# 4' x 4' paludarium



## dendrothusiast (Sep 16, 2010)

This paludarium has been a wonderful project for the past several months and just wanted to share after getting my hands on a decent camera. 

Size: 48 x 16 x 48 everything completely made from scratch by me

Lighting: 1 48" Tek HOT5 - eventually I will add a couple of LED power 
spotlights just to help bring more light to beneath the water for the 
crypts and bolbitus.

Misting: Mistking

Plants: 3 species of neoregelia, 11 species of orchids, various
gesneriads, ferns, aquatic aroids as well as other epiphytes. 

Fish/Animals: boraras brigittae, espei rasboras, galaxy rasboras, chocolate 
gourami, red cherry shrimp, otocinclus, assassin snails, 
ranitomeya imitator "chazuta"

now a few pictures - 

full tank shot | Flickr - Photo Sharing!

worm's eye view | Flickr - Photo Sharing!

10 months later... | Flickr - Photo Sharing!

more photos of the paludarium are at Flickr: arman1190's Photostream

- if anyone can just attach the phtots to the post it'd be much appreciated (i'm not computer savvy unfortunately)


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## Azurel (Aug 5, 2010)

That's pretty sick tank man.....Congrats.

How old is all of the growth? Pretty amazing looking!


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## frogparty (Dec 27, 2007)

Pretty epic!!! Love that Huperzia pinifolia!!!!! Can I ask where you got it?


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## epiphytes etc. (Nov 22, 2010)

<yawns> jk, most impressive.


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## BR5 (Dec 7, 2009)

That's over the top, thanks for sharing.
Brian


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## curlykid (Jan 28, 2011)

very lovely. one of the most natural vivs i've seen!


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## stevenhman (Feb 19, 2008)

Good job, here ya go:


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## Julio (Oct 8, 2007)

Amazing!!!!


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## aurantiaca1 (Dec 13, 2010)

Thats really awesome looking! How did you make the viv from scratch? I would love to get a tutorial on that


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## james67 (Jun 28, 2008)

frogparty said:


> Pretty epic!!! Love that Huperzia pinifolia!!!!! Can I ask where you got it?


looks like carinatum to me but im no lycopodium expert.

james


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## frogparty (Dec 27, 2007)

Me either. All I know is that I want it


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## Ruff (Nov 26, 2011)

amazing work!


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## drutt (Oct 4, 2011)

really good.......


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## Gnarly (Mar 3, 2011)

This is awesome.
That is all.


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## BonnieLorraine (Jan 23, 2011)

Wow!!! All I can say is that's amazing. I think I want to go check out your house instead of you seeing mine, yours looks more exciting lol.


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## Blue_Pumilio (Feb 22, 2009)

What kind of lights do you have on there?


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## dendrothusiast (Sep 16, 2010)

frogparty said:


> Pretty epic!!! Love that Huperzia pinifolia!!!!! Can I ask where you got it?


Thank you, it came as a specimen from blackjungle half of the current size



aurantiaca1 said:


> Thats really awesome looking! How did you make the viv from scratch? I would love to get a tutorial on that


Made it all from plywood and specialty hardwood. Coated everything with a waterproof sealant on the inside and placed regular pond liner over it. Ask away if you want to know anything else - I used to build wooden vivs for fun.



james67 said:


> looks like carinatum to me but im no lycopodium expert.
> 
> james


You are both correct there is some carinatum growing with the pinifolia on the left side of the palu but the pinifolia has become the dominant hurpuzia


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## frogparty (Dec 27, 2007)

Well if you take any cuttings let me know


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## Bokfan1 (Oct 17, 2010)

really nice tank! any pictures before it was planted?


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## stevenhman (Feb 19, 2008)

http://www.dendroboard.com/forum/plants-supplies-classifieds/61205-custom-plywood-enclosures.html


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## dendrothusiast (Sep 16, 2010)

Bokfan1 said:


> really nice tank! any pictures before it was planted?





stevenhman said:


> http://www.dendroboard.com/forum/plants-supplies-classifieds/61205-custom-plywood-enclosures.html


thank you steve for finding the original post and posting the pictures from flickr - I owe you one. Funny enough that plywood viv was built for a friend for his solartes but in the end it was too big to fit in his apartment so I had to make a smaller one. I was going to sell it but I decided to just use it since it's the only viv I have in my home.


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## dendrothusiast (Sep 16, 2010)

Just an update - alot has been going on with this viv. Added a couple of led spotlights on this guy so the water portion is now viewable and the fish are more active. As far as plants goes I haven't lost anything but have added some interesting ones I'm enjoying as they grow everyday. My davallia parvula has begun to take off on the epiphytic vines and I've gotten a few orchid blooms in there the past month. Going to post pics hopefully by the end of next week.


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## wimvanvelzen (Nov 1, 2008)

A really great viv! I love your plants and the overall feel. 
What is the hardscape like? Any lianas/wood? Rocks? Epiweb or the like?


