# Gnarly's 29 Paludarium Build



## Gnarly (Mar 3, 2011)

My first tank ever was a 29 gallon planted paludarium with a few shrimp, tiger barbs and a tiny little pea puffer. There were no frogs, don't worry. 
It had a nice little drip wall and I did pretty well with all the plants growing emersed and not so well, but still okay with the aquatic plants. 
Over time, the puffer slowly murdered everything in the tank, and became the only inhabitant until one day he just disappeared.

The structure of the tank was kind of a huge mess. I had a very meager understanding of false bottoms in a paludarium & zero knowledge of background construction; as a result, I had a floppy land section propped up by pounds and pounds of rocks & two slabs of exoterras cork tile pressed to the back. 
I just recently tore the tank down, and I have every intention of rebuilding it, despite Jeff's pleas for "no more tanks", but this time I have at least a little bit better of an understanding of tank building. 


Here is my start. 
I am just messing with possibilities. I still have to scrub out the tank, but I am really in no rush while I'm still in the brainstorming process. I'd like to do a tree base/root area into the water and a drip wall with a small land area on the other side. I'll be doing a foam & peat background here as well, with some more "roots". Any experience regarding the longevity of this type of background over time under a drip wall?
I can't decide if I'd like to go with the cork round, which is hiding the tower ill use to service the heather and filter (I'm thinking of cleaning out the eheim I used on the original paludarium) or, try to make a mosaic of hardwood around it. Thoughts on this?


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## cpt (Mar 6, 2013)

i think you got the right idea with hiding your appliances within the "tree"
looks like its gonna be a solid buil


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## radiata (Jul 24, 2010)

I like your (cypress?) "roots" for the cork bark. With the addition of some live moss where the corks meets the roots it should look quite natural.

Keeping any frogs in there?


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## Gnarly (Mar 3, 2011)

Thanks kindly. It's going to be a slow build, and I think some live moss would look nice in there; a very good suggestion. 
I was also going to try my hand at some orchids with proper ventilation along the cork, hopefully. I have proven to be quite the orchid assassin in the past  

I won't be keeping any frogs in here. I have been toying with the idea of trying my hand at some crabs though. But it may end up being just plants and some snails and shrimp.


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