90g Cliffside Paludarium Build Thread

[Red13]

Amazing tank, you have raised the bar for every body else.

[redhottoast]

Thanks for your comments guys.

Vu, are you asking if I installed the cabinetry myself? The answer to that is no. I leave that kind of finish work to the professionals. I did however do the installation for the tank build myself (plumbing, electrical, fans, etc.) but I think that is probably no different than most everyone on this forum

Zenzu, you will out-do this one with your 45 I am sure

Now, don't just stand there...who's gonna help me with some plant suggestions?

For plants, depends on the style your going for, but take that Anubis you have there,plus get more, and stick them on the cliff side.

Sent from my A500 using Tapatalk HD

[lonesomeshark]

Thanks, Steven. Sounds interesting. Stick on the cliff side, how?

[redhottoast]

The Anubis should never be buried just because the rhizome has a tendency to decay in the substrate, its usually positioned on wood or rocks using some sort of string, then eventually the root will adhere to what its growing on. I heard of people using super glue gel to stick things or try to use string, or silicone if you have the patience. My recommendation for plants will be definitely low - medium light plants just because where the source of the light is coming from, its just to be safe without confirming it with a PAR meter. If you can buy a general aquatic plants encyclopedia/hand book just to familiarize yourself with aquatic flora and how different types and how they grow. Usually some books are out of date just because this hobby has been growing very quickly but it will give you the basic idea what to look for in plants. Once you get the plants you like, you can find some on this forum by people who grow them or have some extra trimmings, we can help you position them in your aquarium when your ready.

P.S. Once you get your aquascaping skills solidified you will be freakin golden, your terrarium/paludarium skills are amazing.

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I just realized you might want to stick with dwarf or small species of plants, because any medium/large ones will look off balance compared with your landscapes flora and distract from it.

[DarkSeas]

I like it. Great looking tank.

[lonesomeshark]

The real seiryu is not allowed to be sold anymore. What we call seiryu out here is the gray yin stone u got from ab bonsai

That makes sense Vu. No wonder they look the same. Thanks for clearing that up. Have aquascapers of the world put seiryu stone on the endangered list? It's amazing how specialty retailers who cater to a small but captive audience can slap a different name on the same product and sell it for 5x as much or more!

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Really awesome build, I especially like the selection and placement of the different mosses along the top right area. Those round mounds really looks like how nature would have it. Great job, can you list all the different mosses that was used? Also, how often do the misters go off. As far as additional plants maybe more Anubias petite, narrow leaf java fern or trident java fern to fill in some of the open spaces.

Hey Sidney, I'll do you one better. Below is a listing with pic of each moss species. I took these pics so I would remember which type is which I got these mosses from a site called mountainmoss. com and I have been very impressed with the quality and variety. I have the misters going for 5 minutes twice a day and this schedule seems to be keeping the mosses nice and moist. Thanks for your thoughts on aquatic plants.

Ceratodon purpureus- aka Fire Moss



Aulacomnium palustre- aka Ribbed Bog Moss



Atrichum angustatum- aka Star Moss



Climacium Americanum- aka American Climacium Moss



Polytrichum commune- aka Haircap Moss



Pohlia nutans and Leucobryum moss- aka Pincushion Moss



Ditrichum pallidum- aka Pale Ditrichum Moss



Asplenium platyneuron- aka Ebony Spleenwort Fern



Hope this helps!

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The Anubis should never be buried just because the rhizome has a tendency to decay in the substrate, its usually positioned on wood or rocks using some sort of string, then eventually the root will adhere to what its growing on. I heard of people using super glue gel to stick things or try to use string, or silicone if you have the patience. My recommendation for plants will be definitely low - medium light plants just because where the source of the light is coming from, its just to be safe without confirming it with a PAR meter. If you can buy a general aquatic plants encyclopedia/hand book just to familiarize yourself with aquatic flora and how different types and how they grow. Usually some books are out of date just because this hobby has been growing very quickly but it will give you the basic idea what to look for in plants. Once you get the plants you like, you can find some on this forum by people who grow them or have some extra trimmings, we can help you position them in your aquarium when your ready.

P.S. Once you get your aquascaping skills solidified you will be freakin golden, your terrarium/paludarium skills are amazing.

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I just realized you might want to stick with dwarf or small species of plants, because any medium/large ones will look off balance compared with your landscapes flora and distract from it.

Steven, thanks a lot for throwing a newbie a bone! I really appreciate it. I am looking forward to being freakin golden someday. In the meantime, I have some moss thread and I will give it a try. The lights are a good distance from the substrate and I am getting a little melt of the E. tenellus at this point. The crypt and microsword appear to be thriving so far. Thanks again!

[shrimpnmoss]

[Poke]

Awesome setup Jason. You have a name of that maple thats in your tank and where you got it?

