Do you have a Riparium?

[Green Leaf Aquariums]

As soon as Im done with a few other projects, I will have a new journal for my Riparium.

Expect an email soon Hydro!

[theinjected1]

Looking to convert my 110 gallon show tank over. Lots of room to grow!

[macclellan]

Originally Posted by Hoppy

As we are using the term "riparium" it is a tank with both aquatic and terrestrial plants, but no "land" area. Like a river bank just up to the edge of the land. This requires the plants to be suspended from the glass walls of the tank, or floated on rafts in the water.

This is bollocks though, really. Please entertain the musings of a philosopher to see why. Rivers don't have plants on/in plastic, and a river's edge is very much a land mass. Perhaps there is reason to distinguish ripariums from palludariums, since the term "riparium" connotes river, whereas "palludarium" connotes marsh. In practice though, it is really a matter of how much focus is given to land, since most of the plants in ripariums are marsh specimens, not riverine. It's perhaps still a useful distinction in that traditional palludariums tended to have quite a bit of land, ripariums just what fits in the cups and what is "suggested" by the flotation devices, but this is a difference in degree, not a difference in kind. Let's distinguishes Ripariums© from ripariums though. A riparium does not "require" using particular products to achieve a look. I'm not saying that there is no place for such products or that they aren't useful, effective, etc., or that we shouldn't patronize a small businesses with a great guy at the helm, but the products certainly aren't necessary for creating a riverine-scape, i.e., a riparium. For example, I'm going to do a 75g tank (once my crypt tank peaks out) with a very marginal landmass - just sufficient to root the emmersed plants really - in a 1/3 section of the back of the tank sustained by a rockscape shelf, which will prevent having to hide all the plastic sustaining the plants (not to mention costs), as well as hide the filter inlets and outlets (which will be drilled into the back of the tank behind the land), and allow some neat mosswork amongst the rocks, nicely transitioning the submerged to emmersed areas. Riparium or paludarium? tomāto tomäto.

[Church]

^ That was very well said. I've mentioned in other threads before that the meaning behind "riparium" around these parts is a bit skewed, but whatever, the end product is usually pretty and does commonly look like a riverside. But yeah, riparium just means riverbank or shoreline, or simply, where the water meets the land. Whereas a paludarium should be a swamp or marsh, which of course, contains both land and water, just like ripariums do.

But I agree about the tomāto tomäto thing.

Originally Posted by macclellan

Let's distinguishes Ripariums© from ripariums though.

lol

[Hurriken]

Originally Posted by hydrophyte

I have too many ripariums. I am going to have to hire a maintenance crew.

I saw pictures of your Java fern tank. You have done some beautiful work.

[hydrophyte]

I agree with macclellan's assessment. I have mainly used the word "riparium" as a way to differentiate the two distinct kinds of physical setup. Of course, this is not to say that one couldn't apply some techniques from each in a hybrid setup.

You could certainly put together a riparium, as described with the usage that we have been applying, that is a better semblance of a marsh than a riverbank. You could likewise assemble a paludarium that more closely resembles a riverbank than a marsh.

However, since the plants are arranged in a linear fashion along the rear pane of aquarium glass, with an area of open water in the foreground, a riparium does have a tendency to resemble the margin of a stream or river. That is why the term seemed like one of the best available descriptors.

[macclellan]

That's reasonable, hydro. Besides, lacusarium just doesn't roll of the tongue quite as nicely!

[Wasserpest]

I have an idea that I am going to try. It is going to be a corner tank, half full, with a large rock (island) in the center, reaching about 3/4 in tank height. Plants like ferns (Bolbitis, Ceratopteris), Anubias, Mosses and others growing up and out of the water. Nothing attached to the sides.

What do you call it?

[CL]

Sounds like a mini island thing, Wasser.

[AquaTX01]

Originally Posted by Wasserpest

I have an idea that I am going to try. It is going to be a corner tank, half full, with a large rock (island) in the center, reaching about 3/4 in tank height. Plants like ferns (Bolbitis, Ceratopteris), Anubias, Mosses and others growing up and out of the water. Nothing attached to the sides.

What do you call it?

awesome idea!! should start a diary from start to end result. I'd call it simply "Island" (like u & CL said). also may be some plants or even a Bonsai on top of da island (of course in a pot, hidden by rock)! just adding on to your great idea.... lol

[Hoppy]

Originally Posted by Wasserpest

I have an idea that I am going to try. It is going to be a corner tank, half full, with a large rock (island) in the center, reaching about 3/4 in tank height. Plants like ferns (Bolbitis, Ceratopteris), Anubias, Mosses and others growing up and out of the water. Nothing attached to the sides.

What do you call it?

Some questions just answer themselves: Wassertarium, of course!

[hydrophyte]

Originally Posted by Hurriken

I saw pictures of your Java fern tank. You have done some beautiful work.

Do you want some of this emersed Java fern? I have it coming out of my ears.

[shrimpo]

I am setting up one for the first time.

[hydrophyte]

Originally Posted by theinjected1

Looking to convert my 110 gallon show tank over. Lots of room to grow!

A 110 would be a great shape for this. You could get really awesome taller plants, such as some of those bigger Anubias, into a tank that size.

A. hastifolia was made to go into a tank like that.

[jman]

Would you recommend a 29g (18 inches tall) for a riparium?
Would it need a glass cover? Submersed plants aren't doing so hot for me right now...