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Thread: 2 ft Paludarium journal

  1. #1
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    2 ft Paludarium journal

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    Hi all, is inspired by many nice paludariums on the web as well as this forum, so I decided to set up one since I have a empty 2 ft tank lying around.

    Intend to house ferns, mosses, crypts, bucephalandra etc in this tank.

    2014-10-17 14.42.32.jpg
    Had done up the elevated portion... should have used black crate, but it would be covered later so I guess it should be alright.

    2014-10-17 17.09.22.jpg

    Originally intended to use cork bark for the background, but I can't find it. So I decided to use felt instead (got it from Artfriend). Would be installing drip bar above the 3 walls. Have also made pockets in the felt to slot in plants (got the idea from Green walls). Right now it is looking very artificial, hope it would be saturated with plants and mosses in future.

    Would be covering the crate with mesh and also positioning the rocks and driftwood that I got...

    More updates to come...

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    Re: 2 ft Paludarium journal

    Nice DIY work.

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    Re: 2 ft Paludarium journal

    Thank you whitedash

    Been working on the tank for the past days after work, some more updates;

    3.jpg4.jpg5.jpg
    Added mesh, driftwood and some rocks to get a feel of the tank..
    Also installed the drip bars.

    6.jpg7.jpg
    The black mesh isn't very secure, so I added some coco fibre mats...
    Going to add the gravel and soil next.

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    Re: 2 ft Paludarium journal

    8.jpg9.jpg
    Next, added gravel, soil and sand. Have used some dried sphagnum moss at the edge to stop the soil and falling off the edges.

    10.jpg11.jpg
    Added water and water test.. it seems to be working okay.

    Now I can't wait to add plants in !!

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    Re: 2 ft Paludarium journal

    Very interesting idea on the set up! I have a few questions:

    1) How do you really support the base plate for your elevated section?
    2) Is the corner 'lobang' meant for a pump? If so, where is your water outlet? Also, is your inlet obstructed by the mesh and mats?
    3) What are you using as the cover?
    4) Are you intending to house any fauna?

    Thanks
    Read me! :bigsmile: http://justikanz.blogspot.com/

    I'm crypt collecting... Starting cheap, now have Cryptocoryne beckettii, C.beckettii var petchii, C.crispatula var.balansae, C.griffithii(Melted! ), C.nurii, C.parva, C.pygmaea(Melted! ), C.tonkinensis(Melted! ), C.walkeri, C.wendtii 'Brown', C.wendtii 'Green', C.wendtii 'Green Gecko', C.wendtii 'Tropica' and Cryptocoryne x willisii

    Oh, juggling is hard work, man!...

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    Re: 2 ft Paludarium journal

    Hi Justikanz, would be glad to answer your questions ;

    1) The base is really just supported by using the crate as "legs". Not strong, but sufficient to support about 2 kg with no problem. I am only using a relatively thin layer of soil on top, so the strength is sufficient.

    2) Yes, the corner lobang is for the pump access. Water outlet is straight up to the rain bars.

    3) You mean cover for the base? I used one layer of very fine mesh, those mesh that are used to make shrimp nets. Followed by rough mesh (I just used the black plant shade cover that I got from Daiso).

    4) Initially I thought of housing frogs / small crabs, but think again, I would go fauna-less. I think if I kept fauna, the fauna would also sneak into the lobang into the pump area and maybe die.

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    Re: 2 ft Paludarium journal

    Some updates...

    12.jpg13.jpg
    Bought a new light - Up-aqua pro led z20. The light is bright but very pinkish... But I think it is good for plant growth, so it's okay. Maybe the pinkish-ness would be less obvious once the tank is full of green plants.

    Added some crypts, HC, riccia, taiwan & flame moss, bucephalandra from old tank, some rotalas (trying emersed)...

    The mosses are just pasted on the wall. They stick very well on the wet and rough surface of the felt!

    Hope the plants would grow fast Plan to DIY a small fan for the tank next... the air is kind of stagnant in the tank, which is bad.


    Please feel free to comment on how to improve! It's my first time trying a paludarium, I don't know what I did right or wrong really... But my aim is to have a tank with very lush emersed moss growth.

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    Re: 2 ft Paludarium journal

    Quote Originally Posted by gorilla83 View Post
    Bought a new light - Up-aqua pro led z20. The light is bright but very pinkish... But I think it is good for plant growth, so it's okay. Maybe the pinkish-ness would be less obvious once the tank is full of green plants.
    The Z-Series lights are supposed to be whitish-bluish... i think they seem pinkish in the tank because the side walls have those light brownish colored felt mats, so the lights reflect off them and combine to cast a pink-orange color hue to the rest of the tank.

    But yeah, once the plants grow in and the green moss cover the felt mats, the overall color hue in the tank should change.
    :: Urban Aquaria ::
    www.urbanaquaria.com

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    Re: 2 ft Paludarium journal

    Thanks for the reply... Sorry, more queries...

    1) The base is really just supported by using the crate as "legs". Not strong, but sufficient to support about 2 kg with no problem. I am only using a relatively thin layer of soil on top, so the strength is sufficient.
    This is a good method that can increase the water volume. I will try this out in my next project!

    2) Yes, the corner lobang is for the pump access. Water outlet is straight up to the rain bars.
    Wouldn't the water flow be restricted by the coconut husk mats?

    3) You mean cover for the base? I used one layer of very fine mesh, those mesh that are used to make shrimp nets. Followed by rough mesh (I just used the black plant shade cover that I got from Daiso).
    Sorry, I meant to ask the tank cover. You will need to maintain a high humidity in the tank and keeping the tank cool at the same time?

