# Exo Terra Large X-tall Paludarium with Waterfall



## ishia (Dec 19, 2016)

Hello,
I have done my first build. An Exo Terra Large X-tall.

I started with a basic sketch of what I wanted to do.









First I siliconed the waterfall into place.









Then added some corkbark background siliconed directly to the glass.









Next a little more layered corkbark, and the silicone overlaid with substrate background.









Background planting and waterfall test.









The finished (well....) product!









A small video of the build can be found here:





(don't mind the hum, my reef pump is on it's last legs - also I have read on this forum that the froth goes away in 5-10 days)


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## JQuadGMono (Jan 2, 2017)

cool! Nice multi level waterfall idea.


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## GOSKN5 (Dec 31, 2011)

Do you have an egg crate false bottom on the land portion? Or is it just built up woth drainage layer under neath?

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## ishia (Dec 19, 2016)

I considered heavily the eggcrate false bottom...
I reef so I got lots of it...
But, in the end I opted for a drainage layer.
It IS very heavy...
I used ornamental gravel on the outside edge (to be viewed), and used ZooMed's Hydroballs (expanded clay) in the core of the drainage layer (6 bags).
I covered than with more ornamental gravel, and placed a barrier layer (mesh) over that. Over this I packed sphagnum in a thin but soil-tight layer. Then I added the substrate.
To keep all this in place I have 'wedged' (snug fit) a piece of corkbark across the water land edge.


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## GOSKN5 (Dec 31, 2011)

Thanks for the response and the pics.. very helpful 

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## Eaw (Jan 6, 2017)

Nice, what are you going to put in it?


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## oldlady25715 (Nov 17, 2007)

Looks nice. May need more light tho. I like the water feature but any plants with roots in the bottom will need to be water tolerant.


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## Paddy (Jan 6, 2017)

Looks really good! I like how you sketched it out first.

One comment, maybe you could use more of the airspace in the front/middle of the viv? I only say that because I thought the same one (see my thread) and realised I needed something in the foreground to make the most of the space.


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## ishia (Dec 19, 2016)

Eaw said:


> Nice, what are you going to put in it?


I am still unsure what to put in it ....
I am months away from frogs.
Any suggestions would be appreciated!


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## ishia (Dec 19, 2016)

oldlady25715 said:


> Looks nice. May need more light tho. I like the water feature but any plants with roots in the bottom will need to be water tolerant.


Ya, The front light is my old reef light suppliment. It only has 417-475 K 3W LEDS (90 Watts worth). This has two effects: one, the blue shows up shadowy appearing as less light; two, The blue LEDs are mostly low lumen output, so I shall change them out for higher lumen 5000 and 7500 K 3W LEDs.

The plants at the bottom are very moist tolerant.
Fern Moss
Carpet Moss - Three+ types
Nerve Plant - Fittonia verschaffelti
Sphagnum Moss
Silver Skies - Episcia cupreata
Venus Fly Trap - Dionaea muscipula
Ruby Red Spike/Club Moss - Selaginella erythropus 
Ferns - Unidentified, but grabbed from a very moist terrarium bottom
Sundew - Drosera sp.
Begonia thelmae
Lace Flower - Alsobia dianthiflora
Pennywort - Hydrocotyle sp.
Liverwort - Unidentified from Columbia via Understory
Java Moss - Taxiphyllum barbieri
Christmas Moss - Vesicularia dubyana
+ Some clippings that I am trying to root: Vanilla and others
+ about 4+ unidentified mosses

Not all of the stated are in the picture as I just planted some last night.


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## ishia (Dec 19, 2016)

Paddy said:


> Looks really good! I like how you sketched it out first.
> 
> One comment, maybe you could use more of the airspace in the front/middle of the viv? I only say that because I thought the same one (see my thread) and realised I needed something in the foreground to make the most of the space.


Ya,
I have a big moose antler looking piece of driftwood I played around with...
It just didn't fit. I will probably add something, but for now I am just trying to get the plants growing (especially my moss!!!). Once this happens I will be in the market for a nice piece. I have read this advice about the central wood piece from other builds too. It is good advice, and looks quite stunning...for now I dream what epiphytic growers I might like in the middle airspace...


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## AndrewSkoog1 (Jan 25, 2017)

What do you plan on putting in it?


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## ishia (Dec 19, 2016)

AndrewSkoog1 said:


> What do you plan on putting in it?


I am not sure yet what to put in it. I am looking for something that climbs and something that will use the water feature. 
Any suggestions are welcome!


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