Converting my 125 gallon planted tank to a ....

[kherman]

Well, here's the old set up. A planted tank with CO2. The works.

Aquascaping thread on another foumr
http://aquabotanicwetthumb.infopop.c...2&m=8696047754

now for the ....

I want to do what I think is called a Vivarium.

I hope to turn this into my "offical planning thread". Maybe I'll move it to the vivarium forum once I decide on this.

What I want to do is take may 125 gallon tank which has a 5'x2' footprint and make it approximately half water. The tank height is 20", so 10" will have water in this case. I'd bascially make a slope with the substrate from deep water till it hits land. So, half half of the water will make the water area about 20-30 gallons. I'm hoping to get closer to 30" water. Maybe an island in the middle of it via driftwood. I plan on having some smaller fish in there (neons, etc). I also want land animals. Maybe frogs. Maybe not. Something that won't eat my fish and won't try to escape.

I plan on using glosso as ground cover in the water. Land plants are TBD.

Some kick off questions.
1) I will have to go with an overflow for this, corrrect? After all, I need to maintain the water level. Easy enough.

2) Due to (1), I also have to go with a sump, correct?

3) Is there a site that can recomend land animals? Something unique would be nice.

4) Is this possible to do in a low maintnenace manner? That's part of the reason I am going with glosso for ground cover in the water. it's also part of the reason I want to change my tank from a planted tank to something else. Besides. I need a change. The animals arn't the issue. I juut don't want to spend alot of time trimming plants. Feeding animals is hte easy part I might also do some crpyts under water.

I might start work on the new setup VERY soon. Possibly tommorrow night if I buy the sump. I just ned a kick in the pants from you all

Karl

PS: I've been planning this for a while. I thin it's time I take the step of ust doing it

[kherman]

QUESTION) Can I simply use my substrate from the aquarium to form the land area? That was my presumptious plan. It's a 40/60 mix of fullers earth and something I can't recall. It's 0% fullers earth though, which is basically potting soil (but not soil).

Karl

[Wasserpest]

Hey Karl, good luck with that! I can't offer much help since I have never tried something like that, but I was very inspired by this article:http://badmanstropicalfish.com/vivarium/vivarium.html and one day I will have time, energy, money, and room to set up something like that! Maybe in 35 years

Anyway... I think you can use aquatic substrate for the terrestrial part. I assume you want to plant the land part... then it would be something like hydroponics, where you have the plants growing in gravel, fullers earth, whatever, and you either wet it every so often, or the water is collecting on the bottom for the roots to access.

Let us know how things turn out!