Paludarium Design & Build | tropical-hobbies

Paludarium Design and build ..

Planning and dividing the Land & Water areas :

First you need to storm you brain and leash your imagination and blow up your desire to build a plaudarium and think about the idea and read and watch the photos , internet , wild moves and visit the near forest or farms , walk to the river side .. and ask yourself how to replicate this natural ideas into a creative work ..

then you can decided if you need half to half water and land ratio ? 70% land to 30% water ... etc ..

there are several ideas which can help you to how divide :

1- Partion by glass sheet :

This one is old and popular method between hobbyists - is by insert a glass sheet to divide the areas land and water , However you need to put a drain for the land part to drain any water , plants can be die if it is not withstand with this water in the bottom

Also the background of the aquatic part must be hidden by artifical background ..

this method is good to plant a plants which not required too much water

The Paludarium

Plants.

Aquarium Part .

The glass sheet divider .

Terrarium or Land Part .

Drain Opening - To be connected with drain pipe to a vessel or container

Sample tanks used a glass sheet partion :

glass sheet partition

2- Partion by sand , soil or rock :

The most common method .. You can used a rock or sand or artifical rock made from polysterene to build the land area .. We mean here by this method as a one part ..

The Paludarium

Plants.

Aquarium Part .

Terrarium or Land Part .

The Paludarium

Plants.

Aquarium Part .

Terrarium or Land Part .

Sample tanks used rocks and sand as a partion

3- Vertical wall paludarium :

The rare , unique and aesthetic type of paludarium is the vertical land area or vertical terrarium which reflect the vertical river side in some tropical areas around the world .. the vertical wall built by artifical materials , pots will attached for plants ..

The Paludarium

Plants.

Terrarium or Land Part .

Aquarium Part .

4- Rock and root paludarium :

We can use big roots , drift wood and artificial rocks to build a paludarium the land areas with plants will be elevated on these objects .. and large enough to be a paludarium .. Somtimes called island paludarium .. and it is Widespread between hobbyists ..

Root or drift wood formation:

The Paludarium

Plants.

Terrarium or Land Part .

Aquarium Part .

Rock formation :

The Paludarium

Plants.

Terrarium or Land Part .

Aquarium Part .

Root type example :

Rock type example :

Project 1 : Basic Project for beginners:

Above is a basic project for hobbyists which want to sart paludaarium with limited budget and experinces :

the project consist of land area elecvated by glass or plastic sheet .

1-Pump or power filter is instaled in the corner of the fish glass tank

3-Then brick will be added to hide the pump

2-You can develop the project more by making a water fall using the discharge from Pump ..

4- a plastic or glass sheet will be instaled and supported y the brick an adhesive ( silicon ) will be added on the edge of the pastic or glass sheet .

5-bebbles or smal rocks will be added to decorate the land area , plant will added

6-Fill the water

Another example basic paludarium

Plant

Land area covered by bebbles and rocks and also a drift wood

floating plants

Terrarium or Land Part .

bricks used to support the land area and hide the pump ( inside filter , power filter or sumersible pump

aquatic Plants

Red Eared turtle is suitable for this type of pludarium

- Water Works and circulation inside the Paludarium :

1- Artifical rain : We can use the same water in the aquatic or the aquarium part in the paudarium to make an artificial rain by using pump and drilled plastic pipes ( with small holes )

the pump will pump the water to the upper pipe which drilled with a tny holes to diffuse the water .

This idea can be developed to put several pipes .. or a drilled plastic sheet above the tank ..

Another example of this type of paludarium :

The background here is covered by soil brick ( or some tmes called coconuts bricks which is compressed ) and can be used to graw mosses and other plants ( this type used in vivarium also )

Lighting

Background

Plants

Land area

Aquatic area with some floating plants

Coconuts soil or bricks can be used also as a potting soil .. you can cover the backround with this type of cocnuts to help plants grow on it and cover the background of the paludarium or terrarium .. is required water spraying 2 to 3 times per day for that .

Electric wire for pump

Drilled plastic pipe(s)

Water ( Rain)

Pipe to transfer the water

Aquarium part

Pump

Land Part

In the above diagram the rain come from seperated tank .. usually used in vivariums ..

Above the flexible pipe and drilled and work as a manifold to diffuse the water to the number of pipes..

To the Left a real readymade product by AZOO used to distribute the water.

Below is a DIY project to distribute the water to multiple pipes system to made the artificial rain..

2-Waterfalls :

Two types of waterfalls can be built in the paludarium :

- Built-In or compact or sometimes called the closed system : this type is most popular in the paludarium or Aqua-Terrarium tank which mean the water is pumped from the paludarium tank ( the Aquarium part ) and pour on the rock or wood formation in the land part and then back to the same aquatic part or aquarium part .. May be the water outlet will be extended by pipe ..

- Separated waterfalls : this very popular type used mainly in vivarium the water drain from the main tank to the separated tank 9 called sump or services tank) and then the submersible pump .. will pump it again to the main tank ..

This type need more experiences in plumbing and cutting , making holes in tanks materials like glass or acrylic .. but it effective because you can control the water quality , temperature and the overall quality of water , also by using valve on the drain you can control the water level in the main tank .. You can connect several tanks to one main drain header and sump or services tank .