Separating Land and Water?

[paumotu]

I'm planning on setting p a paludarium of sorts, and am curious regarding the various methods used to part the land and water. I've seen people use filter foam, a plexiglass barrier, or just not separate it. Does anyone have any recommendations for the best/most visually appealing way to go about this?

Thanks,

orchidlove

 

[Dandrobates]

I’ve tried both and it’s never straightforward. It depends on the size of the enclosure and how much of a water feature you are including. In most cases you want some water to circulate below the land feature and this can be the tricky part. What species and what size enclosure are you thinking about?

 

[Matt Man]

I used a big ole piece of bark. Did the hydroballs, built a bark dam. Soil on the land side, rock on the water side. Then added to the land side. I actually have a diagonal piece of bark running from back to front over which the water flows.

 

[paumotu]

I’ve tried both and it’s never straightforward. It depends on the size of the enclosure and how much of a water feature you are including. In most cases you want some water to circulate below the land feature and this can be the tricky part. What species and what size enclosure are you thinking about?

Approximately 10 gallon aquarium, looking for a quite small water section, though I intend to use some sort of filter to help circulate the water.

 

[Matt Man]

I hope this helps. I drew on the photo. Green Line indicates the arc of the dam (bark) I built. So the majority of water is front left corner. Within the hydro-balls is a pump running a hose ups the back with a drizzle of water. The water runs down another piece of bark and drops back in the pool. Run a later of mesh between the hyrdroballs and the rock / substrate above, helps stop the water from getting too much dirt in them. The pump has a filter as well. The exit nozzle is concealed in moss.

 

[Matt Man]

overhead diagram of above. So Step 1 is run the electrical behind the fake back wall (it has slots) Step 2 set up pump. Fill about 2" of entire bottom with the hyrdroballs. Cover in mesh, make hole in mesh for hose. Make Dam and Add rock and substrate behind it. When you make the dam, have it slope towards the water so it flows right. I have the pump set as low as it gets and some water runs off the sides and takes care of the plants. Build on top of that. I chose to do arboreal set ups for my experiments. I have 2 and both are doing pretty well.

 

[mickiem]

I have used a few different methods. I think a 10 gallon is a little small to allow you to have a large enough water area to make it efficient with a filter, etc. But of course it can be done!

Method #1, Fire Belly Toads: I used a 29 gallon aquarium. I had Lowe's or Home Depot cut glass for me the length of the tank wide and 6" high. (Yes, they will cut it to your measurements; amazing resource!.) It will be as sharp as a razor blade. I used regular sandpaper and sanded the glass so there were no sharp edges. Then I cleaned the tank and the glass very well and wiped it with rubbing alcohol. I placed the glass in the tank where I wanted it and made a line with a permanent marker. I used aquarium sealant (don't use anything toxic) and sealed the glass to the tank. First I piped a thick strip of sealant over marked area and placed the glass in it. Then I piped more on the front and also the back of the partition. Let it sit to cure for a few days. Fill the side you want with water and let it sit another day to make sure it doesn't leak. If it does, I scrape the sealant off and start that process over. I used aquarium sealant and tongs and glued round river stones (aquarium gravel) to the glass partition. I glued them along the top to prevent sharp edges and along the sides and sporadically on the glass. The frogs use the rocks to climb out if the water level is low. I use a turtle filter, it might be Tetra brand? in that tank. I only change the filter cartridge every 6 weeks and it is fine. Then I put a layer of LECA 3" deep in the back section. I put a double layer of weed fabric over that and fill it with substrate. I use orchid bark and tree fern fiber in large percentages with the substrate to keep it from breaking down faster. It will last 4-6 years easily. Every now and then I add a handful of fresh substrate if I have to do maintenance. It is bioactive so I don't do much! I think that tank is 4 years old. I also made a foam background with cork bark and cocoa fiber. I think I did that before I sealed the glass partition to it. I put more of the round stones (I think it is called turtle gravel and is too big for the frog to accidentally ingest) in the waster section. I used a few Amazon sword plants and Java moss in the water. My Fire Bellies are fat, sassy and breeding. I used Fittonia, Philodendron wend imbe, dwarf mondo grass, and lot's of moss and lichens.

 

[mickiem]

Method # 2, Vietnamese Mossy Frogs: I used a 40 gal Exo Terra. I sealed the inside of the bottom. They supposedly don't leak, but I want extra assurance of that! Exo Terra has the most room under the doors for water depth than the other popular brands. I just wanted an island inside a larger water area for this one. So I turned the tank upside down and made a large island using Great Stuff foam. (I did it on the bottom to have the size comparison without making a mess on the inside.) It's about 13"X15". Once it was dry, I wiggled it loose from the bottom and turned the tank over. I carved a "well" in the middle of the island. The island is about 8" high and the well is about 5" deep. At the 4" mark on the sides of the island, I made through and through holes for water to enter. I used aquarium sealant to "glue" the island to the tank's bottom. I put LECA up to the holes and then nylon screen or weed fabric and then filled with substrate. All I grow in this one right now is Java moss and Hypnum moss. I am trying to figure out a plant the frogs won't destroy that would give height for aesthetics. These frogs won't climb much but they are heavy when they climb over and past everything! I am trying some Anthurium, 'Tiny Dancer' right now. I want something with roots that will grow over the island. Oh, and I painted the island with Drylock tinted brown and I glued some turtle rocks in a few places for looks. I used a big turtle filter for this one because big frogs = big poops. And again, turtle rocks in the bottom and Java moss in the water portion. I have a tangle of driftwood on one end and a portion open for swimming on the other end. They are happy and mating but no tads yet!

 

[mickiem]

Method #3, Poison Dart Frogs: I make these with waterfalls. I use Exo Terra enclosures. I make false bottoms with the water depth at about 3". I use plastic egg crate wrapped in weed fabric and raise it with about 5 PVC pieces cut 3" to get the eggcrate at the top of the water or just slightly below. (The diameter of these PVC pipes doesn't really matter; I just use whatever is leftover from my latest project.) Also, I drill holes in those PVC pipes so I don't get stagnate areas. I make a bulkhead in the back of one side. I hope I can explain this! For the bulkhead, I wrap 4 - 3" pieces of eggcrate with weed fabric. I make a cube and connect it to the PVC platform to go into the water ( so it will be a lift for the PVC platform in the bulkhead area). There are many ways to make a bulkhead and lots of ideas with better explanation than this; just check out YouTube. Troy Goldberg has some great videos I think you would like. For one version, I used Tiger 72 GPH pumps. I used about a 2" PVC pipe to to extend down into the water area attached and to the near top of the enclosure. At the bottom, I cut vertical slits in the PVC up to about 2". at the top, I added a U section of PVC and that dumped into the waterfall pipes. For the waterfall pipes, I used 2" black PVC pipes cut in half lengthwise. I made a foam background and while it was still wet, I pressed the PVC pipes into it at angles. First pipe might start at the top and angle downward to the right; the next pipe would start 2" beyond the end of the first one and angle down and to the left. The water flows down these pipes in a small pool at the bottom and overflows into the false bottom. I am sure this is confusing. I will try to get a photo up. It is really nice. I use the foam background to seal the bulkhead so the clean up crew doesn't get trapped and drown. It's late and I am probably not explaining this well. I will edit it with better details when I am more awake!