paludarium ideas

[teddyzaper]

Ok so this is just my second post but im already feeling attached to you guys lol. i really want to do a palu in my 55gal tank so i formed an idea on how to do a island style palu. i will put a sketch in the pictures but ill try and explain it as best as i can.

I will start out by making a faux rock wall with holes for plants on the back with islands jutting out of it with pillars and a river in one of them. the river will come from the out-take of my canister filter. the intake will be under the same island section. there will be a second island in the center of the tank with some land section connecting them, there will also be a bunch of driftwood to connect the water to the land in case an animal gets stuck in the water. ill post a picture, please help me on anything that looks wierd or wrong, or wont work. also what types of lamps do i need for anphibians? Thanks! please post comments and additional ideas.

sorry i cant find my cammera, tommorrow ill make a 3d model on google sketch so you can see my plan.

[beckdg]

you'll need full spectrum bulbs. most flouro, cfl's or pc's will do just fine.

[teddyzaper]

i got some 10000k 55w x2 bulbs (pretty much for aquarium plants), will that work? i dont really know if you guys here know about the light stuff or if you just go by the common names. would those lights be able to grow non aquatic lights? more questions!

can you recomend a good fogger? how do i heat the tank. a heat lamp? do they need uvb/uva light?

i think i can handle the water part but im here for the land part, would the faux rock be enought to creat the ledges? also what substrate will the land sections have, i was thinking bark or some soft wood pieces, but again i dont really know what to do so ill need some help there. also how bout carnivorous plants, are they a possibility? does the tank need to go through a cycling period like aquariums? also, what should humidity be and how do i achieve it (or is the fogger enough)? oh my! thank you so much for helping me out on this!

[beckdg]

par is par, so if your 10000k bulbs have good par they should be fine... and should penetrate well. i'm sure you're aware that lower light plants will like more reds, higher light more blues, etc. but good placement should help tremendously with filtering the light appropriately.

good fogger... homemade out of an ultrasonic humidifier. check out the stickies and my how it's done thread. to find that you'll do an advanced search... search titles only and put in the search bar... favorite links.

heating can come from one source or a combination. heat lamps, under tank heaters, ceramic heat emiters, flexwatt, heat rope and aquarium heaters can all be utilized. any of them can have a dimmer installed and some options can utilize a controller (i wouldn't use one with a light since it'll turn it off and on randomly).

most amphibians don't need uvb and uva would be provided sufficiently through just about any fluorescent or full spectrum bulb. i suspect your 10000k should do just fine there.

faux rock can certainly be made into ledges.

substrate will be relative to the setup, plants, animals and the keeper. there's lots of options you just want to stay organic, not too high in ferts (any organic growing soil should be mixed with peat, cocofober, sand, etc. to cut down on the ferts for example).

carnivorous plants i would think are definitely a possibility. however the plants and animals should be compatible. you wouldn't want tiny babies in with a very large pitcher for example. keep in mind i have no experience mixing cp's and critters.

yes, a cycling period will aid in many things. it can help to detoxify any construction materials, let the plants settle and give the soil time to "cycle" almost exactly like a fish tank would. it can also buy you time to make any adjustments with temp, humidity, etc..

humidity should be relative to the animal in question. typically pretty high for amphibians. plants chosen after ward would be according to what should do well in there and not harm the animal.

to keep humidity in will require a glass top... pretty much fully covered. misting and/or fogging should be sufficient to acquire your humidity levels. at that point a fan installed... or several... will really help to keep your front glass clear. you'll want them directed at the glass and only recirculating air from within the tank... not introducing new air or exhausting your humid air. placed correctly with enough flow they can really help to pick up the water on the surfaces and in the soil and help raise the overall humidity in the enclosure too as well as provide air flow that many plants depend on and help combat nuisance molds that can be a problem in stagnant setups.

[teddyzaper]

Thank you so much!!!!! i will look into the DIY fogger a lil later, but for now i got a few questions more.

you said something about a controler for heat, how do those work, are they like timers but instead of time its tempature (i mean its like you plug it into it and the power goes off when it gets to warm?)

i really like those little aquarium heaters that go in the substrate and are little wire/coil things, they look like they would work well because heat goes up and i dont want the water getting to warm.

can the substrate be bark chips or something that is relativly big so i dont get cloudy water, although i will get tannings, but it doesnt bother me to much.

also, those fans you were talking about, do they have magnetic ones that just stick on the glass or do i need to get one that actualy like hangs or something?

last question, is of course, what kind of creatures can i put in the palu? i know about newts, frogs, toads, and geckos, but are there any more? i want something that doesnt poop to large because i had a bad experience with a bearded dragon, its poop just smelled so bad, even if i was there to catch the poop literaly as it came out the smell would stay in the room for hours, so anything that doesnt smell to bad. i like crested geckos and green tree frogs and a lot of newts, but if you have any more recomendations i would love it so much!!!!! thank you!

[beckdg]

most controllers (reasonably priced) are simply on and off although you can pay the extra for something variable.

i'm skeptical about those for constant submersion but if they don't short out i don't see why one can't be used.

depending on what species you settle on i might be careful about bark chips. anything an animal can consume but can't pass can cause impaction which in turn can lead to death.

many of us usually use old computer fans but if you can find ones you can hang that are herp safe go for it. wouldn't want their little legs getting caught in the fan blades, etc.. usually any fans are in a hood, venting system, behind some mesh, etc. ... things that people put together when the necessity arises.

there are soooo many animals that are suited to a vivarium, i wouldn't know where to start. if you like cresties though you might like gargoyles.

definitely roam around the site for a bit and check out the link i gave you. if you dig around deep enough you'll be baffled at what you can find. there are more animals on this site alone than i care to remember... and you'll not only find the answers to most of your questions but most likely how to put them into action too. don't be afraid to use the search function either... it can be very useful in your endeavors.

[teddyzaper]

also i was looking at some stuff and i crossed over a false bottom, is that necesary or can i put fine mesh and let it go straight into the water? i have a VERY powerful filter rated for 65gallons so i dont think much can get past it other than a tint in the water. i guess ill just surf the forums for an hour or so more lol. ill also check some craft stores and stuff for a fan. as for the fogger im looking at the kind that goes under water and the fog sits on top of the water, and ill probably end up getting a mister and mist the tank for humidity, the fog was mainly for looks.

[beckdg]

there are different ways to get around the false bottom. check through the builds in the thread i referred you to as well as the stickies in the palu section and the builds on black jungle. i'm not sure how you're talking about supporting the mesh, i assume stones or a clay aggregate. if so, yes. a powerful filter may be a blessing and a curse depending how you use it. as for where to get things (like the fans) do a search for good places and you'll find my good places to buy thread. it should give you an idea where to get a wide variety of related items... many better products for less money than where you'd typically think to look. the sponsors on this site are very handy resources to have available also. some people get away with the foggers directly in the water, while others don't. i know they can be harmful and burn, maybe shock some animals when they get to close... or so i've heard. if the plan is executed well the same could be had with a humidifier.

[teddyzaper]

thank you so much! if i have any more questions ill definatly post. you dont know how badly this wouldve turned out with out you and this forum!

[beckdg]

understandable... there's a lot to think about starting from scratch. obviously, too much to cover in a day, so feel free.