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## dendrothusiast (Sep 16, 2010)

hey wim long time. the hardscape is nothing special. Just simple pieces of driftwood attached to the background of coco panels with insulation foam. the heaviest landscape piece is a slab of coral rock on the upper left area that has become taken over by moss, orchids, and ferns. I liked it because coral rock has many features that can be used as mini deposit pools and so fat the two male chazutas like it there. The water portion is the only area that has actual rocks.

I would've like to use epiweb as a background but it didn't fit the budget at the time and it didn't come to mind I could've substituted it for pond filter media mats, etc. the vines are lianas that i secured into place usinginsulation foam as well. the vines are completely covered with various orchids, mosses, ferns, as well as a nice dischidia and another mini epiphyte.

Unfortunately I'm cameraless at the moment so I'll most likely do a video update instead.


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## Dizzle21 (Aug 11, 2009)

Love this tank, wish I could see it in person!


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## dendrothusiast (Sep 16, 2010)

*Re: 4' x 4' paludarium (Feb update)*

some new photos. Things are going a little crazy in my life so not much time. Going to start a new build soon but here's a link to some updated photos. Slowly switching all lighting over to LEDs. 

paludarium 2012 - a set on Flickr


Here are some landscape shots
feb 2012 | Flickr - Photo Sharing!

feb 2012 | Flickr - Photo Sharing!

worm's eye veiw 2012 | Flickr - Photo Sharing!

forgive me steve - your services are needed again 

I'll get a video up as soon as I finish installing the fogger


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## GRIMM (Jan 18, 2010)

You have an insanely nice collection of plants in that tank. Have you made a list of them all? There must be well over a hundred different types. Very sweet tank!


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## Dizzle21 (Aug 11, 2009)

Here ya go Arman!

Also how about deep is your water level? Im still deciding whether to do that exo or a custom built..


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## Spaff (Jan 8, 2011)

What's the Bulbo in the third picture? alagense?


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## Dizzle21 (Aug 11, 2009)

I believe B. ovalifolium


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## flyingSquirrel (Aug 22, 2011)

Spaff said:


> What's the Bulbo in the third picture? alagense?


That probably is ovalifolium in the center, however the smaller plant does appear to be alagense small form.


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## bebert (Oct 19, 2011)

the chocolat gouramis is such a nice looking fish i miss my pair now 
nice tank dude!


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## Venutus1 (Feb 13, 2010)

nice, well done!


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## dendrothusiast (Sep 16, 2010)

GRIMM said:


> You have an insanely nice collection of plants in that tank. Have you made a list of them all? There must be well over a hundred different types. Very sweet tank!


almost 50 including the orchids I believe - thanks grimm 



Dizzle21 said:


> Also how about deep is your water level? Im still deciding whether to do that exo or a custom built..


Dillon the water starts off at 8" but will reach 10" by the end of the month due to misting.



Spaff said:


> What's the Bulbo in the third picture? alagense?


alagense small form


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## hydrophyte (Jun 5, 2009)

This is really stunning. Nice fish choices too!



Dizzle21 said:


>


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## dendrothusiast (Sep 16, 2010)

a lot of people have been asking about this paludarium and unfortunately I'm going to break it down soon for a possible upcoming move. While this is going down I built 5 other large vivs that are going to be themed on central and south american countries so look for that thread soon. It also allows me to have more space for my plants and orchids.


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## MrMonterrubio (Sep 29, 2011)

That's very sad news.

Hope the next vivs look as awesome as this one. 

Good luck, mate !


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## hydrophyte (Jun 5, 2009)

That's a shame that you have to tear it down, but I am sure you will come back with even better new setups!


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## Dizzle21 (Aug 11, 2009)

So SAD! 

Another Paludarium in mind?


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## dendrothusiast (Sep 16, 2010)

Dizzle21 said:


> So SAD!
> 
> Another Paludarium in mind?


Two more. They'll be a little smaller but a borneo biotope for my current fish and a peruvian biotope for some marbled hatchets and neons. The current beast I will most likely cut the height down to the same size as the other tanks of 3' instead of 4'. It will still be my longest tank and be my ecuador based tank for several lepanthes orchids.


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## Dizzle21 (Aug 11, 2009)

You doing custom plywood tanks or premade?


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## dendrothusiast (Sep 16, 2010)

All reclaimed wood and plywood. They're already built but in the stain process to give them that really aged oak look. What i'm really trying to achieve is building all the vivs in a way where the contents inside can be easily taken out for quick disassembly such as using three styrofoam sheets for all sides and attaching everything on to them. The vivs themselves are really lightweight so that was a success. 

I'll post them up real soon in the new thread.


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## Nismo95 (Jul 30, 2011)

instead of just tearing it down.. how bout remove the frogs/fish. drain the water. Sell it to me and ship it on up to Washington? lol all laughing aside.. I am serious!


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