# hill stream paludarium



## wimvanvelzen

hi all,

Today I introduced myself in this thread. To avoid cluttering the thread, I show my second paludarium here.

I have always had a fascination for running water and hill streams - probably because we haven´t any of those in the Netherlands. Our numerous trips to Scotland and other parts of Europe provide plenty of inspiration though.

Reading some pages on keeping hill stream loaches in fish tanks and about the ways strong water flows are made, I decided in spring 2008 to design a hill stream paludarium.

At the core of the idea is the creation of different water levels, divided by some large stones that would act as small dams. To get the water back to the pond pumps I put under the stream,I created a double floor. I hope the drawings make this more clear.

The size of the tank is 150cm long, 75cm broad and 120 to 160cm overall height (including the water in the belly of the tank). (That is 60x30x50 to 64 inches for the metrically impaired).


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## wimvanvelzen

I ordered the glas (10mm and 6mm for the top) and glued the lower part of the tank, creating the double floor with some extra sheets of glass:










With the pond pumps in place:











Marco, a friend of mine, and I then glued foam and together with some rocks tried to get a nice flow.





































Some painting:


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## wimvanvelzen

Then the upper glas part was glued. Where to put the wood?









A dripping wall in the making:























Adding fern root and rainforest background (which proved to need more moist to keep it well, then provided in some parts)






















first test:










detail:


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## wimvanvelzen

First plants, mainly taken from my other tank.












Asplenium vivipara:









Cryptocoryne wendtii:









Detail of waterfall (now nearly invisible because of the plant growth)










Wide shot:



















Cryptocoryne balansae


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## wimvanvelzen

Some fish. This was quite tricky, as I knew no one who had experience with such a set up. As it turned out, the Gastromyzons thrive, as do the Shrimps (Atyopsis moluccensis). The Rasboras and Eutropellius loved the current for some time, but in the end there are too few calmer places.


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## wimvanvelzen

A local breeder adviced on Mannophryne trinitatis (3.3) as an ideal frog for this set-up. I added H. azureiventris, which I wouldn´t do anymore. Lovely frogs and there is enough space for them, but they show themselves seldom. Mixing species in a tank is less of an issue overhere, but simplicity is often best.
On the other hand, I love the Hyperolius fusciventris I have (cb too). My Lygodactylus picturatus, who enjoy large areas of dry and warm conditions as well as UV light do really well. I have within a year at least 5 juveniles, but probably more (they hide in the ferns near the dripping wall).





































































































Recent wide shots:


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## HunterB

wow
beautiful and interesting 
just amazing

what is that green frog, 6th from the bottom?


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## Reefer420

beautiful..thats an amazing viv. very clean work.


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## zBrinks

HunterB said:


> what is that green frog, 6th from the bottom?


I believe that is Hyperolius fusciventris.


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## Geckoguy

Wow I really love this one! The waterfall looks great, the realism of the entire thing flows so nicely.


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## Newt1

nice job 
How long did it take to make


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## wimvanvelzen

Thank you all for your kind words!

That is the _Hyperolius fusciventris _indeed!

I took a few months to figure out how to do it (dec 2007-march 2008) and then a few months to build the structure (up to sept 2008). The interior was done within a few weeks - when the end of projects comes near, I tend to use more hours...

That said, there were week I did absolutely nothing.


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## Eric Walker

WOW- beautiful I love that green frog


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## JoeGecko

Stunning. I am SO glad to see a mixed species tank! I wish americans were not so narrow mided on this topic some times. It really would enhance things in my opinion.


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## waterbed fred

excellent set-up!! great pictures documenting the build!! was there a certain particular place in europe that was the inspiration for this? lets see more overseas tanks!!!!


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## nathan

Very nice looking viv


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## frogfannumero1

Very well done vivarium and excellent attention to detail! Two thumbs way up!


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## Fishman

Very nice! I am always impressed by the custom vivs I see from our Euro friends.


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## Lance

Wow this has to be one of the best thought out tanks ive ever seen! I have to commend you on your work. Great job!


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## eos

ZING! I want that in my house! Nice work!


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## mellowvision

sweet. It's interesting that you didn't make the sides and back, along the top, as one piece with the bottom. What made you decide to glue those on?


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## wimvanvelzen

Thank you all for your kind words!

For me the building of this viv was a way to test the viability of the entire idea of a hill stream paludarium using pond pumps. The answer is now: it is a good idea and it works! 

It actually works so nice that I am now planning to build a new, larger one which will replace the present one.

I´ll post the work in progress in another thread.


b:


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## wimvanvelzen

mellowvision said:


> sweet. It's interesting that you didn't make the sides and back, along the top, as one piece with the bottom. What made you decide to glue those on?


That was to get the pieces of glass safe in the room (upstairs). 150x165cm is just too large to handle in our house.


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## wimvanvelzen

waterbed fred said:


> excellent set-up!! great pictures documenting the build!! was there a certain particular place in europe that was the inspiration for this? lets see more overseas tanks!!!!



