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Here's a side view constructed directly to your blueprints.

Also, I'm kinda curious - how are you going to shape the land section like that? Concrete base or styrofoam or ... ? It's an interesting idea but in my head I can't quite see how it'll be done.

LittleMousling attached this image:


-Molly
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oh, but i had already updated it on the 13th post heres the link again


http://www.thereeftank.com/photopost/showphoto.php?photo=4597&password=60a5e724d88aa0227991a6a6ae7dde22&sort=1&cat=500&page=1

OK - still a lot of land mass if the tank's going to be full, but a real improvement.

So how are you creating the land?

-Molly
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the usualy method and my method is to cut glass glue it in place to the aquarium and decorate the sides with sand or rocks which brings me to another point, i like the way lava rock looks specificaly its color but i feel that it will cut the fish and other inhabitants, is their any way to dull it down or is there a rock with similar color and relative texture(not real smooth and flat)

Siliconing glass in place is indeed the usual method - but that's usually one straight division. You've drawn a curvy, organic shape.
Lava rock won't cut fish, except in very specific cases (large fighting/chasing/spawning fish, very sensitive fish like rays) but perhaps sandstone? Or Texas holey rock?

Last edited by LittleMousling at 01-Apr-2005 14:48

-Molly
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while waiting for a post i was browsing another forum and happened to run into this(scroll down to second picture)

http://reefcentral.com/forums/showthread.php?s=&threadid=522988&perpage=25&pagenumber=2

i think i will do that with a mix of some similarly colored rocks (i think ill just use lava rock) so plants have something to stick their roots into plus by doing that i reinforce areas that i glued to minimize a potential leak

and to make the curvy organic shape i just have to thicken the amount used so it bulges etc.

Okay - so you're going to start with a piece of glass that's perpendicular to the front glass and build way, way out? Or put in two pieces in a more or less triangular shape and build out from them?

-Molly
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heres a very rough stocking list

1 african knife fish(Xenomystus nigri)
2 ropefish
5 hatchets
5 glass cats
? rainbows
? corys

i think im ging to make a triangle for the biggest part and then just build the rest (cape) with lava rock and pond foam

I'm not sure how siliconing a triangle to be waterproof will work; if the one corner is 90 degrees, that'll be easy to seal, but then where the other ends meet the tank glass there will only be a tiny bit of glass meeting, not nearly enough to seal.

-Molly
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yes that is a problem but wouldnt the amout of foam surrounding it block the water any way?

I doubt it. Water pressure is, well - ever been to Niagara falls? Water's pretty powerful, and even sealing a flat plane of glass to create a land area in a half-filled 10 is troublesome.

-Molly
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well lets say that i glue the glass together and then before i fill it i coat all sides with pond foam an inch thick i dont think that the presurre of the water would break through the 1 inch foam

Did you happen to see this thread?:

[link=http://www.fishprofiles.com/files/forums/General%20Freshwater/57229.html?200503301828]http://www.fishprofiles.com/files/forums/General%20Freshwater/57229.html?200503301828" style="COLOR: #4040FF[/link]

Sealing even flat pieces of glass is really, really, really difficult. Water's heavy, it exerts extraordinary pressure, and, well, I don't mean to be as discouraging as I surely sound but it would be setting yourself up for a lot of work and heartbreak.

-Molly
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yes but im saying that the handi-foam blocks the water from getting in, the only reason i would need the glass is for support and a barrier between the dirt and foam i may even use some other material to save money

heres two links that might better explain

http://www.fomo.com/whyuse.asp

http://www.fomo.com/Seals.asp

Last edited by resle at 01-Apr-2005 17:24

oops......i was just told that its not a good sealant and not very strong

what if i put increments of silicon glue on the angled glass and then put foam over that?



Last edited by resle at 01-Apr-2005 17:41

stocking revised

1 african knife fish(Xenomystus nigri)
2 ropefish
5 hatchets
5 glass cats
9 rainbows
10 corys

non fish

2 fiddler crabs
2 red claw crabs
? fire belyd newt?
? frogs?
? lizard?

stocking revised

1 african knife fish(Xenomystus nigri)
2 ropefish
5 hatchets
5 glass cats
9 rainbows
10 corys

non fish

2 fiddler crabs
2 red claw crabs
? fire belyd newt?
? frogs?
? lizard?

