Newbie help

[FelixFelicis]

I came across this forum yesterday and have been having a good read through all the threads - some great setups and great advice people

I recently got my old 40 litre aquarium down from the loft intending to put my corn snake into it, but to be honest it is not much bigger than what she is in now. I was thinking of what else I could put into it and came up with Fire-Bellied Toads, which got me looking at housing for them. I came across paludariums (I have to admit I never knew they had a specific name!) and have been amazed by the creativity that is put into them! Being a creative and artistic person, of course I have to give it a go!

Now, I am a complete beginner to this so I have some questions. I have been finding out bits of info here and there but I'm having trouble finding definitive answers to certain things.

First off - what are the differences between using a glass divider or a false-bottom? What are the advantages/disadvantages?

What exactly is eggcrate and where do you get it from(I live in the UK)? Are there different types? Does it easily cut to shape?

I have seen people use mesh over the eggcrate, I assume to keep the substrate from falling into the water. Is it advisible to use this, and where can you get it from?

What is "GS"? Is that some sort of expandable foam? Can it be applied directly to glass or should it be put on eggcrate or something?

When people talk about leaving it to "cure", what exactly do they mean?


I think that's it for now... thanks all

[CLennerton]

Hey welcome,

eggcrate is just light diffuser, and you can get it from any hardware store (not sure what you have in UK). I know there are different colours, not sure if there are different types. GS is just great stuff which is an expanding foam and I am pretty sure (correct me if I'm wrong) it can be applied directly to glass. Curing is to let the chemicals dissipate , usually soaking it or letting it air out.

[xashc200]

In the UK the only place i know for sure that you will find egg crate is if you go online and look at aquatics suppliers for marine saltwater aquariums. also a good aquatic store that sells reef aquaria and equipment may have it.. I also had trouble finding it so in the end i improvised with a plastic patio tile from a homebase type store. it works just as well.

you will want to cover eggcrate with mesh or the material from the garden centre that stops weeds from growing, then add a thick layer of gravel before adding the soil.. this will keep the soil from falling through the eggcrate, and the gravel will prevent the soil from water logging.

i personally prefer eggcrate over glass divider, because it is fully drainable. with a divider, water can build up underneeth the substrate..

The method i chose is described in my thread 'paludarium build log'.
so far everything has been working to plan and all the plants are doing great. good luck with your build