My Paludarium
- Thread starter cockroach
- Start date
Sorry for my tardy....
What is the plant that looks like a line of leaf cutter ants?
You have it planted towards the upper, center of the paludarium
I do dig this rig!
Have done some work with students on class vivarium. no inhabitants as the last students did not finish their research and modifications to make it suitable for the dart frogs to thrive in. We have looked into other inhabitants and suggestions have ranged from land crabs, to large insects, to a gecko, to salamanders. However, the temp of the tank limits us quite a bit unless students design and insert a ventilation system. I am somewhat partial to a giant snail but reckon glass cleaning will be a PITA. We will see.
For now, it is just a stream and pool forest floor.
During summer as no one came in to top up tanks, the emersed anubius took a serious hit and almost didn't make it. But, it's back and starting to look good again.
This was the tank the other day. Looking a tad worse for wear but starting to come back. I added the Cryptanthus 'pink star' to add color and 2 spider plants in the back to add some depth.
The three class tanks.
This is the maintenance log the life science students have to keep. Once a week before we start lessons, some students clean tanks, do water changes and check parameters. Other check on, feed and care for our invert collections.
Last night I finally remembered to stop at a spot that had a lot of moss while walking home. I had no bag so gathered what I could carry in my hands. Added it to the vivarium this morning. Will see how it lasts.
I am hoping it will spread to cover the back wall which is a total eyesore. The planting pots will be filled soon enough.
Tried to cover the stream outlet from the pump as much as I could.
The three tanks as they are now. The one on the left is the life science project for this school year. Discussions have started on what to put in it and how to plant it. It's been narrowed down to either a cherry shrimp habitat or a nano fish such as chilli rasbora.
For now, it is just a stream and pool forest floor.
During summer as no one came in to top up tanks, the emersed anubius took a serious hit and almost didn't make it. But, it's back and starting to look good again.
This was the tank the other day. Looking a tad worse for wear but starting to come back. I added the Cryptanthus 'pink star' to add color and 2 spider plants in the back to add some depth.
The three class tanks.
This is the maintenance log the life science students have to keep. Once a week before we start lessons, some students clean tanks, do water changes and check parameters. Other check on, feed and care for our invert collections.
Last night I finally remembered to stop at a spot that had a lot of moss while walking home. I had no bag so gathered what I could carry in my hands. Added it to the vivarium this morning. Will see how it lasts.
I am hoping it will spread to cover the back wall which is a total eyesore. The planting pots will be filled soon enough.
Tried to cover the stream outlet from the pump as much as I could.
The three tanks as they are now. The one on the left is the life science project for this school year. Discussions have started on what to put in it and how to plant it. It's been narrowed down to either a cherry shrimp habitat or a nano fish such as chilli rasbora.
One of my first tanks here, now 20 years old, was given to friend 12 years ago. He left last month to return home and I repossessed the tank and took it to a class of young elementary kids. They set it up to have plants growing out of it to see how plants and fish work together. I filled it with all my cull guppies. Kids have been obsessed and now want to learn how to make homemade food for them. And one have homemade guppy food recipes?
We also have these little closed ecosystems. 1 has bolbitis that has been split in half at least 4 times and used in other tanks.
The other two are buce tanks with springtails. We occasionally open them up, clean them, trim, cut remove what needs to be. And drop in some food for the springtails. They have been doing well. You can make out some springtails in the first pic.
Also a close up of the vase tank with a lone shrimp in it. I have had such a hard time keeping shrimp alive. At work and at home. I am accepting they just not be for me. The cabomba was hacked back hard as it was covering the surface blocking the light after growing unchecked for over 2 months.
We also have these little closed ecosystems. 1 has bolbitis that has been split in half at least 4 times and used in other tanks.
The other two are buce tanks with springtails. We occasionally open them up, clean them, trim, cut remove what needs to be. And drop in some food for the springtails. They have been doing well. You can make out some springtails in the first pic.
Also a close up of the vase tank with a lone shrimp in it. I have had such a hard time keeping shrimp alive. At work and at home. I am accepting they just not be for me. The cabomba was hacked back hard as it was covering the surface blocking the light after growing unchecked for over 2 months.
My 55gal paludarium has slowly been getting into a worse state. Work and family commitments have made it a monsterous task to try and fit in a proper, thorough clean of it. So I decided to enlist some help.
The tank was covered in BBA and other algae. Now I love algae in tanks and promote its growth. But the plant leaves, rocks, wood, glass, everything was covered and the whole tank looked and felt dull despite having dwarf neon rainbowfish and dwarf chain loaches.
FTS of a lusterless tank. Natural perhaps but nothing really to look at. This was after I got in there and manually scrub things in April or May.
A friend of mine had a small office tank in which he accidentally bred a bunch of albino bristlenose. I am not a fan of albino fish in general but he asked if I could take them off his hands as he had no where to put them. I realised I could use them around the fish room and he bought about 12 if I remember correctly. I have six that were split into different tanks to clean for a while and then get moved to other tanks as mobile cleaners. the other 6 I put in the paludarium. They were 1" in July when I got them.
These guys have been at it non stop and they efforts are finally starting to pay off. The leaves are a lot cleaner then they were before and the hardscape has different colors again. I am excited to see how they will continue to clean as they grow and most likely breed. The tank has perhaps a year left before I break it down and redo it.
The leaves look brighter and better than they have in a while.
The tank was covered in BBA and other algae. Now I love algae in tanks and promote its growth. But the plant leaves, rocks, wood, glass, everything was covered and the whole tank looked and felt dull despite having dwarf neon rainbowfish and dwarf chain loaches.
FTS of a lusterless tank. Natural perhaps but nothing really to look at. This was after I got in there and manually scrub things in April or May.
A friend of mine had a small office tank in which he accidentally bred a bunch of albino bristlenose. I am not a fan of albino fish in general but he asked if I could take them off his hands as he had no where to put them. I realised I could use them around the fish room and he bought about 12 if I remember correctly. I have six that were split into different tanks to clean for a while and then get moved to other tanks as mobile cleaners. the other 6 I put in the paludarium. They were 1" in July when I got them.
These guys have been at it non stop and they efforts are finally starting to pay off. The leaves are a lot cleaner then they were before and the hardscape has different colors again. I am excited to see how they will continue to clean as they grow and most likely breed. The tank has perhaps a year left before I break it down and redo it.
The leaves look brighter and better than they have in a while.