My 250L paludarium to be.

Discussion in 'Members Systems' started by Vis, Dec 11, 2011.

  1. Vis

    Vis Gerhard

    Joined:
    Oct 26, 2009
    Messages:
    6,130
    Likes Received:
    132
    Location:
    Rustenburg
    Hi All

    After 2 months of struggling at my new place to get plants growing, algae and a general sad looking tank I decided I had enough.
    The only plants that really grow is my anubius , and a 63cm high tank with only a few anubias in the bottom is not very attractive.

    So after some shopping at the nursery yesterday and looking around today I decided to give the tank a new look and hopefully a happier look.

    I decided to turn it into a paludarium.
    Will over the next few weeks get all my building material and plants in place to make this happen. Have an idea of what I want so I just need to execute it.

    List of terrestrial plants I will be looking for, but will not include all of them, it will depend on availability.

    Adiantum.sp
    Ansellia gigantean
    Begonia elatior
    Calathea ornate
    callisia elegans nana
    codiaeum variegatum
    Cryptanthus bromelioides
    Fittonia verschaffeltii
    Neoregelia carolinae
    Pellaea rotundifolia
    Peperomia caperata
    Soleirolia soleirolii (Peace)
    Vriesea
    Terrestial Moss

    A variety of Tillandsias.

    For my aquatic plants it will mostly be moss and anubias.

    Something almost like these:

    http://www.paludariums.net/img/paludarium6.jpg

    http://img153.imageshack.us/img153/3183/paludarium1.jpg

    http://img706.imageshack.us/img706/387/paludarium2x.jpg

    http://lh3.ggpht.com/_dIs5pFNtbDA/S4CZouUYWdI/AAAAAAAAAs8/YbovRm4q9Ts/IMG_5470.JPG

    Will keep you updated to the development.

    Gerhard
     
    Last edited: Dec 11, 2011
  2. Guest




  3. Mzungu

    Mzungu Threadfin Rainbow

    Joined:
    Apr 5, 2011
    Messages:
    233
    Likes Received:
    10
    Location:
    Pretoria
    Best of luck! Should look stunning!
     
  4. Razer2007

    Razer2007 Danelle Vivier

    Joined:
    Nov 25, 2011
    Messages:
    1,278
    Likes Received:
    17
    Location:
    Melkbosstrand, Cape Town
    Wow good luck. I'd also really want to do a paludarium but you need a big-ish tank. Are you considering the chameleon too? ;)
     
  5. OP
    Vis

    Vis Gerhard

    Joined:
    Oct 26, 2009
    Messages:
    6,130
    Likes Received:
    132
    Location:
    Rustenburg
    Thanks guys, it will take some planning to get right.

    No no on the chameleon, seems a little cruel. I think they added it for the photo only.

    If I can get permits, I might add a tree or reed frog.
     
  6. Razer2007

    Razer2007 Danelle Vivier

    Joined:
    Nov 25, 2011
    Messages:
    1,278
    Likes Received:
    17
    Location:
    Melkbosstrand, Cape Town
    Cruel? :rofl: then put your wife in there! A frog should be nice and should be cool if it can breed. Wonder if you can put in those little frogs that lives in the arum lily's.
     
  7. f-fish

    f-fish #unspecified

    Joined:
    Jun 27, 2009
    Messages:
    9,642
    Likes Received:
    2,260
    Location:
    JHB - Randburg
    Keeping a keen eye on this thread the biggest problem I have this year on lucky 13, now that I have tented it, is fungus .. humidity is so high that most plants seem to be covered within days then start to die down. I have had zero success with peace in the home.

    I am trying some Adiantum, Pellaea rotundifolia, Spathiphyllum and a few other. What seem to work better at this stage is plating them in a small terracotta pot, let that sit in the filter stream so the pot base is moist all the time.

    Nice thing about these you can get them real cheap vs what the LFS charges ;-) for non-aquatic plants. In truth lucky13 needs to moved away from the window so that the sun falls on the front face not the back glass.

    @Vis is the plan to do an extension on the tank to create more head room or rather do a shallow pool and fit everything in the current tank?

    Later Ferdie
     
    Last edited by a moderator: Oct 2, 2016
  8. OP
    Vis

    Vis Gerhard

    Joined:
    Oct 26, 2009
    Messages:
    6,130
    Likes Received:
    132
    Location:
    Rustenburg
    Isn't there some fungal treatment u can use?

    Plan is 3rd water and the remaining two thirds terrestrial.
    Will try and keep to some low growing plants and then maybe two higher focal plants.
    Will add a sonic fog maker and maybe a small fan into the hood to create some airflow.

    Will use a lot of terrestrial moss and peace in the home where needed.
     
  9. tracyp

    tracyp Lotus

    Joined:
    Oct 25, 2010
    Messages:
    1,619
    Likes Received:
    31
    Location:
    Stanford, Western Cape
    Hi Gerhard,

    Best of luck with this, look forward to seeing what you come up with! The tillandsia's generally don't like humidity though - they tend to come from dry climates - maybe consider tiny bromeliads or miniature orchids instead? I have a brom. contact if you need one!
     
