Quote:
Originally Posted by DirtyCoconuts
amazing!
I’d love to see how you did the plumbing if you have any pics of that.
Also, look into wetter bog plants like American pitchers (saracenia) and some bog orchids.
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North American bog orchids and pitcher plants are really neat, but unfortunately both too big and temperate, so they wouldn't do well in my tank long-term. I think I just need to try some aquarium plants that also grow emersed - maybe Bucephalandra would do well there, I really like that genus. I also want to try
Utricularia calycifida, it has cool leaves.
So, the less glamorous aspects of my setup. On the lid you can see the
MistKing tubing, wiring for the lights, and 2 vent fans (they run for about an hour a day, not sure whether they're really necessary since I have an internal circulation fan). I built a raised lid to hide the
MistKing mister heads and lights, because I like a clean look:
Hidden back compartment with the ZooMed Paludarium filter and aquatic section bulkhead. You can see that the water level is quite low right now, due to wicking into the land area. You can also see the ultrasonic mister in front. The pendant orchid is
Epidendrum 'Panama Ruby', a fun little hybrid that I'm trying out in this spot, but it may be too wet.
Usually the back compartment is covered by a piece of egg crate covered in Spyra:
The land section bulkhead with tubing leading into the overflow bucket. The aquatic section has a similar setup:
In the stand, the overflow bucket on the left with tubes from land and aquatic section draining into it, and the
MistKing reservoir on the right, both with their own overflow bins (learned this the hard way):
Mistakes I made so you don't have to:
I made the tank lid out of plywood to save money, and tried to waterproof the inside. It grows a lot of mold and is hard to clean, so I'm going to spring for acrylic soon and remake it.
When I was building this people recommended having a sump system with the filter in it for easy access, and if I had that my filter would probably be running right now, since it's a pain to ease it out of the back compartment to clean it. However, I don't really seem to need it. It also would have involved drilling another hole in the glass, and I already felt nervous about 2, but it turns out they're pretty easy to do.
Always assume you'll have leaks! I recently got the bins after numerous flooding incidents, both from my overflow bucket overflowing, and from temperamental fittings on my
MistKing reservoir and pump. All I can say is, it's a good thing I'm not allergic to mold, and that I live in a desert where (eventually) the bottom of my tank stand will fully dry out.
I highly recommend my internal circulation fan, an 80 mm Coolerguys IP67. IP67 means that it's somewhat waterproof - it can deal with constant splashes and spray. I have found that regular computer fans rust within a year for me. However, there may be dedicated vivarium fans on the market now that are cheaper than the $15 Coolerguys fan that would work just as well, I haven't researched that recently.
These are great for internal lights, I have a Current Satetellite Plus Pro 36" aquarium light, but I supplement it with hanging LED spot lights.
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60g Paludarium, pic heavy
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