, if I can get them to work (I like them in all land set ups, I've never done a land/water mix though--just all land or all water). I like croton, but not sure if it will work. I'd love a spot for an orchid or two, if I can make that work too. (again, have to think how the large water feature will affect the land plants). I would like to put some bromeliads on the background for sure. Not overboard, but one or two lil ones. Even if I don't have PDF to breed in them... I'm sure some other succulents will work on the land side too.

Any tips on my construction plan would be nice. I've never used the foam stuff before, but I think it's a best bet. I can sillicone pebbles/coconut etc. on it to make it look nicer, and I can use some larger river rock for decor, and to help the river/waterfall feature flow the way I want it to. I'm thinking of an L design for my false bottom. One that goes all the way across the short side of the tank, and a little ways out into the long side. If I do that, I'm sure I'll need to support the glass some how. I know people use egg crate for bottoms, maybe I'll do that, but I'm not sure if it will adhere as well to the glass as glass would. I don't care how long this takes to get set up, I want it to be right, and not have to re-do bad designs. I'm going slow and steady, to make it right, and I want it to be safe/healthy for the animals when I add them. Plus, I can budget better if I do it a bit at a time. I can get the scenery set up and running and working, then slowly add plants then after a while slowly add fish and then the land critters. I think the tank is big enough I can do some nice things with it, but it's not too huge to be daunting. (my 125 gallon tank will still be my cichlid tank, not going to be a paladarium!!).

(oh, I'm thinking I'll have about 30-40 gallons of water in the tank, so if my fish seem a tad over croweded, it's o.k. I'm great with water changes (own a python) there should be plenty of surface area for the fish, and I definitely know fish. I know all land set-ups too, I'm just wanting to mix them for the first time...)

I will post pics as I go, and definitely the final results as well. I'd be grateful for any feedback.
As I get closer to adding live stuff (flora and fauna) I'll probably post in the other sections for advice on that too. Right now I'm interested in the main construction phase.

Edited to add:
what if I extended the top of the tank with screening/plexiglass/glass to increase the land area height, without lowering the water. I could maybe then even have more water in the tank. I just saw some pics of someone who did that. How hard would that be? Just a thought. Dunno yet on final design, definitely still in the planning stage!

Thanks,
Emily

[Rainfrog]

I would say air on the side of caution when it comes to support pillars. you dont want your island crashing into the sea. Using Rubbermaid type containers should work but I would suggest lining the sides along the bottom area with small holes then putting afew inches of exspanded clay, small stones or gravel down as a drainage layer. then cover this with mesh screen to keep your substrate from falling in and clogging up the works. This way your excess water from plants and misting the critters above would simply drain off in to the water of the tank leaving you less maintenance. watch the butterfly fish, they will eat small critters. Keep that in mind when you select inhabitants.

[FireFly_1976]

Thanks for the reply, yup everything will be big enough not to be eaten by each other for sure. (even if it means growing out some smaller critters until they are too big to be eaten). I do plan to put drainage in the containers. Possibly even some tubing for drainage--the glass supports wouldn't have holes, but maybe I'll go the egg crate route. Just have to figure out how to make it look good and be functional. Not entirely sure on that design, but I don't want a swampy mess! And I'm thinking you are right on the support pillars. I definitely don't want a disaster. Perhaps I can cover them with silicone and sand or something to add a camouflage. I'll play with pillars and camouflage before I put in my design.

Emily