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DIY - Island Paludarium 360° A to Z - 40" x 40" x 28" - 185 Gal

116K views 140 replies 67 participants last post by  majerah1 
#1 ·
Good day to Europe, I am French more precisely, i'm 26 (in advance thank you to forgive me for my English aproximatif, I use an online translator). :tongue:

I developed a certain passion for the world of paludariums, I love to imagine and create sets each time different and unique. Thank you to nature for inspiration innépuisable she gives me every time.

I have long wanted to share my creations. I am the author of the project entitled "Waterfall Paludarium" you may have seen on youtube also : Waterfall Paludarium HD 1080p - YouTube

Here is my blog for more details on its construction : Waterfall Paludarium (Project completed)

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And I now work for several months on a new project I titled Island Paludarium 360°. I was eager to introduce him.
Here is my blog for more details on its construction : Island Paludarium 360 ° (New Project)

Presentation of the New Project

Project status : Under construction
Type : Paludarium
Size of the tank : 40" x 40" x 28"
NET volume of the tank : 185 Gallon
Closed : Yes
Materials : 8mm glass tank, gallery and wooden furniture OSB
Lightning : 100% LEDs 9x30W
Aeration : Two PC fans (12cmx12cm)
Irrigation : A pump 1300L/h for the system of rain
Cascade/waterfall : A pump 2000L/h
Wave system : Vibration pump 5000L/h
Fogger/mist : 3 Fogger in the waterfall
Type of water : 100% rainwater (not limestone)
Type of scene : Natural & Artificial : Natural Seychelles sand, polyurethane foam rocks covered with waterproof mortar and acrylic paint, driftwood branch, artificial vines
Plants : Terrestrial and epiphytic (gardenia, frangipani, vanilla, ferns, orchids, tillandsia, ficus, helxine, moss)
Planting technique/substrate : Felt geotextile (kept wet by rain system)
Animals : Land hermit crabs (Pagou), drosophila for the atmosphere "gnats", probably snails (Neritina), and can be Agalychnis callidryas and crickets
Height of water : 5 in or 35 gal
TOTAL weight : Approximately 550 lb (including water)
Next step : Getting water, system rain creation, waves, waterfall, and mist


For this third project is an island 360° that I will realize, the tank is glass 8mm thick and 100cm fully closed side, the Seychelles natural sand will form a small island strewn with boulders, covered vegetation, driftwood branches and vines falling from the ceiling fill the space, and will be covered with orchids and moss (lots of moss).

Side vegetation, I will try with specific plants such as frangipani with its beautiful yellow flowers and the famous Flower of Gardenia Tiare Tahitensis, as usual with a database of several varieties of ferns and orchids Vanilla is climbing).

A system of artificial climate will be set up to recreate the rain (and therefore the natural watering of all plants by this technique), the waves will also fail on the outskirts of the island through a pump vibration and the wind that will provide aeration and naturally move the foliage.

For lighting, we go for the 100% LED, ie "High power" of the 30W unit, there will 9x30W ... I would also like to thank kdj2 a parallel forum for his very constructive post on its tests of these LEDs. I left without him definitely on turbo neon. However I have not yet done so to test for these LEDs there, but it will spend the time comes.


Plants :
Frangipani Plumeria rubra Yellow, Gardenia Tahitensis "Tiare Flower", Orchid Vanilla planifolia,
A dozen mini Orchids varied Driopteris atrata Fern, Ficus Ginseng
Fern Polypodium vulgare, Blechnum fern spicant, Tillandsia Brachycaulus,
Tillandsia Butzii, Areca palm, Ficus punctata Helxine, moss.​
 
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#56 · (Edited)
Hi everyone :)

Background Black... and White

Here now a year since I was not busy I of the project, I had left it as is with the potted plant and root driftwood. It functioned since without lighting (there was no need), just the water filtration. However the sun fact gradually grow algae on the sand. :(

I was not very happy at first to see the sandy dirty, so I put a Snail "Neritina Coromandeliana" and two small shrimp "White Pearl" which henceforth maintain the windows and sand. (It certainly will take more shrimp for algae, but it will come).

Over time I got used to see the sand like that, and I decided not to clean with its irregularities, it has become even more natural. This aspect is not to displease me altogether! :)

I resumed work by changing the black background already installed, I wanted to switch sometimes black, sometimes white ... Cruel dilemma, so I finally make a slide on each side of the bottom to accommodate a plate of white foam board and black on each side. So I just have to pull the plate and simply return it to completely change its appearance.



It almost seems the terrascaping seen like that ... But it will not remain empty for a long time :rolleyes:




The water level dropped by half in one year through evaporation.
The plant have not been watered once, she is perfectly satisfied the 90% humidity that prevailed inside.




I put a piece of foam on the driftwood, it has gradually spread.




The central LED was grilled and through tests, I will have to change.




The snail Neritina Coromandeliana and White Pearl Shrimp cleaning the floor.


Next steps: Creation of rocky scenery.

Following soon.
 
#61 ·
Hi, since the update on June 8th I did not other visible changes (yes the central LED is repaired).

I am currently in the test on the creation of rocks, I have tested several effects and styles of rock before starting production ^^

I also intend to clean up the sand, because it will allow me to start on a clean and clear tank. :smile:
 
#62 ·
Rocky Scenery, Shell & Marine Pests

:icon_bigg Hi all, phew that's it, this step rocks long awaited is finally over...

