Wy Renegade's 30gal Paludarium

Wy Renegade · 07-11-2012, 01:20 PM

Had a chance over the weekend to do a little maintanence and snap a couple of different pictures. Several clumps of the dwarf hairgrass had come up and were floating around, so I went ahead and removed those that had done so. The duckweed population is in full bloom as you can tell from the top down shot of the aquatic portion;

One of the rabbit-footed ferns had been all broken by the students in messing in the tank, so I went ahead and removed the large lava rock in order to open up more swimming space. The plant in the upper left has actually grown too tall for this tank, its bumping up against the screen top and bending over, so I may have to transplant it to another tank and move some forget-me-nots into this one.

The terrestrial portion is going strong, the mosses I've introduced seem to be taking hold quite nicely, and even the small rush seems to be doing well. Still waiting on one of the minutures orchids to bloom. It has a nice long flower spike, but hasn't opened up yet. The bonsi has put out a ton of new growth, I'll have to do some pruning this fall.

Here's an updated FTS for July;

And a close-up of one of the Mountain snails out on the glass over the aquatic portion;

skabooya · 07-13-2012, 04:39 AM

It looks great. It is really coming along. I cant wait to see it in the fall

Guns286 · 07-13-2012, 01:59 PM

Looks great! Thanks for the responses. You're right, that other site is NOT active. By the way, I saw that someone else in the thread asked how the sponges were and I was also curious.

Wy Renegade · 07-13-2012, 05:45 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by skabooya

It looks great. It is really coming along. I cant wait to see it in the fall

Thanks! Hopefully there will be some fun changes in place here in the next month.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Guns286

Looks great! Thanks for the responses. You're right, that other site is NOT active. By the way, I saw that someone else in the thread asked how the sponges were and I was also curious.

LOL, yeah I posted there for awhile, then kind of slacked off. I'll have to check on the sponges this weekend, I'd actually kind of forgotten about them to be completely honest.

Wy Renegade · 07-23-2012, 01:39 PM

Snapped a few more pictures last weekend. The two anubis plants are growing quite well;

The Java moss has really taken off as well, and is starting to climb up the driftwood;

And the moss in the terrestrial portion is hanging on as well;

The rocks were getting a pretty good coating on them, so I moved two Horned Nerite snails into this tank from another (thanks Severum and HN1). Not the greatest picture;

A shot from the long view;

And a updated FTS;

I did look of the sponges, but I had placed them in the area of the driftwood, and now I can't find them. They may be under the Java moss, but I didn't want to disturb it to see.

Wy Renegade · 09-28-2012, 06:16 PM

Been a while since I updated, so I guess its time. I actually snapped these pictures back in August, just haven't had time to get them posted. Right now the duckweed has really started to grow, and most have roots of an inch or more, so its quite a bit different from the pictures. I'll have to update again soon.

Riparian portion;

I added a couple of Forget-Me-Nots to either side of the emerging driftwood.

Terrestrail portion;

And a close-up of the interior of the driftwood cave;

I've been experimenting with some different mosses, but don't think I'm keeping them sprayed enough. I think I'm going to have to add a fog maker of some type to get the effect I'm really looking for with this portion of the tank.

The emergent driftwood has become nicely covered with the Java moss, and I'm pretty pleased with the effect;

Unfortunately my Rabbitsfoot fern has died way back and lost all of it's old root growth, so I added a native fern from my bog tank in that I know does well under emersed conditions (on the right);

One of the mounted orchids bloomed this month, so a couple shots of it;

Updated FTS;

and an updated end shot;

Fishies_in_Philly · 09-28-2012, 10:54 PM

looking good renegade! i see what you were talking about now with the rabbit's foot fern. did you say you had the roots submerged and they rotted?

Wy Renegade · 10-01-2012, 04:44 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Fishies_in_Philly

looking good renegade! i see what you were talking about now with the rabbit's foot fern. did you say you had the roots submerged and they rotted?

Yeah Bill, there seems to be a very fine line with these. I grew one for several years in a large plastic bowl, which was filled with water. Of course the water evaporated regularly, so it was always full and the roots where not submersed all the time. It did very well. This one, as you can see, the old leaflets and the old roots have all died off. I'll be curious to see over time what happens to the new leaflets and roots.

Fishies_in_Philly · 10-01-2012, 05:10 PM

Btw....i love that emersed log.....too cool and growing nice

Wy Renegade · 10-01-2012, 07:34 PM

Thanks! I'm looking forward to having it covered in the moss.

schoolzoo · 10-18-2012, 02:53 PM

Your tank looks great. I am going to try something similar - I have an empty 25 gallon, that I want to turn into a newt/frog habitat. I don't think that I'll be brave enough to drill holes in the tank for circulation, I'm leaning towards a fuvel canister and hiding the parts similar to what I did for the crab tank.

