New Paludarium 20 Gal. Ex Tall (Need Some Advice)

[ctown30]

Hello, I am looking to start building a paludarium. I am currently in the planning stages and am looking into cost/items im going to need. So I have some questions that I was hoping some of you could help me answer.

1. I am looking to add a water feature (waterfall) and was wondering if an over the tank filter such as the AquaClear Power filters would have enough suction power to suck water up from then bottom of the tank (8" of water in a 24" tall tank), or should i go with an underwater filter such as the Fluval U series?

2. I am also looking to have fish in the paludarium, along with some anole lizzards and possibly some tree frogs. I am also looking to have live plants above and below water. What would be the best lighting for this, would just a single flourescent UVB bulb take care of it all?

So far my idea is using a 20 gallon extra high tank 20 x 10 x 24", a filter to clean and power the waterfall, using plexiglass to seperate the land and water and then using stone and wood to make a natural flow between the two, and then planting plants in the water and then having plants and branches on the land part with the waterfall weaving in and out. Let me know if you have any suggestion and I will keep everyone updated thoughout the build process of this tank. Thanks!

P.S. - I will post a plan for it up soon (as soon as I can figure out how to draw it lol).

[shibbyplustax]

i have just finished a similar set up and i am currently running two flourescents, one in the front and one in the back of the tank. although it has not been up for that long ( about 2 weeks) everything seems to be doing okay. i am currently cycling the water section and plan on putting in some fish in the next week or so. As far as a filter goes i have a small submersible filter running up to the waterfall and another more powerfull submersible at the bottom. i dont think an over the tank filter can provide enough suction to pull the water up that high. in my experience if i let my fish tank water evaporate to much, the filter would actually stop working cause it wasnt strong enough to pull the water up that far. you can also go with a external canister filter which would not only work better but you would have easier access if you need to clean or fix it. i wouldnt recommend mixing tree frogs and anoles because the tend to access the same areas of the tank. if i were you and wanted to get some sort of frog and lizard, i would go with an anole and a ground dwelling frog or toad, this way there is less interaction. right now in my other tank which i plan to move into my new tank, i have 2 firebellied toads and 2 anoles. alot of people say that they should not be housed together due to the fact that the FBT are poisonous and you shouldnt really mix anyway, but my 40 gallon tall tank provides plenty of space so where they dont interact. the anoles spend most of the time at the top of the tank and the toads spend their time at the bottom. anyway i hope this helps and if youd like i can upload a picture of my newly finished 20 gallon extra high paludarium to give you some ideas/help.
-sean