Rocky Scenery, Shell & Marine Pests

After various attempts at sculpture rocks in expanded polyurethane foam, realism does not always suited me ... Out of curiosity, I tried with real rocks, and I was immediately hooked.
This time I could not expect more "natural", that is exactly what was needed after all.

I had been thinking the darkest almost black rocks start, contrasting the white sand, but those there are also adapted to the tones of the project. It is even still possible to paint, I tried on a rock outside and realize it very well. See then.




Their position is not yet final, it will certainly change with the installation of driftwood.





The water is not again become completely crystal clear after the complete cleaning of the tank and sand, but I decided not to wait any longer to present the step of the rocks ...





And then at recreate an island ... As much doing things entirely. :icon_mrgr A little trip later, and the rocks are being adorned with small shells and marine parasites such as barnacles, small worms and barnacles.

Ubiquitous in all oceans, they are well known to colonize and invade their supports, giving to the rocks submerged a most representative of the marine world.





I expected, even began to realize barnacles artificially by molding from real specimens. The result was very fair and clear, but the inclusion of materials that I tested did not allow me to retain this method because they were not resistant in time when immersed in water.

Ideally the conventional resin would have perfectly fit the bill, but I'm not a fan of his tedious for use as small objects. Especially as he should then paint them, which would necessarily have been less realistic than the natural.

So I boiled and soaked in alcohol at 90 ° true "barnacles" retrieved on molds trade, to sterilize and to install them "as-is" without risk paludarium. To finish paste them "falsely disorderly" on the rocks and decor.




As for the rocks, the details and realism of the true barnacles could not be more perfect.


Also, you can see in some places, the skeletons of small marine worm,
reproduced using a pastry bag filled with "fix-all acrylic."



Note that I finally cleaned the sand. It gradually gets old to the passage of the sun in the time to come.




Next steps: Installation of driftwood. ;)

Following soon.
 
#68 ·
Re: Island Paludarium 360° A to Z - 185 Gal - Installation of Driftwood

Thank you :proud:

Installation of Driftwood

Here are the different driftwood that I picked to the river. I found many beautiful things, roots / vines to wood wavy, but not yet the "structural" main root that I wanted. This does not prevent me in any case begin to contend with what I've found.



The finest roots will be braided and used later finishing for natural air creepers.


The woods are positioned plume. They intermingle with rocks and will be used to support plants that together, form the vegetated island.





It may seem at first glance that there is too many branches. But must be placed his vision into a three-dimensional context to see that not everything is on the same level of depth.

As being cubic in shape, the vessel extends to a depth of as much as its width. I must therefore make the most of the potential offered by the air volume of 700 liters, using it in height, depth and 360 °, while trying to preserve the visual lightness of the whole.

It would have been a shame not to make full use of all that space.

This amount of branches sees himself therefore justified because (with some rocks) are the only materials intended for planting plants. And as all the vegetation will be Aerial, nothing will therefore build on the glasses.





This appears for the moment a little "dry" and "lifeless", but keep in mind that the branches will be vegetated and sometimes completely covered with moss.





Also I chose to use only the natural elements to make the structure of the set. (No polystyrene or MPE, everything is done with wood and rock).





Note that the provision may yet evolve over the steps.





Pump waves (in the bottom right corner) will be hidden later.





Next steps: Creation of the Waterfall & the Mist.

Following soon.
 
#75 ·
Re: Island Paludarium 360° A to Z - 185 Gal - Natural Aerial Lianas

Creating the decor : Natural Aerial Lianas

The lianas were also planned artificial initially but I gradually opted for an all-natural decoration, as much it completely go.
So I selected the finer branches of driftwood, to to intermingle and let it hang of the decor.




A little staging, lianas come to life, and the wild side appears.





Also, in order to conceal the electrical and son pipes unsightly pumps that will cross the stage, and especially instead of of hiding them,
I planned to diverted their presence by braiding the same way as lianas for a fully integrated concealment in the background.

We no longer see what is right before our eyes...

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I remind that pictures are visible in HD on my site under "Gallery HD", they represent the progress of each step carried out.

http://clickerfou.free.fr/paludarium/island/photos-hd-en.html

;)
 
#77 ·
Re: Island Paludarium 360° A to Z - 185 Gal - The Mist

Thank's maddmaxx ;)

Climate System - The Mist

I planned the waterfall in the center of the island, but the current layout of branches and rocks will not allow me to achieve this configuration.

The waterfall was not really an important detail for this project, and as I do not want to use polystyrene or artificial materials, I put it aside for the moment ...

For the mist I used three foggers (misters ultrasound). Concealed by small rocks.



Electrical wire are painted in tone branches. It must also interleaved real vines and moss to improve their camouflage.



The mist generated by these foggers is heavy, it is located at the water's edge when operate alone.



But when the fan is turned on, the fog moves and spins in the air.



As soon as the rain will soon be reactivated, the mist will "scope" by the high humidity generated by the rain. The mist will then slowly and uniformly spread throughout the volume of the air saturating humidity.



A small black-and-white to emphasize the mysterious atmosphere that take the Island in the mist.


Next steps : Setting up waves.

Following soon. :smile:
 
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