  10. Mzungu

    Mzungu Threadfin Rainbow

    Joined:
    Apr 5, 2011
    Messages:
    233
    Likes Received:
    10
    Location:
    Pretoria
    I think fungus problems are due to ventilation problems, with proper ventilation, there shouldn't be fungal issues. +1 @tracyp with the bromeliads, and
    Ludisia orchids will work wonderfully in high humidity paludariums. Also, have a look at Seliganella krausianna, stunning club mosses that do very well in such setups(They grow on our greenhouse floor too) I know @azurekoi has some tilandsia in his little paludarium growing just fine, Im sure he'll share his secret, though a high humidity will be a killer.
    (Maybe you can even try some emmersed Crypts? That would be amazing!)
    Enjoy! Im subscribed
     
    Last edited by a moderator: Oct 2, 2016
  11. OP
    Vis

    Vis Gerhard

    Joined:
    Oct 26, 2009
    Messages:
    6,130
    Likes Received:
    132
    Location:
    Rustenburg
    Thanks for the advice guys, will keep all of it mind.
    Will try and keep the humidity down somewhat.
     
  12. OP
    Vis

    Vis Gerhard

    Joined:
    Oct 26, 2009
    Messages:
    6,130
    Likes Received:
    132
    Location:
    Rustenburg
    I have one brom on the list and one indigenous orchid but will see if I can actually get more.

    My concern is availability.
     
  13. Sean J

    Sean J

    Joined:
    Jan 12, 2009
    Messages:
    3,835
    Likes Received:
    36
    Location:
    Randburg JHB
    Interesting project dude. I am going to be keeping my eye on this one!
     
  14. azurekoi

    azurekoi Loaches & Gobies

    Joined:
    Sep 29, 2010
    Messages:
    4,077
    Likes Received:
    61
    Location:
    Pretoria
    Tillandsia's ia a problem in paludaria due to the lack of air movement....the only one I got to grow with real sucsess is T.ionantha... go for the greener varieties as they handle humidity much better than the more grey coloured ones.... a Computer fan providing some air movement in the terrestrial part is an important part I think og getting it to work...
     
  15. wsteene

    wsteene

    Joined:
    May 11, 2011
    Messages:
    727
    Likes Received:
    9
    Location:
    Dunedin, New Zealand
    @Vis, cool idea for a tough project. Unfortunately that is teh problem with a tank exceeding a height of 50cm, stimulating plant growth as lighting becomes a huge problem on heights exceeding the 50cm mark. All of the best with your project and please place some pics for us on your progress. Would like to give it out a try at soem or other stage, at this stage want to built a filter at first and do away with my internal filters wich are irritating the living crap out of me.:evil:
     
    Last edited by a moderator: Oct 2, 2016
  16. OP
    Vis

    Vis Gerhard

    Joined:
    Oct 26, 2009
    Messages:
    6,130
    Likes Received:
    132
    Location:
    Rustenburg
    I might just leave the air plants out now.
    I would rather make it easier and stick to plants with close environmental demands.

    I use to use driftwood to eliminate the height problem in my tank but got rid of most of my driftwood when I moved.

    Also changed 2 10000K bulbs for 6500K bulbs and its as if I get more algae. Same time as I moved so might also be the water.

    Maybe its just time for a change.
     
  17. OP
    Vis

    Vis Gerhard

    Joined:
    Oct 26, 2009
    Messages:
    6,130
    Likes Received:
    132
    Location:
    Rustenburg
    Ok need some help. I am lookin for those pieces of driftwood that looks like roots. Depending on size I might need a few. Anybody have an idea where I can find some?

    Plan is to have the base of my paludarium build with this. I saw some really nice pieces in a few recent threads but can't remember who's threads it was. @shihr a lot like the ones you used in your ADA style tank.
     
    Last edited by a moderator: Oct 2, 2016
  18. azurekoi

    azurekoi Loaches & Gobies

    Joined:
    Sep 29, 2010
    Messages:
    4,077
    Likes Received:
    61
    Location:
    Pretoria
    @Vis - PM'd you re roots.... Just a word on lighting... Most of the terrestrial plants we use in paludaria have low lighting requirements and will burn/die if you give them very high light levels.... Remember that light does not get refracted (hardly) when travelling through the air part of the paludarium - only gets refracted/dissipated once it penetrates the water column....

    I have a single 8W T5 undercounter light(10 000k) over my little palu - 43cm above water surface....both terrestrial and aquatics plants do very well under these conditions
     
    Last edited by a moderator: Oct 2, 2016
  19. OP
    Vis

    Vis Gerhard

    Joined:
    Oct 26, 2009
    Messages:
    6,130
    Likes Received:
    132
    Location:
    Rustenburg
    Thanks Shawn.

    Luckily I have individual lights switches in my tank and also looking at plants with high light requirements.

    To add to the natural light feeling I am also gonna add a cover so only light patches fall downwards like a forest canopy.
     
  20. OP
    Vis

    Vis Gerhard

    Joined:
    Oct 26, 2009
    Messages:
    6,130
    Likes Received:
    132
    Location:
    Rustenburg
    Where do I find egg crate?
     
  21. azurekoi

    azurekoi Loaches & Gobies

    Joined:
    Sep 29, 2010
    Messages:
    4,077
    Likes Received:
    61
    Location:
    Pretoria
    @Vis - Try interior Design/Lighting shops - that Fails...Pet Stop sells sheets of it....
     
    Last edited by a moderator: Oct 2, 2016

Recent Posts

Loading...
Similar Threads - 250L paludarium Forum Date
250L Dream Tank Planted Tanks Feb 19, 2022
Best filter for 1.2m 250lt tank Filtration Jun 16, 2016
Wanted: 1.2m 250L tank or bigger + Stand Wanted/Swop/Freebies Mar 23, 2015
My little 250L Members Systems Dec 5, 2014
New 250l setup with pics General Discussions Jun 26, 2013
250L tank update Fish pics May 4, 2013
Centre Piece For my 250litre Tank Community Tanks Apr 29, 2013

Share This Page