Hello:
On the topic of your fluval, I'm not wholly familiar with its construction, but I imagine you could easily buy 6' of silicone tubing (of the same inside diameter as that used on your filter) at any hardware store for only 1-2$ (or the Canadian equivelant thereof). That way, you can simply extend the lines to wherever you might want them.
For your divider, use silicone for the initial watertight barrier, then use handifoam to create a second, more sturdy structure to help hold up the walls of your plastic. this way, the plastic won't have to take all of the pressure exerted on it.
As to the Hagen ladder... this part is up for grabs...:icon_roll You're right that if you put it on the side near your output, the disturbance would likely greatly inhibit the retention of the CO2, but if you put it on the side of the intake, the newly carbonated water will just get pulled into your filter... So on this, someone who has actual experience with canister filters may have better advice for you.
Ok, on to substrates... This, again, is a point of contention for many people here. The values and faults of the many commercial substrates are commonly debated by the users that frequent this forum, so your best bet is to look up one of the many polls extolling the greatness of each faction's chosen substrate and choose for yourself. Personally, I just use washed playground sand with a peat base (poor college student here.)
As for plants, I think it would be really cool if you got plants that grow from a submersed form to emersed. This tends to help soften the barriers between the land and water sections, and allows your animals more terrestrial space to explore. I love aluminum plant for this, but amny swords and aponogetons work great. For easy to trim plants, ludwigias, rotalas, (pretty much any medium light stem plant) work great. I love to use mosses too, and java ferns work great if you initially plant them on driftwood beneath the water and let them grow out. For a great reference, look up http://www.plantedtank.net/forums/photo-album/18356-38g-rain-56k-rest-peace.html for a (rather extensive) great reference. For foreground plants, I love microsowrd, hm, hc, and dwarf hairgrass.
For soil, I use a mixture of coconut husk fiber, milled peat moss, sphagnum moss, orchid bark, and leaf litter on all of my terraria. For plants, bromeliads, tilandsia, fittonia, pothos, philodendron, creeping fig, various types of ferns, and many other plants work amazingly. If you're up for more of a challengs, african violets and orchids can be spectacular additions. As for the venus flytrap, unfortunately, it's a temperate plant and needs a dormancy period. It is possible for you to simulate the progressive shortening photoperiods, but it also needs a temperature drop. It might live for a year or two, but after that, it won't do to well; however, if you want a carnivorous plant, nepenthese species are beautiful and very well suited for terraria. For more references, visit Dendroboard - Your source for dart frog information. for a great array of terrarium information.
As for the cohabitation question, I don't think it will be an issue.
Well, sorry for the lengthy post, but always happy to share my information with others. Keep us updated, as I always love large terraria.
On the topic of your fluval, I'm not wholly familiar with its construction, but I imagine you could easily buy 6' of silicone tubing (of the same inside diameter as that used on your filter) at any hardware store for only 1-2$ (or the Canadian equivelant thereof). That way, you can simply extend the lines to wherever you might want them.
For your divider, use silicone for the initial watertight barrier, then use handifoam to create a second, more sturdy structure to help hold up the walls of your plastic. this way, the plastic won't have to take all of the pressure exerted on it.
As to the Hagen ladder... this part is up for grabs...:icon_roll You're right that if you put it on the side near your output, the disturbance would likely greatly inhibit the retention of the CO2, but if you put it on the side of the intake, the newly carbonated water will just get pulled into your filter... So on this, someone who has actual experience with canister filters may have better advice for you.
Ok, on to substrates... This, again, is a point of contention for many people here. The values and faults of the many commercial substrates are commonly debated by the users that frequent this forum, so your best bet is to look up one of the many polls extolling the greatness of each faction's chosen substrate and choose for yourself. Personally, I just use washed playground sand with a peat base (poor college student here.)
As for plants, I think it would be really cool if you got plants that grow from a submersed form to emersed. This tends to help soften the barriers between the land and water sections, and allows your animals more terrestrial space to explore. I love aluminum plant for this, but amny swords and aponogetons work great. For easy to trim plants, ludwigias, rotalas, (pretty much any medium light stem plant) work great. I love to use mosses too, and java ferns work great if you initially plant them on driftwood beneath the water and let them grow out. For a great reference, look up http://www.plantedtank.net/forums/photo-album/18356-38g-rain-56k-rest-peace.html for a (rather extensive) great reference. For foreground plants, I love microsowrd, hm, hc, and dwarf hairgrass.
For soil, I use a mixture of coconut husk fiber, milled peat moss, sphagnum moss, orchid bark, and leaf litter on all of my terraria. For plants, bromeliads, tilandsia, fittonia, pothos, philodendron, creeping fig, various types of ferns, and many other plants work amazingly. If you're up for more of a challengs, african violets and orchids can be spectacular additions. As for the venus flytrap, unfortunately, it's a temperate plant and needs a dormancy period. It is possible for you to simulate the progressive shortening photoperiods, but it also needs a temperature drop. It might live for a year or two, but after that, it won't do to well; however, if you want a carnivorous plant, nepenthese species are beautiful and very well suited for terraria. For more references, visit Dendroboard - Your source for dart frog information. for a great array of terrarium information.
As for the cohabitation question, I don't think it will be an issue.
Well, sorry for the lengthy post, but always happy to share my information with others. Keep us updated, as I always love large terraria.