[lonesomeshark]

Hey Dale,

It's a Trident Maple. I can't remember offhand where I got it but it is available online through some of the bonsai outlets. You may already be aware but this Maple cannot be kept indoors continuously. It needs to have a winter dormant period in order to thrive.

[characodon]

Beautiful.

The African Rift Lake cichlids have a reputation for shredding plants. As for the rest of the fauna,...generally not in the same style or motif of your build--- however if your kids are happy with them, I'll say no more.

[lonesomeshark]

David, very diplomatically put and I must agree with you completely. Perhaps the kids' fish will find their way to a kids' tank. Thanks for the tip on the cichlids...I do really like them though!

[robertw]

wow, that is just amazing! I love the "little mountain forest" look of the land portion.

So neat!

[swoof]

the first couple times i saw the pics i thought the pink zebras danios were fire red shrimp.

[Buck]

wow. just wow! i can stare at that all day, nice job!!!

[CACrimson]

You are so awesomely creative!!! It's so inspirational!

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Where did you get all your plants and moss? Online? It's a beautiful mix. You did well in selecting, and you have an artistic eye! I saw you got the maple online, but how about the others? Last question is how long have you had this up and planted?

I think it looks awesome. A friend I showed this to mentioned that he thinks there should be some plants on the right side to cover up what I think is your overflow. Just one opinion from another set of (artistic) eyes (he's a painter)...

[lonesomeshark]

Hey Joe,

The mosses are from a site called mountainmoss .com. They have a great selection. The tank has only been up and running for a few weeks. I am working on filling out the aquatic planting and I agree that I should plant something on the right edge to camouflage the overflow. Thanks for the input!

[CACrimson]

Hey Jason, where are the return outlets/nozzles? They are camouflaged so well I can't see them anywhere! However you did it, awesome job. I hate seeing pipes and tubes myself.

[guppies]

wow this tank is amazing

[hydrophyte]

That stone background is expertly built. I've seen a lot of tank backgrounds and they usually don't look all that great, but yours is wonderful!

You already mentioned that the maple will only work as a temporary plant and is better kept outdoors. I bet you could find a nice bonsai ficus as a more permanent tree. Small ferns and Carex sedges would also look good with those mosses.

Temperate zone mosses often resent being kept indoors, too. Most of them grow best with conditions cool, moist, airy and clean. You might see some of the moss species fizzle over time but others will probably adapt OK. Are you misting with RO? They will prosper best with very clean water.

The hardscape and the plants look like a nice northern temperate representation to me; it reminds me of Canada. Have you considered native North America fish? I think any small silvery fish, such as eyespot rasboras or a Danio sp., in a good-sized group would look good in there.

[lonesomeshark]

Hey Jason, where are the return outlets/nozzles? They are camouflaged so well I can't see them anywhere! However you did it, awesome job. I hate seeing pipes and tubes myself.

There are 2 return outlets are at the far left of the tank that create a nice current. You can see them in the pic above the unhappy moss. I foamed the tubing through holes in the rock wall. They are very hard to see without the flash.



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That stone background is expertly built. I've seen a lot of tank backgrounds and they usually don't look all that great, but yours is wonderful!

You already mentioned that the maple will only work as a temporary plant and is better kept outdoors. I bet you could find a nice bonsai ficus as a more permanent tree. Small ferns and Carex sedges would also look good with those mosses.

Temperate zone mosses often resent being kept indoors, too. Most of them grow best with conditions cool, moist, airy and clean. You might see some of the moss species fizzle over time but others will probably adapt OK. Are you misting with RO? They will prosper best with very clean water.

The hardscape and the plants look like a nice northern temperate representation to me; it reminds me of Canada. Have you considered native North America fish? I think any small silvery fish, such as eyespot rasboras or a Danio sp., in a good-sized group would look good in there.

Hey Devin,

Thanks for your feedback. I have been following your riparium plant experiments with interest and have been very impressed.

Yes, I am looking for a more permanent bonsai plant grouping. I think a ficus would work well there or maybe a hawaiian umbrella tree (I like the banyan style root formation). A more temperate-looking specimen like maybe a flowering serissa or a brush cherry group might be cool although I think the serissa doesn't tolerate being too wet. It's too bad only the tropical bonsai will thrive here since it would be interesting to create more of a temperate forest look. Norfolk Island Pine maybe?

It's funny that you mention Canada. I grew up just outside of Toronto. With the red and yellow moss sporophyte colors and the maple tree, it is starting to look more like Algonquin Park in autumn...more Niagara escarpment than California coastline. Maybe I'm channeling my youth

I am using RO water for misting. So far, the directional misters seem to be creating some decent humidity but we'll see how it plays out. I think I will take your advice and add some other plant textures to keep it interesting as it fills in.

Right now, I think I need to work on raising the aquatic aesthetic level to match the terrestial side. That is definitely my weak spot but I'm learning. I will update with some pics later in the week. Great idea on a native North American fish species. It's not like I am approaching anything close to a real biotope with this build but a large school would be eye-catching...