Tank setup idea!

I don't know if this will work or not but heres what I just came up with. Ok I take one of the 30G tank and fill it about 5/8 - 6/8 of the way full. Then I put rocks in the back left corner, coming out of the water. There will be sand on the bottom as a substrate( also scattered with river rocks.) Then I will have a filter above the rocks. The intake tube will go down past the rocks and into the water(behind the rocks not infront). I will get a Aquaclear 50 and try to find a extra intake tube to reach down far enough. Then the water that comes out of the filter will go down to the rocks and give a water fall effect. I will have some plants that will grow out of the water and possibly if I could find a few that could live on the rocks out of water I would do that. There would also be a few plants that would stay completely submersed. I would have a medium sized school of tetras or barbs. Not sure what kind of fish completely yet. But that is not my main concern atm.

Do yall think this would work? I would love to do that I think it would look amazing I attached a paint picture of wat I am talking about.

I hope that is clear enough so that you can visualize

I just looked on DFS and they have extra intake tubes for $4.39 each.

Does anyone think I could put like a frog or something in there as well since it would have a place to get on land? or should I just plan this with fish.

 

I don't know if it would work, but it sounds like a great idea. I always wanted to have a paludarium! Sounds like you will be able to add a frog, or salamander too, if you add some land/bog plants and make a bit of land. Here is an article which gives some plant ideas in it. Its really detailed too, on how to build something along your lines, if you want a guide.

 

O I didn't know that these already existed. I thought I was the first. I was so excited lol......I will be looking at that.

 

sorry ..lol yeah there is lots of info on them. I tried to make my five gallon into one, it was cool for a while, but I dismantled it. A bunch of the bog plants, can be found right at lowes or walmart. I used coconut husk instead of sphagnum moss as the substrate for the land portion ( its also good iguana litter..lol). It is great for gardens, doesn't alter Ph like sphagnum, is a natural odor absorber, and decomposes quite slowly. That way its not a huge deal should it fall into the water. I would love to see some pics, if you go through with it!

 

I will propose the idea to mom later. I am sick blehh. So I will have all day tomorrow to plan for it since I won't be at school. I am in one of those energy spurts per se. You know when your sick and then you think you're better for a while then about half hour later your bad again.....lol Can you buy cocunut husk in bulk or do you have to buy cocunuts and strip them lol? I will let ya'll/you know if I go through with it.

 

Cory- The Aquaclear filters come with extra lengths of uptake tubing
Carol

 

Yep. I noticed that last night =)

Well I drew up a small plan last night at about midnight. So it won't be the greatest thiing in the world.

The thing in the top right is the waterfall(really high). I will have pebbles on substrate. On the left the land kinda of curves to create sort of a cavelike structure. I will have a few small grasslike plants around the water area and I am unexperienced beyond belief in other plants so that's why the rest is blank. There will be a small shoal of 1 species of tetra or barb. Closer to the front on the right is a small pieace of land that continues all the way around until it reaches the larger area. The small piece of land isn't solid underneath and is almost rootlike(possibly recreate effect with styrofoam?). I think that is everything. Oh yeah the background will either be cork bark or rock(fake).

Here is pic:

 

Since the intake will be behind the wall, will it be able to pull the water through the wall so that all of the water is properly filtered?

 

Yea it would actually be hidden by the water fall but I would have a mesh screen to keep fish out. The punmp would be in the same screened in area, So all of the water would still be filtered. I believe. I can't find a explanation of the best way to filter a paludarium so I will continue looking to find a better way.

 

Do you mean something like this? ...



I don't know if link is working, but its called the Maineland Waters Edge Bio Habitat Kit. Half Aquarium, Half Terrarium

 

Yea it would actually be hidden by the water fall but I would have a mesh screen to keep fish out. The punmp would be in the same screened in area, So all of the water would still be filtered. I believe. I can't find a explanation of the best way to filter a paludarium so I will continue looking to find a better way.

Ok just checking. That was the only thing I could see a problem with.

And, by the way, I think it would be a lot neater if you made it yourself rather than bought the ones that are already made.... Then you could make it exactly how you wanted it, and have the satisfaction of knowing that you did it all yourself.

 

I came up with something I will attach a pic of a drawing later. Ok so I will use what is known as the "seperation method". I will bend plexiglass with a heatgun and a board to a semicirclish shape. Then silicone it in the center of the tank.flush with the back wall. on the left side I will close off a small area where the heater and filter will be. It will be a submersible filter and heater. Inside the comepartment will also be a water pump. It will have a hose attached to it that leads up to about a 6-10 inch high waterfall. Therefore heated and filtered water will exit through the waterfall and into the water. There will be a slight lip around the "tower" where the water fall is to ensure the no water gets on the land so that it doesn't flood. On the right hand side I will have a slope the goes from the back to the front(about the same size as the compartment on the left). Under the removable slope will be another water pump. This water pump will pump water through a piece of hose or PVC pipe into the other compartment. This way the water is circulating and all of it will be filtered. The slope serves as an exit/entrance for any non aquatic animals to get out of or into the water. I am considering some frogs or newt/salamander or a lizard of some sort. Close to right side of the land I will have a fake tree about 3 or 4 inches in diameter. It will be cut out of styrofoam to accurately depict the shape. The "roots will continue out onto the slope to give it a realistic effect. Also some of the "roots" will go slightly into the water from the side of the plexiglass. I will attach cork bark and cover all over the styrofoam tree, giving it a realistic look. Coming from the waterfall tower will be a slight slope continuing down to the right side(it will be againts the wall). It will probably be made of styrofoam as well. Below the water fall will be medium sized river rocks so that a crater is not created from the falling water. the rocks will get smaller and smaller from left to right. There will still be scattered of all sizes. But mainly pea sized pebbles. This is what I have come up with so far and will attach a photo soon of a drwaing.

 

Sounds very imaginative and will DEFINATELY be a center of talk for anyone you show the tanks to.

 

Here is the very bad drawing. Did it in a few seconds lol

 

you can find dried coconut husk in a compressed brick form for like three bucks. I get mine at my lfs because I use it for my iguanas litterbox. It looks small, but it makes a lot of husk. You need to get it several days in advance, because it takes forever to dry out.