    4) Initially I thought of housing frogs / small crabs, but think again, I would go fauna-less. I think if I kept fauna, the fauna would also sneak into the lobang into the pump area and maybe die.
    I will think some fish will be necessary? Frogs will be great but you will need to cover the holes of the wall mats...
    Read me! :bigsmile: http://justikanz.blogspot.com/

    I'm crypt collecting... Starting cheap, now have Cryptocoryne beckettii, C.beckettii var petchii, C.crispatula var.balansae, C.griffithii(Melted! ), C.nurii, C.parva, C.pygmaea(Melted! ), C.tonkinensis(Melted! ), C.walkeri, C.wendtii 'Brown', C.wendtii 'Green', C.wendtii 'Green Gecko', C.wendtii 'Tropica' and Cryptocoryne x willisii

    Oh, juggling is hard work, man!...

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    Re: 2 ft Paludarium journal

    Quote Originally Posted by Urban Aquaria View Post
    The Z-Series lights are supposed to be whitish-bluish... i think they seem pinkish in the tank because the side walls have those light brownish colored felt mats, so the lights reflect off them and combine to cast a pink-orange color hue to the rest of the tank.

    But yeah, once the plants grow in and the green moss cover the felt mats, the overall color hue in the tank should change.
    never thought of this yea, maybe this is the reason for the pinkish cast

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    Re: 2 ft Paludarium journal

    Quote Originally Posted by Justikanz View Post
    Thanks for the reply... Sorry, more queries...



    This is a good method that can increase the water volume. I will try this out in my next project!



    Wouldn't the water flow be restricted by the coconut husk mats?



    Sorry, I meant to ask the tank cover. You will need to maintain a high humidity in the tank and keeping the tank cool at the same time?



    I will think some fish will be necessary? Frogs will be great but you will need to cover the holes of the wall mats...
    Water flow doesn't get restricted by the coco mat, because the main flow is straight down the felt mats to the back of the tank. A small dribble of water flows down the drift wood to the centre water area, but this flow is not restricted too, because the flow is small and also there are some gaps in the coco mat.


    Yes, I found that covering the tank increases the temperature by about 2 degrees higher than ambient temperature. So I need to add a fan soon!

    Maybe I will add some tiny fish like boraras brigittae or galaxy rasbora when the tank is fully mature

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    Some photo updates after a month

    Dear all, some updates after a month... Added more wild mosses on the driftwood, a sundew, ludwidgia repens, mini pelia, fissidens, hydrocotyle sibthorpioides etc. Moss wall is spreading slowly, hope it grows thicker. Still many bare patches in the soil that I don't know what plants to add yet.

    14.jpg 15.jpg 16.jpg 17.jpg

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    Re: 2 ft Paludarium journal

    May i ask what is the purpose of the slant wall at the left hand corner?
    I keep sulawesi shrimps, tetras, birds, exotic pets, herptiles and monster fishes.

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    Re: 2 ft Paludarium journal

    Nice...
    if you want a fast growing moss wall on all the panels
    check this out....

    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GBsIljmgm7o

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    Re: 2 ft Paludarium journal

    Quote Originally Posted by kennethc View Post
    May i ask what is the purpose of the slant wall at the left hand corner?
    Hi kennethc, actually the slant wall is due to the opening for the water pump, so had to place the wall that way.

    Intend to keep vampire crabs in the paludarium in future, so will be blocking the opening with a triangular mesh soon.

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    Re: 2 ft Paludarium journal

    Quote Originally Posted by zerofighterx101 View Post
    Nice...
    if you want a fast growing moss wall on all the panels
    check this out....

    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GBsIljmgm7o
    Thanks zerofighterx101 !

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    Re: 2 ft Paludarium journal

    Hi all, some photo updates during this festive season...

    Recently, wanted to add some fauna into the tank, so I got a Geosesarma crab into the tank, but took it out after a few days after finding out that it likes to eat some of my plants in the tank it munched on my drosera and also ate my bucephalandra leaves Here's a photo of my tank earlier with the crab in it
    phot.jpg

    Recently also tried taking the photos with a better camera instead of my handphone. The photos turned out much clearer.

    Trying some close-up shots...

    Mini anubias
    DSCN1208.jpgDSCN1209.jpg

    Some mosses
    DSCN1211.jpgDSCN1212.jpg

    continued below...

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    Re: 2 ft Paludarium journal

    can't attach any more images.. it says exceed quota..

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    Re: 2 ft Paludarium journal

    have to use photo hosting like photobucket or just delete old pictures

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    Re: 2 ft Paludarium journal

    Quote Originally Posted by limz_777 View Post
    have to use photo hosting like photobucket or just delete old pictures
    Thanks limz_777!

    To continue from previous post...

    Bolbitis growing new leaves...


    Added some new Bucephalandra and Crypt Parva... I can only grow semi-aquatic plants in the tank, as the substrate is continuously wet.


    Wire vine growing slowly


    Frontal tank shot
    Have blocked off the openings at the left side... Now trying to keep 2 small feeder frogs


    One of the 2 feeder frogs... I'm not sure what frog it is.. but I think it looks like a juvenile field frog with yellow stripe on it's back.
    http://www.ecologyasia.com/verts/amp...field_frog.htm


    The other frog with green stripe... I think the frog likes the environment.. The tank is full of springtails for them to eat. Also feeds them small crickets occasionally.

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