75g Paludarium Build Log

[Kaluden]

Let me see if I am understanding this correctly...

A pump/powerhead will plug into the first part of the Y connector, then split the flow between the two, the large hose going to the water fall and the other part being split into 4 for the drips? That is a fairly ingenious little setup you got there if I am looking at it right.

Are you planning to drip down random parts of your work to keep most of it moist or did you have plants planned for underneath the drips?

 

[invertebrater]

yep.. you've got it my friend.. the source is actually the output of my magnum 350 canister filter.. and the valve can be shut off to stop water going to the water fall and build pressure that helps push air out of the drip valves to get it started.. there's not much pressure going through the drip system due to the design of the Y and reducers.. just a constant drip which you can get flag drippers from home depot to put a max rating on.. could be 1gpm-4gpm.. and i can shut them on or off with the 4 way gangvalve. i can route the vinyl tubing pretty much anyway, but i think im going to keep 3 in the substrate near the bonsai's and 1 long one to just drag and drop wherever moisture is needed ill have to figure out what works.

 

[invertebrater]

another update..
i've finished carving and siliconed some stones and pebbles to it.
now prepping it for the first coat of bondo fiberglass resin.
will update again with pictures of that soon..

 

[Kaluden]

I really like it.

The sandy look to the greatstuff, is that purely from cutting away at it and exposing the inside or did you toss sand on it? Also, when you coat it with the fiberglass resin, is this going to give you a smooth shiny texture over everything?

 

[invertebrater]

the texture and everything is from peeling with my fingers and using a sharpened spoon tool i made.. when i coat it with resin im going to sprinkle sand in it too.. but yeah it should have a hard clear/yellowish coat on it.. im not quite sure how it will turn out yet.. but im going to get started coating the fiberglass resin on it soon.. we'll see.

 

[mellowvision]

you can mix fine sand in with the resin too.

 

[invertebrater]

you can mix fine sand in with the resin too.

Oh i didnt think about that, i'll try that thanks for the tip.

 

[cam191919]

neat

 

[Tmobo]

Looking good.

 

[ohbly]

use the finest sand you can get, also dry soil ground down to powder and mixed with sand looks good. here is a close up of how mine came out-

the powdered soil helps it look more like stone and less like sand.
I just painted a thin coat of epoxy and dusted it with a heavy coat of soil and sand, then washed off the excess when the epoxy had cured.