Newbie First Palidarium

CLennerton · #1 09-30-2010, 05:41 PM

So I am fairly new to this as I have never done anything like this before. I am getting a 90 gallon tank that measures 3ft long x 2ft wide x 2ft tall. I want to make it so that the front half or a little bit less is water and the back is land. On the right side I want (about 6 inches) I want the water to go all the way to the back. So the water portion of this will look like an L shape. In the back right corner I want to build a water that also filters the water. I have been looking throughout this site (among others) and have decided that I am going to use egg crate to build the land and waterfall. I want it to be a false bottom.

On the land portion I want there to be some ledges and I am going to add driftwood so that the animals have something to climb on. I am not sure what kind of animals yet, I was thinking of newts, tree frogs, or some other kind of small lizard. The plants I am not sure what I want to add either, some moss, vines and some other kind of colourful plant.

On the water portion I am also going to add some water plants (again not sure yet) as well as some small fish.

Since I will be using a false bottom and the excess water will drain into the pond water, what is the best way to set this up so that I don't get soil from the land side to go into the water underneath it?

Right now I am just looking for ideas and suggestions. I don't have the tank right now, should be getting it in the next week or so. As soon as I get the tank I will start to get the egg crate and start construction. I am trying to do this as cheap as possible.

beckdg · #2 10-01-2010, 09:56 AM

welcome to the site.

have you checked out the stickies? i think you'll get a lot of inspiration, ideas and current/future questions answered by taking a stroll through them.

Judy S · #3 10-01-2010, 10:56 AM

saw your post about the two elements....I'd been mulling over a similiar setup with fire bellied toads and Endlers live bearers in the water portion. Have done some background work into the logistics and decided the only/best way to keep the water clean, land from becoming saturated...was to have glass panels cut to form the separation of land/water. It would have to be glass to be siliconed to the glass tank as my extensive research... shows that silicone will bond for a long period of time to glass. Silicone does not make a good, long-term bond to glass using acrylic as the separation ingredient... Also found out that there are not too many frogs that would like the water element, but that the FBTs would..any of them, however, need some way to escape easily....I'm working out the details in my mind before I get the glass cut...but am sorta close to attempting it. Unlike you, I'm not going to do a false bottom, using a good base for the terrestrial plants with a tube running under the strata to suck out excessive water...the open end buried in some sort of material that would resist clogging. Keep us posted...

CLennerton · #4 10-01-2010, 04:41 PM

I have decided that I am going to do use PVC tubing to hold up egg crate so that I can I start the land about 1.5" - 2" above the bottom so that when I add fish they have a lot more room to swim around. In one of the corners I am going to create a waterfall using a pump and just using the egg crate to block out the fish from swimming in there.

I have been looking/reading a lot on this forum to get ideas and I have found plenty of different ideas and designs. I saw on another forum someone that created something similar to what I am going to do and he used nylon mesh under all his substrate to keep the soil from getting into the water. I have also decided that I am going to make my background using cork bark and for the l and portion I am going to get a nice piece of driftwood and have some of it hang over the water, like a branch or something. I am thinking of growing some moss along the driftwood to give it some character. I will be adding other small plants (no idea yet). I am thinking of making some sort of hill and have some plants on that as well. This is what I think I am pretty much set on, but once I start construction I am sure some of the things will change.

Here is the link to that other paludarium that I was talking about...

victri.net

beckdg · #5 10-01-2010, 06:51 PM

good places to buy... please add to it!

http://www.aquaticplantcentral.com/f...finder/all.php

PlantGeek.net - Plant Guide

Tropica Aquarium Plants - Plant list A-Z

should give you a good bit of plants to consider.

EDIT: http://www.plantedtank.net/forums/myplants/

CLennerton · #6 10-01-2010, 08:57 PM

thanks for the links. They are very helpful. I will keep you posted as I start construction soon

beckdg · #7 10-02-2010, 07:03 AM

no problem! sounds good.

CLennerton · #8 10-10-2010, 05:57 PM

I am in the middle of drawing up some different designs, and I have seen people adding computer fans into their paludarium. Is this needed or can you get away with not adding it?

beckdg · #9 10-11-2010, 03:40 AM

depends on the setup and your goals. sometimes folks get done and proud of their setup... and 3 days later can't see through the glass due to condensation or get totally bummed when their new setup becomes totally covered in mold. a fan can help to avoid such issues.... or keep the heat from the bulbs from overheating a setup.

CLennerton · #10 10-11-2010, 12:57 PM

ok well I have pretty much made up my mind on how I want it layed out, however I am still waiting on the tank from my girlfriends uncle. (he is trying to get rid of the fish that are currently occupying the tank). I have decided that I am going to put the waterfall in the back right corner to filter the water. I am going to use a FB as my base. I am going to have a pond that goes around the land. I am going to get some driftwood so that it can hang over the water and rest on the waterfall. On the back left I want to make a hill. The bg I am still debating wether or not to make it with ledges for creatures to climb on, or just make a moss bg. Here is a picture of what I have drawn, hopefully this make sense.