oh boy paludarium experiment #2

**mellowvision** · 02-21-2009, 9:10 PM

I got a 5 gallon tank today, to test corkbark out with a nano-paludarium setup. I've just plumbed a pump to a T with 2 small spraybars, that sit at frame level. glass can cover the entire top, with the exception of the pump cord. a large piece of corkbark tube acts as the filter chamber, to be partially filled with foam or some media. another couple of cork bark chunks form 2 stepped shelves for planting at the waterline and just above it. the tank will have around 2 gallons of water.

I've just glued it up.

I'm shocked actually, I had no plan to do this. Just decided spur of the moment to give into my MTS... and left the LFS with the 5 gallon tank and glass top, knowing I had everything else at home. I did all the planning, plumbing, cutting, and glueing in the last 4 hours.

I'm going to try and grow just 2 or 3 species of plant. any suggestions? Mini pellia and moss in the running. dwarf sag available, but not a necessity.

pics in a bit.

**rocker92** · 02-21-2009, 9:19 PM

sounds like this will be a cool thread!!

**mellowvision** · 02-21-2009, 9:28 PM

this is looking down on the top, with the tank laying on it's back. the filter pump will sit at the bottom of the left(in this picture) cork bark.

**mellowvision** · 02-21-2009, 9:29 PM

this is a 3/4 view from the top. again, on it's back

**mellowvision** · 02-21-2009, 9:31 PM

and this is looking almost straight at the tank, so the bottom of the picture is the bottom of the tank. the cork bark on the right here goes all the way to the glass lid, with a bit cut out for the spray bars to exit along the front ridge.

**mellowvision** · 02-21-2009, 9:37 PM

next up: plastic screen to close off the bark bottoms, then about 2" of substrate, and some hydrocote. after 24 hours of drying....

taking votes on the tank floor substrate:

black eco complete
mixed reddish flourite
brown flora base
mixed natural medium (1/4"ish) smooth gravel

I've got all 3 in small quantities.

**mellowvision** · 02-21-2009, 9:45 PM

the entire filter and spraybar assembly, minus the foam

**calivivarium1** · 02-21-2009, 10:00 PM

Eco-complete sounds like an interesting substrate for this.

As for your filter, just be sure that the tubing is easy to get out in case your media gets clogged. It's amazing to me how fast my filter gets clogged in my paludarium(if I use really, really fine media) due to all the eco-earth/wood/moss/etc.