# 30-Gallon Peninsula



## hydrophyte (Jun 5, 2009)

*30-Gallon Peninsula*

I was really impressed by this thread...

http://www.dendroboard.com/forum/parts-construction/65988-peninsula-49.html

...and I have a project in mind for similar kind of setup on a more modest scale. 

I'm using a 30 High fish tank, which is sort of an awkward shape (24" wide X 12" deep X 24" tall) but it might be pretty good for the kinds of plants that I want to use.

I haven't given much thought to livestock yet. I am putting this together mainly as a plant display to start out.


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## hydrophyte (Jun 5, 2009)

I was able to work on this thing some more today. I am using a false bottom that will leave a substantial void (~5") beneath, so I painted that deep on three sides of the tank...










Here's ventilation. This is an overpriced reef pancake fan, but it'll do. I covered both sides with a plastic mesh, but found it to impede air flow quite a lot. I removed it from the front but the mesh is still on the rear side...










This airline will run to the void space and help to ventilate the plant roots...










I'm using a real simple 24-watt hydroponics T5 strip...


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## GRIMM (Jan 18, 2010)

You havent posted the current pics here yet, but I did see some in your classified thread. Figured a reply here is more appropriate...

Just a little advice...Try and keep the driftwood/plants away from the glass. Cleaning will be super difficult if you cant fit your hands between it and the hardscape. You really only have 6" of depth from either side, so finding plants that wont crowd the glass could be very difficult. Especially if you are sticking with your palm style plants with larger leaves. I probably would have suggested something no smaller then 18" wide had I saw this sooner. I even bump into the hardscape of my tank sometimes lol.


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## hydrophyte (Jun 5, 2009)

You are right this shape enclosure is less than ideal, but I had this tank on hand and it fits into the space that I have in mind. Using it as a peninsula is actually a pretty good solution. A tank with this shape has pretty horrible depth and looks 2-dimensional if you set it up flat against the wall, but positioned as a peninsula you get the depth down the length of it and you also have depth from either side because you look right through the clear glass.

I'm cooking up another project for a Marineland 37-gallon tank (18" deep X 20" wide X 24" tall).

I will leave more room around the driftwood and the plants. I am going to tear it down again and set it up in its permanent spot. I just threw that stuff in there for an idea of how it will look. 

Palms are not the best choice for a narrow space like this, but while they are still very small they'll be fine.

Here are a few more quick pictures.




























I'm going to build a nicer stand for the tank too.


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## leuc11 (Nov 1, 2010)

Im Not trying to be rude but it seems like everyone wants to build a peninsula. Y not think of the next big thing Just my though. Looking good though


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## hydrophyte (Jun 5, 2009)

leuc11 said:


> Im Not trying to be rude but it seems like everyone wants to build a peninsula. Y not think of the next big thing Just my though. Looking good though


I will try to be more creative for the next one.


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## WeeNe858 (Sep 13, 2010)

leuc11 said:


> Im Not trying to be rude but it seems like everyone wants to build a peninsula. Y not think of the next big thing Just my though. Looking good though


The OP said he was inspired and wanted to try it himself. Aside from that, the peninsula isn't new or an exciting breakthrough at all. Reefers and other aquatic hobbyist have done it for a while now.


OP, Keep up the nice work. Your false bottoms are an interesting concept and those palms would be great usage for tree frogs.


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## leuc11 (Nov 1, 2010)

WeeNe858 said:


> The OP said he was inspired and wanted to try it himself. Aside from that, the peninsula isn't new or an exciting breakthrough at all. Reefers and other aquatic hobbyist have done it for a while now.
> 
> 
> OP, Keep up the nice work. Your false bottoms are an interesting concept and those palms would be great usage for tree frogs.


I know Its inspiration thats why I said I wasnt trying to be rude its just so many people are building peninsulas when I think after somthing new comes up you should take that idea and try it your way and see if you can make it better. I dont want to be a duce about it. I just saying my opinion


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## hydrophyte (Jun 5, 2009)

I just need to make some more time so I can finish setting this thing up. I haven't gotten much further with it.

The palms are especially cool plants and the go great with the false bottom concept. An important issue with palms is that most of them will outgrow any terrarium that isn't huge. However, I have a few ways to address this. I mean to start a thread about that area over in the Plants sub-forum.


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## Loui1203 (Sep 29, 2011)

Looks great so far! I can't wait to see the finished product.


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## hydrophyte (Jun 5, 2009)

Thanks! More on the way pretty soon I hope.


