gmate
MASC Member
Yup, I'll use this thread to update with pictures and such!
OT: Paludarium?
- Thread starter JD06351
- Start date
Yup, I'll use this thread to update with pictures and such!
gmate
MASC Member
Measurements given on craigslist were wrong. It's in my house now. 25 tall, 18 deep / 18 wide. Puts it at 35 gallons almost exactly. Still got the dimensions for what I need. Tank and stand for fifty bucks, tanks is in great shape and so is the silicon. Going to clean it out tomorrow or thursday. Already have a few tubes of aquarium safe silicon and tons of eggcrate from my last rock wall project. Just need to get some Tetra Pond foam from Home Depot (lawn and garden section for those who need it) and go to town. Maybe I'll sketch up my plans.
If anyone has a particular fogger for this or something they have experience with, don't hesitate to shout! I'm still not too sure what to use and there's a lot of threads to sift through on the viv/pal forum JD posted.
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If anyone has a particular fogger for this or something they have experience with, don't hesitate to shout! I'm still not too sure what to use and there's a lot of threads to sift through on the viv/pal forum JD posted.
gmate
MASC Member
Oh a false bottom tank would definitely be a dream-come-true, but no I don't think I'll be making any modifications to the glass on this tank
gmate
MASC Member
Shopping list the last two days includes:
8 cans of UV Safe / Water Safe pond foam from Home Depot
1 Sheet of White Eggcrate lighting
2 cans of textured stone accent spraypaint
Tons of corkboard
3 tubes of aquarium safe silicon
Tons of peat moss
Bag of Growth topsoil
2 bags of playsand
About 50 dollars in plants
So the build is purchased, now I just need the time lol
8 cans of UV Safe / Water Safe pond foam from Home Depot
1 Sheet of White Eggcrate lighting
2 cans of textured stone accent spraypaint
Tons of corkboard
3 tubes of aquarium safe silicon
Tons of peat moss
Bag of Growth topsoil
2 bags of playsand
About 50 dollars in plants
So the build is purchased, now I just need the time lol
gmate
MASC Member
Yup, already have the tubing and pump. I'm going to purchase a fogger on ebay at some point too.
How are you making yours? I'm carving mine from a green block of that floral foam stuff, covering with a few layers of "permastone", then I'm going to paint it with acrylic paint and seal it with some clear sillicone. That is what is slowing me down, I can't find the permastone anywhere, I think I'm just going to order it online.
gmate
MASC Member
I have eggcrate that I'm using to make a basic shape of the inside of the terrarium. I'm then using water safe pond foam so create the structure itself, which will be carved and molded as needed - it will adhere to the eggcrate base. I'll be making about 50/50 land/water with a waterfall as well. I'm expecting about 10-15 gallons of water in the tank itself. The foam wall will have rocks and peat incorporated into it to give it a more natural look, and will be spraypainted with a mixed stone color textured water-safe Rustoleum spray paint to further enhance the natural look. I will be using real collected rocks as the base and pressing them into the foam before it dries. I will also be creating a nice garden area where I can put plants in the ground as well as potted plants in little areas along the wall that blend in and look like plants are growing on the wall. I'm thinking of getting some large Broms too. Lighting will be blue/purple/red T5's I'm thinking with a heatlamp as well.
gmate
MASC Member
If the bottom of the tank can be drilled, put a little hole for a drainage tube with a ball valve. That way you can just twist the valve and empty the bottom. You can use a small piece of tubing siliconed in if you don't want to drill for a full bulkhead (Kraze's idea!). And that way you can just refill water from the top and not have to tear apart the tank for a water change.
gmate
MASC Member
Eggcrate siliconed onto the back wall as the main frame of where the pond foam will stick. The pond foam is the actual structural integrity of the land mass, eggcrate just acts as the skeleton on which to apply it. The foam is drying now. I'll sand it down with a rough grade sandpaper to give it texture and to make it the shape I want. I'll do some ledges and caves as well up top. I'll epoxy with peat and some textured shavings and reptile items to make it look good. I have tons of driftwood which I will be incorporating into the build as well. My vision will be awesome. It begins. :hammer:
gmate
MASC Member
After 24 hours of letting it set under the light (left it on overnight) the foam expanded almost to the top of the tank. I'm on vacation this week but now I'll be able to get back and finish up. I'll scrape down the remaining foam into some nice mountains/valleys and add driftwood and places to plant my fauna. Paint it, give it texture and color. Then I can start working on the water. I'll add water, heaters, powerheads and begin cycling while I let the plants up top get seated and begin growing. Thinking of stocking with RETF (Red Eye Tree Frogs) or Firebelly Toads...or maybe doing two or three green anoles instead.
The water will most likely be cichlids in some way shape or form. I haven't solidly decided what my stock list will be. So I remeasured the tank thinking that visually it didn't look like a 35g, and I was right. It's 48 gallons (25x25x18 /231 = 48.7g) So the way it is now, I get roughly 25-30 gallons of water out of this tank. I'll measure it out once it's actually full.
The water will most likely be cichlids in some way shape or form. I haven't solidly decided what my stock list will be. So I remeasured the tank thinking that visually it didn't look like a 35g, and I was right. It's 48 gallons (25x25x18 /231 = 48.7g) So the way it is now, I get roughly 25-30 gallons of water out of this tank. I'll measure it out once it's actually full.
gmate
MASC Member
Here's a teaser, when I have time to upload more I will...I still need to fill the plant holes with silicone so they're water tight. I'm going to add more foam in the corners so I can put a brom or two in. And the waterfall needs to be constructed.
The matting is dried moss so it maintains moisture and is fully removable (its siliconed onto blocks of cork that come up, so if I ever need to replace or change bedding/substrate for the animals it takes less than a minute to remove from the palu easily.
Teaser photo:
I'll get clearer and better lit photos soon, and more of them. It looks really good but the tank is dirty as hell because I've been working in it and not bothered to clean the glass. :hammer:
The matting is dried moss so it maintains moisture and is fully removable (its siliconed onto blocks of cork that come up, so if I ever need to replace or change bedding/substrate for the animals it takes less than a minute to remove from the palu easily.
Teaser photo:
I'll get clearer and better lit photos soon, and more of them. It looks really good but the tank is dirty as hell because I've been working in it and not bothered to clean the glass. :hammer:
