# Europian style Paludarium



## HansV (Apr 15, 2004)

Maybe it is interesting for you to see how we built our paludariums. I am member of the Dutch Dendrobatidae association and wrote for them how to built an hexagon Paludarium. The only difficulty for you is that it is in Dutch, but there are a lot of pictures. Please enjoy.
http://www.gifkikkerportaal.nl/Gifkikker/DesktopDefault.aspx?tabid=197

Kind regards, Hans Verbrugge


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## Scott (Feb 17, 2004)

This is where it's at.

Cubes are nice... environments are nicer.

Someday when I have the crafting ability and the *time*, this is what I would like to do.

I'm not crazy about using Peat blocks (a common Vivaria substrate) as that is not a renewable resource.

Then again I use actual peat, which is not much different.

Thanks Hans.

s


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## Guest (Apr 15, 2004)

Thats pretty nice. Good Job, but how big is it.


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## Scott (Feb 17, 2004)

btw - Hans pretty much must be associated with http://www.vivaria.nl, cause that Vivarium is the spitting image of what they do.

s


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## HansV (Apr 15, 2004)

The measurements are 71 x 40 x 80 cm hight without lighthood. It's a little one. I have also a corner Paludarium from 100 x 100 x 100 cm and 80 x 50 x 110 cm. On the URL page in the gallery is also a drawing with the dimensions of the glass plates. Stand on it and click with the left mouse button. You can see it bigger. Thats also for the pictures.


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## HansV (Apr 15, 2004)

Scott,

That's correct. The owner of Vivaria is a friend of my, and with the help of him i have built it to show how it is to be done.


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## Guest (Apr 16, 2004)

*moss*

Hans,

What type of moss is that in the pictures in your link?


Robert


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## HansV (Apr 15, 2004)

Robert,

It's natural moss comming out of the peatbricks. Normaly you can begin with mosses out of the forrest. After a while you remove it pease by pease to give the natural moss a change to grow. Therefore i don't understand why the most of you don't use peatbricks. The backwall is made of thick cocospanels, fully irrigated and works as a biolagical filter. On the backwall are sticked the orchids, bromeliads and ferns (with sate sticks) and also the mosses are growing there. So the vivarium is complete selfsupporting. The only thing you must do is to fill it with RO water and so now and then wipe the windows. Of course you have to feet your frogs. This is of course a show paludarium and not a breeding tank.


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## Scott (Feb 17, 2004)

I don't use Peat Bricks because they're non-renewable.

I like them very much. Vivaria.nl stopped using Tree Fern Root plaques for much the same reason I believe (non-renewable).

s


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## HansV (Apr 15, 2004)

Scott,

Vivaria stopped with tree fern root for the backwalls for some reasons. First of all fern root is a little asic. Second, fern root must be solt with Cites papers. Thirt, they will spare the rainforrest. They have devellopt the cocos panel for the back wall because its neutrall, and i know there is comming somthing new with the use of cocos for the backwall. 
I don't understand why you have to renewall the peat bricks. In one of my paludariums it's more than 10 years old. I think that you can do so long with it because of the irrigated backwall (biofilter) and the good quality of the peat bricks.


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## Scott (Feb 17, 2004)

By renewable - I mean easily replace in nature.

Coco panels come from coconuts. And *lots* of coconuts are grown.

Peat Bricks come from Peat Bogs. It is mined out and not real replaceable (like Tree Fern Root).

I'd just prefer to use something that has less of an impact on nature. I agree that they work well in tanks. 

s


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## Ryan (Feb 18, 2004)

nmot to mention people throw out coconut husks anyways. Kinda like recycling


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## HansV (Apr 15, 2004)

Scott,

So as you can see i live in The Netherlands. If i put a scoop in my garden for about 30 cm (12 inch) i have peat. In this area (Amsterdam) we live on peat.  So if whe have to built something we need wooden poles of 18 mtr to built something on. My home is standing on 24 poles. We are surrounded with water and we are under waterlevel behind a dike. (polder) So peat is for us not something to care of. :wink: I have heared from Vivaria that he nows you. In the past you had some conversation by mail.


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## Scott (Feb 17, 2004)

He's (Peter) got a good memory then!

That was eight years ago!

s


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## Derek Benson (Feb 19, 2004)

For the cover of the tank, I see there's egg crate to diffuse the lighting. Is there something under the eggcrate to prevent frogs form getting up there?


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## Guest (Apr 19, 2004)

Yea Derek

If you got to the webpage you can see a piece ov UV-passing acrylic.
Try using Bable fish in sections and you can get parts translated.


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