Paludarium Journal

[Sgooosh]

Hello everyone! I completed my paludarium build! I'll be keeping track of the progress of this build here, and also have some questions below

Here's the full build details!
Hardscape/mechanics:
- Manzanita wood and queen palm flower stalk, sheet moss from a Pine forest?
- Red lava rock, Large river rock, small river rock, and sand.
a few random rocks I found in my backyard like a very flat rock.
- made little pockets filled with sphagnum for plants.
- water pump and waterfall effect
- light is a 5 bulb plants light
- 15 gallon tank, and can support maybe 5-6 gallons water
Plants:
- sheet moss, random peperomias, random philodendrons, Syngonium, random flowering begonias, Native Ludwigia repens and Potentilla indica, Tillandsia sp, Ficus Pulima & Quercifolia

Plans:
- Today add an aquatic plants section, and go to my pond to pick more Ludwigia

Questions:
- water is very cloudy, and wondering what I can use to clear up the water as best as possible? I've done many water changes but it doesn't seem to do much. I tried filter floss overnight and it doesnt seem to do anything either.

 

[brendonjw]

For the water cloudyness did you wash the sand before putting it in?

Questions:
- water is very cloudy, and wondering what I can use to clear up the water as best as possible? I've done many water changes but it doesn't seem to do much. I tried filter floss overnight and it doesnt seem to do anything either.

 

[Rocky998]

Definitely gotta follow this

 

[Sgooosh]

For the water cloudyness did you wash the sand before putting it in?

Questions:
- water is very cloudy, and wondering what I can use to clear up the water as best as possible? I've done many water changes but it doesn't seem to do much. I tried filter floss overnight and it doesnt seem to do anything either.

yes I did, however I think I did not wash the rocks very thoroughly...
Do you know of any ways to mechanically remove this? I have many types of filter media.

 

[I Like Rare Fish]

yes I did, however I think I did not wash the rocks very thoroughly...
Do you know of any ways to mechanically remove this? I have many types of filter media.

Just glazing the top with a gravel vac ought to do it. When I didn’t wash my Home Depot pool filter sand there was about an inch of silt (which my bichirs loved because they would almost bury themselves in it), and overtime I gravel vac’ed it out. Of course then I switched substrates after due to personal preference and switching to a larger tank, but the gravel vac worked

 

[emeraldking]

Do you know of any ways to mechanically remove this?

Give it some time and it will all sink.

 

[Sgooosh]

Just glazing the top with a gravel vac ought to do it. When I didn’t wash my Home Depot pool filter sand there was about an inch of silt (which my bichirs loved because they would almost bury themselves in it), and overtime I gravel vac’ed it out. Of course then I switched substrates after due to personal preference and switching to a larger tank, but the gravel vac worked

It's slowly getting better every day by waterchange, cycling out the suspended solids.

Give it some time and it will all sink.

Definitely gotta follow this

Would you guys recommend any livestock in the future once everything grows in?
I'm thinking vampire crabs, but they are hard to get here. or a Leopard frog.
would there be any land and water animal combinations that will work?
fish and isopods? geckos?

 

[Rocky998]

It's slowly getting better every day by waterchange, cycling out the suspended solids.


Would you guys recommend any livestock in the future once everything grows in?
I'm thinking vampire crabs, but they are hard to get here. or a Leopard frog.
would there be any land and water animal combinations that will work?
fish and isopods? geckos?

Probably a bit expensive, but dart frogs would be so cool in there

 

[Sgooosh]

Probably a bit expensive, but dart frogs would be so cool in there

yes! That could be wonderful! I've never kept animals other than fish, shrimp, and snails so It will be a wild ride. We have some nice "reptile" stores here that might carry frogs.
Another consideration for these tiny frogs would be drowning, but I'm not sure.
It'd be fun watching their tadpoles grow up in the tiny river.

 

[Rocky998]

yes! That could be wonderful! I've never kept animals other than fish, shrimp, and snails so It will be a wild ride. We have some nice "reptile" stores here that might carry frogs.
Another consideration for these tiny frogs would be drowning, but I'm not sure.
It'd be fun watching their tadpoles grow up in the tiny river.

I thought that dart frogs could swim? Maybe not though... Well if not maybe you can add a natural ramp or slope using rocks or whatever to give the frogs a way out...

I'd love to keep dart frogs someday, but they are expensive, not only to get a setup going, but just the frogs in general and they have a lot of care that goes into their enclosures

 

[Sgooosh]

I thought that dart frogs could swim? Maybe not though... Well if not maybe you can add a natural ramp or slope using rocks or whatever to give the frogs a way out...

I researched a bit and it seems half the dartfrog community thinks they can, and other half thinks not. I think they definitely won't drown but some of them maybe won't explore the water world too much.

I'd love to keep dart frogs someday, but they are expensive, not only to get a setup going, but just the frogs in general and they have a lot of care that goes into their enclosures

Same! dart frogs are really cool little guys. I think their enclosure might be a little complicated( maybe a heating pad) but their price doesn't seem to be that bad compared to other frogs. some can cost up to 130 usd, but most are around 20-30.

perhaps we could buy one of those packs of 30 little tree frog tadpoles and share it LOL, I dont think I have enough space for 30 frogs, even with 2 little ponds + 1 paludarium.

 

[emeraldking]

Would you guys recommend any livestock in the future once everything grows in?

What about mudskippers?

Another consideration for these tiny frogs would be drowning

That's a good remark to consider. For they can drown.

thought that dart frogs could swim?

Nope. Dart frogs don't swim. They only swim as being a tadpole. And they can also be under water if they stilll have their tail. Once that's absorbed, they'll remain land specimens. Dart frogs can be in the water as long as they can have their heads above water. They drink from the water and they paddle in the water. That's all.
I've kept several kinds of darts for years and believe me, they can actually drown.

 

[emeraldking]

I've kept several kinds of darts for years and believe me, they can actually drown.

That's why I always made some step stones in the water. So, in case of need, they could climb on those step stones.

 

[Sgooosh]

After putting tons of fiber filter in, and water-changes, the terrarium water is much better, good enough to add a little trapdoor friend, and also a ramshorn but i am not sure where it ran off to.

 

[Sgooosh]

What about mudskippers?

Mudskippers would be nice, however I made this tank with plants that are freshwater, and they like brackish better

That's a good remark to consider. For they can drown.

Nope. Dart frogs don't swim. They only swim as being a tadpole. And they can also be under water if they stilll have their tail. Once that's absorbed, they'll remain land specimens. Dart frogs can be in the water as long as they can have their heads above water. They drink from the water and they paddle in the water. That's all.
I've kept several kinds of darts for years and believe me, they can actually drown.

I see, I'll consider and look around the tanks for any tricky spots if I plan to get them.
I plan on getting Vampire Crabs for now, they seem pretty nice. If I can get ahold of them I'd also like Mourning geckos since I saw a video that said they can get along and the geckos can keep crab populations in check.
Originally, I wanted a leopard frog, but not sure if that will work out.