I have a real passion for Scotland (just like a rainforest, just a bit colder ). In the Kilninver area in Argyll I made a lot of photographs for inspiration and I took the pieces of rock for the tank (as much as I could get in the car, through my wifes security inspection  ).

A lot of the photographs on my site show the way I see the smaller landscapes, which are always inspiring for working in the tank.


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## MonkeyFrogMan28

I think this thread should be used as a example on how to properly mix. Its perfect. When you have a tank this big you can try to mix. I think this was done 100% in the correct means of mixing. Awesome! Just Awesome !!! Job well done.


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## Toad-Sage

Love the tank Wim 

Allready saw it on the Dutch (im dutch too) forum a while ago, but i didn't saw the construction of it.
Keep up the good work, and maybe we will get to meet sometimes.
I'm starting with my palu so i can get all the info i can get 

greetings from Vincent @ Arnhem


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## Leidig

I have to say your are a master designer/builder of vivs. Your threads are so detailed and well done. Thank you for sharing your vivs with us.


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## raimeiken

Awesome tank!

do you know the name of this plant I circled?


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## wimvanvelzen

hi John, thanks for the compliments. It is a Mimosa pudica (it blooms very nicely with purple flower 'globes' - just search for Mimosa in wikipedia). This lovely plant folds its leaves when touched.



hi Vincent, feel free to contact me and have a look in real life!


thank you all for your encouraging words!


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## raimeiken

awesome! thanks for the name of that plant. I just bought some seeds. Hopefully I can grow them successfully in my viv


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## NorthernFrogguy1976

WOW! Stunning, easily one of my favorite vivs. thanks for sharing


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## frogparty

I see those mimosas for sale all the time. Might have to try one. Aernt they an annual?


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## fleshfrombone

You Europeans.... Always knocking it right out of the park. Great viv.


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## wimvanvelzen

frogparty said:


> I see those mimosas for sale all the time. Might have to try one. Aernt they an annual?


In my viv I have them since October 2008, so not really annual. But even then there is plenty of seed (it is I believe self-fertile). Great looking plant!


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## NickBoudin

Your work is outstanding. I love your naturalistic take on your setups, and the amount of care and planning taken into play.

Agian, outstanding. Feel free to visit my site in my signature and check out some of my work as well!


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## vivbulider

Love the tank what kind of Lizard is that


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## wimvanvelzen

hi Nick, thanks for your comments! There seem to be some connection problems to your site at the moment, but I´ll check later.

@Vivbuilder - that is a _Lygodactylus picturatus_. They really need dry and warm parts in the viv, so most PDF tanks won´t do. But they are lovely animals.


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## Rski

What is the brownish frog above the Hyperolius fusciventris?


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## dendro-dude

Awesome tank! lovely inhabitants

It's a fantastic tank, have you mixed species before?


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## wimvanvelzen

Rski said:


> What is the brownish frog above the Hyperolius fusciventris?


In the series you see a picture of the Mannophryne, than the H. azureiventris and then some juveline Hyperolius and a mature one.


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## wimvanvelzen

dendro-dude said:


> Awesome tank! lovely inhabitants
> 
> It's a fantastic tank, have you mixed species before?


Thanks for the nice words!
In my other large vivaria I have mixed frogs and fishes. I tried different species of lizards, but at the time not really succesfull. Apparently this present tank offers good living conditions for the Lygodactylus. I have too many young animals at the moment!


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## wimvanvelzen

This young Lygodactylus wanted his portrait to be published. Now it is!


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## rcteem

awesome tank!!!


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## myersboy6

Your tank was one of the reasons why i took down my smaller freshwater tank to start my first viv or paludarium.


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## Julio

can we get an update on the tank?


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## wimvanvelzen

Great to know it has been an inspiration!

As for now: the animals, plants and technical stuff has all been moved to my new tank. Read more here:

new wooden hillstream tank.


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## Vincebus

Wim, I just wanted to say that I am so impressed with your construction and design abilities. The inhabitants must be very content and healthy to be producing eggs. I have a 125gal terrarium (that I will be now turning into a paludarium) and I can only hope to have it looking 1/10th as nice as your Paludarium down the road. 

Thanks for all the detailed pictures and commentary on the construction. Lots of great ideas for my own little chunk of the dream...



Anthony


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## tmos540

wimvanvelzen said:


> hi John, thanks for the compliments. It is a Mimosa pudica (it blooms very nicely with purple flower 'globes' - just search for Mimosa in wikipedia). This lovely plant folds its leaves when touched.
> 
> 
> 
> hi Vincent, feel free to contact me and have a look in real life!
> 
> 
> thank you all for your encouraging words!


I love mimosa! Although the plants I am used to are tree-sized and thorny. I am gonna keep this species in mind when I finally get space/funds/time to do my own paludarium, because both my mother and I have childhood memories of mimosa trees, and we both love the flowers because they look like the tree tops from Dr. Seuss' The Lorax. I have not looked up the exact species you used yet, but the blooms you described sound like what I remember. Thanks for the great photos!

Sent from my DROID X2 using Tapatalk


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## soulis

i need to hit the lotto so i can make cool stuff like this all day lol ... super cool


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