Fishies_in_Philly · 10-18-2012, 06:55 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by schoolzoo

Your tank looks great. I am going to try something similar - I have an empty 25 gallon, that I want to turn into a newt/frog habitat. I don't think that I'll be brave enough to drill holes in the tank for circulation, I'm leaning towards a fuvel canister and hiding the parts similar to what I did for the crab tank.

I'm kind of the same way. Not that i'm nervous to drill it, i just can't bring myself to "destroy" a perfectly good tank.......lol

Wy Renegade · 10-19-2012, 01:35 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by schoolzoo

Your tank looks great. I am going to try something similar - I have an empty 25 gallon, that I want to turn into a newt/frog habitat. I don't think that I'll be brave enough to drill holes in the tank for circulation, I'm leaning towards a fuvel canister and hiding the parts similar to what I did for the crab tank.

Thank you. I was worried the first time I did it myself, but actually it is pretty easy and forgiving. I have broken a tank, but that was because I tried to drill a few too many holes in an old tank. I think the fluval with the parts hidden will work just fine. The main reason I drilled mine is I wanted it completely sealed, and you can't do that with canister parts run over the back of the aquarium.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Fishies_in_Philly

I'm kind of the same way. Not that i'm nervous to drill it, i just can't bring myself to "destroy" a perfectly good tank.......lol

Yep, its definitely permanent once you drill it. Fortunately I have enough tanks sitting around and up and running that drilling one or two (or more) isn't too big of a deal. I also figure that once you foam/silicone that rock in there, its pretty permanent anyway. I tried to pull some foamed/siliconed rock out of a tank once and broke it in the process.

Fishies_in_Philly · 10-19-2012, 01:52 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Wy Renegade

Thank you. I was worried the first time I did it myself, but actually it is pretty easy and forgiving. I have broken a tank, but that was because I tried to drill a few too many holes in an old tank. I think the fluval with the parts hidden will work just fine. The main reason I drilled mine is I wanted it completely sealed, and you can't do that with canister parts run over the back of the aquarium.

Yep, its definitely permanent once you drill it. Fortunately I have enough tanks sitting around and up and running that drilling one or two (or more) isn't too big of a deal. I also figure that once you foam/silicone that rock in there, its pretty permanent anyway. I tried to pull some foamed/siliconed rock out of a tank once and broke it in the process.

Ya know, i never thought about it that way. And like you, i have plenty of spare tanks laying around. Maybe i'll drill my 40b critter cage for a sump since i'm gonna build if for fire belly toads.

schoolzoo · 10-24-2012, 04:19 PM

I was going to drill a 5 gallon so that I could try a hydroponic loop in my classroom, under the grow light. My plan was to use a simple gravity feed from the fish to the plants and then pump the water back from the plants to the tank. I took the tank down to my local glass shop - they can't drill it as it is tempered. Are all standard aquariums tempered glass? How does one drill a tank?

07-13-2012, 04:39 AM	#107
skabooya Planted Tank Enthusiast (View User Tanks) PTrader: (0/0%) Join Date: Apr 2005 Location: Kitimat BC, Canada Posts: 715	It looks great. It is really coming along. I cant wait to see it in the fall __________________ 32 gal planted amazonian-ish tank http://www.plantedtank.net/forums/lo...8-finally.html

09-28-2012, 10:54 PM	#112
Fishies_in_Philly Planted Tank Guru (View User Tanks) PTrader: (9/100%) Join Date: Dec 2011 Location: phila., PA Posts: 2,178	looking good renegade! i see what you were talking about now with the rabbit's foot fern. did you say you had the roots submerged and they rotted? __________________ -Bill The Fraternity of Dirt #82 125 gallon White's tree frog paludarium My Madagascar Inspired Mantella Paludarium

10-01-2012, 05:10 PM	#114
Fishies_in_Philly Planted Tank Guru (View User Tanks) PTrader: (9/100%) Join Date: Dec 2011 Location: phila., PA Posts: 2,178	Btw....i love that emersed log.....too cool and growing nice __________________ -Bill The Fraternity of Dirt #82 125 gallon White's tree frog paludarium My Madagascar Inspired Mantella Paludarium

Thread Tools
Show Printable Version Email this Page
Display Modes
Linear Mode Switch to Hybrid Mode Switch to Threaded Mode

