Vivariums, Paludariums...

[Punjab]

Does anyone around here maintain anything like this?
I want to set something up and have been trying to do some research on the various ways to go about it. I have tons of questions but I think most of them stem from comparisons to saltwater.
If you have a planted tank with fish, or you keep frogs, or it's just a tropical garden-like aquarium please post pictures!

 

[Punjab]

Maybe some examples will help

 

[Cherub]

There's probably a forum for it

 

[Badgervet]

I used to have a vivarium that I kept bromeliads, live moss, and a madagascar standing day gecko (cousin to the Geico gecko). I gave it away before I moved here but the plan is to have a similar set up in the future but with blue poison arrow frogs. The setup is fairly simple, (look into the clay beads) as a base layer so you can keep the humidity level up. Any reptile forum should have people in to it. I used to work at the Virginia Zoo so that how I got into building a more natural environment for my cold blooded pets.

 

[Haulin Oates]

View attachment 7267
Ive always wanted to do something like this with mangrove trees and sea/land crabs

 

[Badgervet]

Ive always wanted to do something like this with mangrove trees and sea/land crabs[/QUOTE]

That would be one sweet setup, you could place dividers with overflows so that you could keep different corals, fish, invertebrates, etc. You could also place all the plumbing into the rock formation in the center so you get a clean look. May have to try that down the road when I hit retirement age!

 

[jahmic]

Here ya go, my other tank is a "riparium"...it has emersed growth above the water line and pulls nutrients from the water.

 

[Punjab]

Jahmic that is sweet!

Blazinjack, I have seen that thread on reefcentral and while I love it, I think that he should have created more area above the water line.

I have spent a bunch of time cruising the various forums. Dendroboard.com is where I'm typically lurking.

 

[jahmic]

Jahmic that is sweet!

Blazinjack, I have seen that thread on reefcentral and while I love it, I think that he should have created more area above the water line.

I have spent a bunch of time cruising the various forums. Dendroboard.com is where I'm typically lurking.

Thanks! The biggest challenge has been finding plants that thrive in these conditions. The roots are completely submersed and contained within planter cups (until they grow out the bottom), and are surround by a combination of hydroton and flourite. Finding the right mix of media effects root development and overall growth...I've propagated plants and had them thrive in one planter and die in another depending on that ratio of flourite:hydroton. The other challenge has been low humidity. Most plants that I've had shipped to me don't fair well as they're pretty stressed after being mailed to me, and with the plants growing out of the top of the tank, the leaves are rapidly expelling water into the dry air. I tried a covered top before and ended up with too many pests in the system with the higher humidity.

My best advice that I can give you is to research plants that will likely work, then purchase them locally at a nursery, if possible. The sygnonium that's sending out runners was picked up at a local small nursery and has been the easiest to acclimate...I've had other "tried and true" riparium plants shipped to me and thrive for several weeks, then suddenly die. That sygnonium actually even has roots that reach down a foot below the planter cup and root into the substrate...it took off once the roots got into the gravel at the bottom of the tank. The only plant that's done well that I had shipped is a pandanus tectorius (screwpine)...it also developed roots that grew down into the substrate. Most other plants send out a bunch of foliage while their roots slowly rot away unnoticed.

Lemme know if you end up setting something up, I'd be more than happy to answer any questions you have. If you do go with a riparium or something remotely similar, check out this guy's blog: http://hydrophytesblog.com/ Devin's helped me out a TON with plant selection and supplies for my setup.

 

[Punjab]

Thanks for the link! I really like the idea of something with more vertical space that opens from the front. A 60 hexagon or 60-90gal long turned up on it's end would be nice. Honestly, building an enclosure out of ply and 2x4 and sealing it looks like the best way to create exactly what I want. I don't know how much water depth I'd try to incorporate at first but would probably build everything with the intent that I may add a deeper pool later on.
These systems just look really cool and I'd like to try and create something similar near the reef tank.

Some more examples I liked

 

[jahmic]

I agree that a taller tank would work better. My 35 tall setup used to be filled with about 12 gal of water and emersed growth on top. The tank didn't do so well as there wasn't enough bioload to support the emersed growth (without dosing), and the evaporation at the small of a volume made the parameters unstable. I solved the problem by doubling the volume and increasing the bioload...but lost some room for those emersed plants.

My one suggestion, if you do decide to have a setup with enough room for deep water and submersed plants, would be to get a tank that's deeper than about 20" front to back. My footprint is 30x12 and the emersed growth can easily block out the light. Even if you just do mostly emersed growth, the wider footprint will allow you to plant tall foliage in the back with some shorter stuff in the foreground without running into issues with shading.

 

[Suzanne Lynn]

I used to have a vivarium that I kept bromeliads, live moss, and a madagascar standing day gecko (cousin to the Geico gecko). I gave it away before I moved here but the plan is to have a similar set up in the future but with blue poison arrow frogs. The setup is fairly simple, (look into the clay beads) as a base layer so you can keep the humidity level up. Any reptile forum should have people in to it. I used to work at the Virginia Zoo so that how I got into building a more natural environment for my cold blooded pets.

make one like the bottom one and get alot of the frogs! that way theyll have lots of water to have babies in!!!! Or if you want it simple I can catch some spring peepers!!! lol but those are native here.

 

[Guest]

I used to keep poison dart frogs in a 55 gal, and a custom made sliding glass tank. Also converted a regular 10gal upright with a screen front for red eye tree frogs.

[attachment=63004:name]

[attachment=63006:name]

[attachment=63008:name]

 

[Suzanne Lynn]

ooo or you could keep an aquatic or semi aquatic newts or salamanders, some sites lets you specify your gender!