Terrarium Newbie

[eeeeemo]

Hello guys.

Finally decided to start one of my own. i am very new and despite reading from many other sites i am still very unsure about things.

How many types of substrates are there for terrariums/paludariums?
I see mud soil, clay pellets and some use gex soil.. any recommendations for a newbie who is most probably going to do a lot of readjustments and i do not want it to get messy?

What moss is used for terrariums?? how come some of the moss looks dead dried and some people use Taiwan moss?

[eeeeemo]

i plan on keeping frogs and fishes.. but i only have space for a one footer.. how do i make my one foot glass cube into a paludarium tank??

[Fei Miao]

This is my 1 foot cube set-up some time back

[Verminator]

1ft for frogs and fishes sounds a bit cramp no?

Thats my only concern

[eeeeemo]

oo at most i would leave the frogs out..
fei miao, did you have a cover for your 1ft cube? got any pic of the filtration system? how did you stack the plants up so high?

[Verminator]

Even so, for fish, if you were to have swimming space the size of fei miao here for example its still very very small. Depends on what you can achieve personally. I honestly think its a little too small a tank to acomplish a living space for fish that wouldnt be classed as "cramp" or in breech of its well being.

Just my two cents.

[Delwin]

A very small fish may be kept for this small tank

[Fei Miao]

A few rasbora maculatas or similar species would be fine. I used to have a pair of firebelly newts here.

Height can be gained by using wood, the base is build with rocks.

There's a small power head that create a little creek head with water flowing out, when i kept small frogs or newts, yes, it has a DIY mesh covering with a small pc fan on it to cool the temperature.

[eeeeemo]

i was thinking in the line of a pair or trio of pencil fishes. want to try breeding them as i noticed last week the female is spawning quite often but eggs mostly eaten up by every other fish in the tank.

thanks for your concern verminator. i will try my best not to overcrowd. i am very particular about water quality.

will try to work something out next weekend and post some pictures =)

BTW i have created a styrafoam background but i am quite clueless to how to paint it up. heard have to apply a layer of something over the postal paint..
what is that something?

[Fei Miao]

Take a look here on making background, perhaps it might help

[eeeeemo]

this is the background that i made (unpainted)


Some stuff i bought today.
from left: biogravel, silicon mini spray bar and tree bark.


fei miao. thanks for the reference.. i noticed if you use the flame on the entire wall it will look even more natural.... compare my homemade background and the tutorial background.

what are the different filtration systems? some people raise the bottom with planting baskets.. some use spray bars.. some use split tubes to spread the water flow..
what are the different systems used best for??

[Fei Miao]

Your background looks good.

Philippe that is the real master in making backgrounds.

IMO, there's really no "best" system, it's a matter of personal choice and what's best suited to the tank design, my 1 feet cube had only a small powerhead, one guideline I always plan it so that the powerhead must be easy accessible for maintenance and cleaning or replacement.

[eeeeemo]

i will try to follow this filtration system..
i have decided to use the bark as background rather than the homemade wall as i do not have to spend money on the paint and other stuff. also the bark bends into a semi-D at the back, allowing space for unsightly cables and tubes.

this is my guide for now! i have decided on a vivarium instead of a paludarium.
when i get better at this or at least figure pure terra plants out only then will i try out paludariums!

http://www.my-mac.net/forum/viewtopic.php?t=1141

my maindrain is horrible... so i can't really make out what the posts are about. following the pictures only..
i believe that person is using coconut husk.
where do i get them? pluck from coconut?
what is its purpose?

if i spray water. will some plants/frogs hate it?

[eeeeemo]

do the spaghum moss grow into green mosses??? or are they only useful for retaining moisture? can i grow riccia on them?
if i spray water like this person: http://www.my-mac.net/forum/viewtopic.php?t=1141
is it too wet for the plants?

i plan to have.. ferns, mosses, crytocorynes, riccia, downoi, maybe hopefully gingers and eriocaulons....

[eeeeemo]

hmmm anyone can advise the above??

[Simon]

There are cases which the dried spaghnum moss come alive but the chances are very slim, live ones are only available oversea. As spahgnum retains water content some more sensitive plants will get root rot, however that is for terrestrial plants. You can try growing moss on them, as for riccia, I haven't seen anyone keeping emersed form

[eeeeemo]

this is my scape...


the top right portion will be the land section and the bottom left will be submerged in a very low level of water.. the pump is on the top left of the tank behind a dirftwood.

if i were to have land plants in such a setup.. i need to top up the land section with soil right?? or is sphagnum moss enough? i read i need a .5 inch clearance from the planting substrate to the water level at least. since i already have water soaking the bottom.. do i even need sphagnum moss??

went to far east flora today.
i would love to keep a venus fly trap!!!

i saw air plants that has eriocaulon looking shapes... will get those to to hang on the driftwood. riccia or HC will cover the land.. which ever is available. and nana petites cover gaps between driftwoods in the water part.

[Verminator]

I'd suggest HC lawn, easier to achieve than riccia. Not sure if riccia can be kepy emmersed? HC you'll have alot more advice available to you, as more people have tried it emmersed than riccia. Nice little set up. The distance between where you plan to have water to that on land looks less than 5inch (it may jsut be camera angle though)

[Verminator]

Whats in the cage behind

[eeeeemo]

there is a chinchilla in the cage! =)

i went shopping today. heh heh
mixed perlite + peat moss. 50/50 as substrate.
topped it up with sphagnum moss.

also bought a red tillandsia concolour to attach to the driftwood. will update pictures soon!