Paludarium Build

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snakeguy101

Fire Eel
MFK Member
Jun 29, 2009
5,431
8
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posting bail
okay so I have been planning this for a while now and finally got the $ and time to work on it some so here goes:

Glass divider siliconed into place. It's two glass panels with a 1/8 inch spacer. The back panel is offset 3/4 inch so it acts as an overflow into the land area, which will have a false bottom and act as a sump for the pond. The bank was built up using hypertufa, a peat/vermiculite/cement mix.
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here is a shot of the spillway
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Here I constructed a false bottom out of egg crate and covered it with carbon mesh screen. It's held together with cable ties. I cut a port in the bottom that will be covered with a flat rock so I can access the pump without disassembling the viviarium. I then siliconed a 2 inch piece of pvc that will be behind the clay background so I can run power cords and tubing into the false bottom from outside without being seen.
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The tank is laying on its back for the silicone to dry. I put a brown mud colored wash of acrylic paint on the bank. I really think I nailed the "mud" color, and the epoxy gives it an awesome wet look. I sand casted some rocks for the waterfall on the side.
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Laying in the clay background. It's a mix of bentonite clay (kitty litter) and peat moss. I'm going to press peat moss into it and that should sprout also.
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Here is where I am at now. Still a long way to go but it is getting there.
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for plants I have a bunch of bromiliads, selaginella, mosses, creeping figs, etc. For animals I have not chosen yet but I am thinking mossy tree frogs and Elassoma maybe. not really sure yet though.
 
Nice build man, how bout mudskippers or fiddler crabs
 
Awesome build chris!!
 
i wish people wouldnt post stuff like this. makes me feel like i need to start ANOTHER tank. looks like its off to a good start. cant wait to see the finished product.
 
I wish I had the time and patience to make something like this... I think of awesome ideas all the time, and jot down ideas but I dont think Ill ever have the time, extra money, or patience to take my time on it to build anything lol. Now if I could give someone my ideas and have them make it I think I could have some pretty sweet tanks much like the ones I see on here. Good luck on the build keep up the good work, it helps people like me who want to make one but arent sure of themselves to pull it off something to look at :)
 
Here are just a few shots of the first plants in it. The background is starting grow soe sort of lichen on it too which is nice. I will be adding more next pay day so stay tuned.

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Really great
 
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