What is a Paludarium?!
A paludarium is a type of terrarium that will include BOTH water and land features! The word “paludarium” derives from the Latin word for swamp. Having a fixed land fixture inside your aquarium (or fixed water feature inside your terrarium) can expand the lost of species you can house in your tank. If executed properly, a paludarium is a stunning display of live plants and animals in a natural looking environment.
Separating Land & Water
There are a few different ways to create a paludarium by separating land and water, the most common are:
- Creating a "shelf" of floating land over your water
- Separate your land and water
- Raising the land over water level
- Vertical wall
Shelf: To create a shelf or section of land above water, PVC plastic is commonly used, because it will not leach harmful chemicals into the water. Plastic egg crates are a great supply of flat PVC plastic, and can be cut fairly simply. The shelves can be glued to the sides of the tank at water level, or supported from underneath. Excellent for aquatic turtle enclosures. (a)
Separating land & water: Use plexiglass to create a separation in your tank. Use silicone to adhere the plexiglass to the walls of the tank, forming a leak-proof barrier. Fill one side with your water, and the other side with your substrate. Make sure to install a drain in the substrate side connected to a drain pipe or container, for water that overflows. Great for frogs and crabs. (b)
Raising land over water: The most common method. You can use rock, sand, driftwood or artificial rock made from polystyrene to build the land area. The land areas with plants will be elevated on these objects. These are excellent for fish and amphibians. (c)
Vertical wall: A 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 wall is built with concrete or other artificial materials, with live plants or artificial plants potted within the wall. Great for fish and showing off a beautiful display of live plants. (d)
Achieving the Natural Look
When designing the inside of your paludarium and covering up your artificials, foam sealant is your best friend. It can be sprayed anywhere to hide tubes, grates, pots and plastic. The foam will expand, which you can then carve for a natural rugged look! After carving, lather with dirt and rocks to really make it come to life! If you are using a natural shelf or land area, cork flats and/or Malaysian driftwood make an excellent base to start your build. As your plants grow, they will aid in covering up any imperfections. If artificial plants are being used, Pisces has a large variety of plastic and silk plants.
Pisces recommended list of supplies:
- Aquascape Pond & Waterfall Foam Sealant
- Universal Rocks Realistic Terrarium Backdrop
- Zoo-Med Eco Earth Coconut Fibre Substrate
- Zoo-Med Terrarium Moss
- Malaysian Driftood
- Zoo-Med Cork Flats
- Marina Aquarium Natural Beach Gravel
- Pothos Plants
Paludarium Animals
Paludariums are ideal for frogs, salamanders, fish, newts, turtles, crabs or any creature that benefits from land and water. If they water area is small enough, a traditional filter is not necessary, a 25%-50% water change weekly is efficient. For amphibians, 2-3 times per week is ideal. Large aquatic areas for fish and turtles should have an appropriate filtration system. If you are housing turtles, be weary of using pond sealant for your deck , they may try to eat it. Pisces recommends: Zoo-Med Turtle Dock.
If you have any questions or concerns, please do not hesitate to give us a call, or come in and speak with one of our fish/reptile specialists!
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