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## hydrophyte (Jun 5, 2009)

I'm working on this thing again tonight I hope to have some snap shots at least a bit later on.


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## hydrophyte (Jun 5, 2009)

I got this thing planted and set up with leaf litter.

This plant here is definitely one of my favorites _Pinanga_ sp. "Thai mottled". It looks great in with the leaf litter.


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## hydrophyte (Jun 5, 2009)

I have a few more sequence photos.

I pulled out a few plants because they were a bit crowded in there. 










It's important to keep those holes covered, so I drop planter pots into the empty ones. I also put a plastic screen over top of them so they woldn't fill with leaf litter. 

Here are these great mottled palms again. From the left they are I think _Calyptocalyx hollrungii_, _Pinanga_ sp. "Thai mottled" and _Calyptrocalyx pachystachys_.










I mounted a couple manzanita branches woth a horizontal orientation and planted them with...nothing too fancy...a few dwarf _Neoregelia._


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## hydrophyte (Jun 5, 2009)

Here it is with leaf litter and everything. I still need to paint black that pane of glass against the wall.


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## eos (Dec 6, 2008)

Turned out real nice


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## hydrophyte (Jun 5, 2009)

Thanks! It's very simple but it was easy to put together. I like it as a way to showcase those little dwarf palms that I have.


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## hydrophyte (Jun 5, 2009)

I'm looking for livestock ideas for this thing. I am not currently set up for any kinds of frogs, so I'm considering other alternatives. This is the best idea that I have so far...

Google: _Phyllocrania paradoxa_

Anybody have any other ideas??? I wondered about day geckos or some other small arboreal lizard, but I think that proper lighting for those would be rough on these plants.


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## hydrophyte (Jun 5, 2009)

Just jotting down a few names while I research plants...


_Griffinia liboniana_
_Burbidgea nitida_
_Cornukaempferia _'Jungle Gold'
_Acacia collinisii_
_Impatiens hians_
_Impatiens niamniamensis_
_Monocostus uniflora_


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## leuc11 (Nov 1, 2010)

Phelsuma klemmeri small(3-5in) colorful and full of energy A trio would be great in that tank maybe a few pieces of bamboo or some more driftwood if you want

Also you were wondering about lighting these guys need some sort of heat sort so some driftwood near the top so it will stay near 80


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## hydrophyte (Jun 5, 2009)

Yeah I was looking at those and they are really cool, but I'd rather keep something that wouldn't require reconfiguring this setup with more lights and other stuff. These plants grow well the way I have them and I think that with a lot more heat I wouldn't have such good results.


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## hydrophyte (Jun 5, 2009)

This is another quick bookmark before I forget about it. This page list a bunch of tropical SE Asia gingers...

.:: Asiatic Green ::.:: Gingers ::

Oh and the Pacific Bulb Society (they have good online information) has an index of ginger genera...

http://www.pacificbulbsociety.org/pbswiki/index.php/Zingiberaceae

Here's an online vendor with quite a few gingers, including some of the smaller-growing _Globba _species...

http://www.tejastropicals.com/common-name/gingers/globba-schomburgkii-yellow-dancing-lady.html

A terrestrial orchid I was just reminded about...this is a cool plant, but it gets kind of big...

_Sarcoglottis sceptroides_


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## hydrophyte (Jun 5, 2009)

leuc11 said:


> Phelsuma klemmeri small(3-5in) colorful and full of energy A trio would be great in that tank maybe a few pieces of bamboo or some more driftwood if you want
> 
> Also you were wondering about lighting these guys need some sort of heat sort so some driftwood near the top so it will stay near 80


Yeah these really are cool, but I am afraid I would cook my plants if I set up the right kind of lighting for them. 

It looks as though I will instead shoot for a group of ghost mantis (_Phyllocrania paradoxa_).

I still need to set up this tank in its permanent spot in the other room. It's still cluttering up our living room. It sure is a lot easier to move a terrarium like this compared with moving a fish tank with water.


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## WeeNe858 (Sep 13, 2010)

I love the simplistic design. Very clean and straightforward. 

Great Job!


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## hydrophyte (Jun 5, 2009)

Thanks. I am a little bit bored with this one, but it is alregith for growing some plants. I might like it better when I can get some livestock into it and the plants can also grow in some more.


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## frogparty (Dec 27, 2007)

The ghosts will love it


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## asteroids (Mar 20, 2021)

I couldn’t see any of the images, do you still have this tank? If not, any pictures? I would be curious to see how it looks, thanks.


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