07-11-2012, 01:20 PM	#106
Wy Renegade Planted Tank Obsessed (View User Tanks) PTrader: (2/100%) Join Date: Nov 2011 Location: Wyoming Posts: 333	Had a chance over the weekend to do a little maintanence and snap a couple of different pictures. Several clumps of the dwarf hairgrass had come up and were floating around, so I went ahead and removed those that had done so. The duckweed population is in full bloom as you can tell from the top down shot of the aquatic portion; One of the rabbit-footed ferns had been all broken by the students in messing in the tank, so I went ahead and removed the large lava rock in order to open up more swimming space. The plant in the upper left has actually grown too tall for this tank, its bumping up against the screen top and bending over, so I may have to transplant it to another tank and move some forget-me-nots into this one. The terrestrial portion is going strong, the mosses I've introduced seem to be taking hold quite nicely, and even the small rush seems to be doing well. Still waiting on one of the minutures orchids to bloom. It has a nice long flower spike, but hasn't opened up yet. The bonsi has put out a ton of new growth, I'll have to do some pruning this fall. Here's an updated FTS for July; And a close-up of one of the Mountain snails out on the glass over the aquatic portion;

07-13-2012, 01:59 PM	#108
Guns286 Planted Tank Obsessed (View User Tanks) PTrader: (9/100%) Join Date: Sep 2009 Location: Eastchester, N.Y. Posts: 366	Looks great! Thanks for the responses. You're right, that other site is NOT active. By the way, I saw that someone else in the thread asked how the sponges were and I was also curious.

07-23-2012, 01:39 PM	#110
Wy Renegade Planted Tank Obsessed (View User Tanks) PTrader: (2/100%) Join Date: Nov 2011 Location: Wyoming Posts: 333	Snapped a few more pictures last weekend. The two anubis plants are growing quite well; The Java moss has really taken off as well, and is starting to climb up the driftwood; And the moss in the terrestrial portion is hanging on as well; The rocks were getting a pretty good coating on them, so I moved two Horned Nerite snails into this tank from another (thanks Severum and HN1). Not the greatest picture; A shot from the long view; And a updated FTS; I did look of the sponges, but I had placed them in the area of the driftwood, and now I can't find them. They may be under the Java moss, but I didn't want to disturb it to see.

09-28-2012, 06:16 PM	#111
Wy Renegade Planted Tank Obsessed (View User Tanks) PTrader: (2/100%) Join Date: Nov 2011 Location: Wyoming Posts: 333	Been a while since I updated, so I guess its time. I actually snapped these pictures back in August, just haven't had time to get them posted. Right now the duckweed has really started to grow, and most have roots of an inch or more, so its quite a bit different from the pictures. I'll have to update again soon. Riparian portion; I added a couple of Forget-Me-Nots to either side of the emerging driftwood. Terrestrail portion; And a close-up of the interior of the driftwood cave; I've been experimenting with some different mosses, but don't think I'm keeping them sprayed enough. I think I'm going to have to add a fog maker of some type to get the effect I'm really looking for with this portion of the tank. The emergent driftwood has become nicely covered with the Java moss, and I'm pretty pleased with the effect; Unfortunately my Rabbitsfoot fern has died way back and lost all of it's old root growth, so I added a native fern from my bog tank in that I know does well under emersed conditions (on the right); One of the mounted orchids bloomed this month, so a couple shots of it; Updated FTS; and an updated end shot;

10-01-2012, 07:34 PM	#115
Wy Renegade Planted Tank Obsessed (View User Tanks) PTrader: (2/100%) Join Date: Nov 2011 Location: Wyoming Posts: 333	Thanks! I'm looking forward to having it covered in the moss.

10-18-2012, 02:53 PM	#116
schoolzoo Algae Grower (View User Tanks) PTrader: (0/0%) Join Date: Mar 2012 Location: Alberta Canada Posts: 126	Your tank looks great. I am going to try something similar - I have an empty 25 gallon, that I want to turn into a newt/frog habitat. I don't think that I'll be brave enough to drill holes in the tank for circulation, I'm leaning towards a fuvel canister and hiding the parts similar to what I did for the crab tank.

10-24-2012, 04:19 PM	#120
schoolzoo Algae Grower (View User Tanks) PTrader: (0/0%) Join Date: Mar 2012 Location: Alberta Canada Posts: 126	I was going to drill a 5 gallon so that I could try a hydroponic loop in my classroom, under the grow light. My plan was to use a simple gravity feed from the fish to the plants and then pump the water back from the plants to the tank. I took the tank down to my local glass shop - they can't drill it as it is tempered. Are all standard aquariums tempered glass? How does one drill a tank?