Fiddler and red claw crabs (Uca spp. and Sesarma spp., respectively) require brackish salinity. As to herpetiles, be aware that your ropefish and knifefish may eventually consume or maim them. Lizards typically require a basking spot, and may, in such a setup, drown or succumb to fungal growth or bacterial infection instigated by a potentially untenable degree of humidity.

That fish list is also WAY overstocked for less than 55 gallons. How many gallons shall we say will be there? 30, maybe? I'd leave out the glass cats and hatchets, and scale down both of your remaining schools.

---

They shade the glow of it with their mossy-misty costumes,
They wear masks of silk, porcelain, brass, and silver,
So as not to mislead with their own, ordinary faces.

Why has no one commented that ropefish can potentially reach over two feet in length and require shelter which will run the entire length of the body (i.e. long enough to conceal the fish in it's entirety)? Even in my 75, the specimens I kept were not content--eventually, they had to be relocated.

Also, the glasscats, natchets and cories would all be in danger were you to add the knife.

I'd stick with glassies, hatchets, and several smaller loricariids; all perfectly adaptable riverine species. The only rainbows you'll be able to house are praecox/dwarves and threadfins.




Last edited by Cup_of_Lifenoodles at 02-Apr-2005 00:38

well yet another plan that crashed and burned:#(, please dont think i dont do my research i just cant get things right it seems

now that i realy dont have a reason to go through with this i have a whole new plan same setup

archerfish
needlefish


any suggestions

I humored the idea of a paladarium for my frog, but a 15g is WAY too small for it. I just turned it into a terraruim with a waterfall and small pond. I used river rocks-available at any pet store, craft store, or Walmart (Walmart is much cheaper for this application) to make the base of the land mass. I was tinking of a betta in there, but the waterfall would create too much surface agitation.

I Couldn't find any info on the needlefish, but I think the archerfish may still be to big. Think smaller. Believe me, there has to be a way to have a paladarium in a 55g, you just need to find the right fish. The other animals, on the other hand, need to be thought of at the same time. Make sure you don't get anything that would make your fish lunch. I have a 5 yr old White's Dumpy Treefrog that will eat anything that moves and he can fit in his mouth.

my bookmarked sites say that while archers do get up to 10" in the wild they rarly exceed 6", needlefish dont move much and get to 8" and smaller in captivity, both were recomended for a 55

Well, then you need to get better bookmarked sites. Archers get big, like was mentioned, but they're also brackish fish. Needlefish, as far as I can find, get anywhere from 11-18 inches. That is way too big for a less-than-55 gallon tank. Also, they are really delicate, and should only be kept by experts.

What you've got to realize when stocking this thing is that you DON'T have 55 gallons of water. No matter how you do it, a paludarium has got to take up some space in the tank!

---

They shade the glow of it with their mossy-misty costumes,
They wear masks of silk, porcelain, brass, and silver,
So as not to mislead with their own, ordinary faces.

we must be thinking of different needlfish species again:%)

just for the sake of arguement there is one way to have a paludarium with out it taking up water space by making a stand out if pvc pipe putting something on it(like glass) and then putting a paint tray for paint rollers on top of that to hold the dirt in but it doesnt look natural so i didnt want to do it..........unless you have any ideas?

Then give me scientific names as well, since common names are so broad!

I don't get why you'd want to have the entire terrestrial part of the paludarium out of water. Wouldn't that just look bad? And what about the animals and such that will be in it? Don't they need something to keep them in? And don't most of them like some humidity, that an in-tank paludarium thing would give?

I just think that if you're going to do a paludarium, you might as well make it look natural and stuff. Even if it gives up tank gallonage, and you can't fit these monster fish you like, it would still look a lot nicer than something else. A nice school of harly rasboras or something is all you really need to make the water part look good.

---

They shade the glow of it with their mossy-misty costumes,
They wear masks of silk, porcelain, brass, and silver,
So as not to mislead with their own, ordinary faces.

theres not a **** thing i can do with my 55]:| i just wanna smash it with a bat]:|:%)

heres the site where i got that from

http://www.malawicichlidhomepage.com/aquainfo/mike_palludarium_tank.html

the owner certainly has an assortment of creatures in there:%)

im no expert with these types of setups but i would like to help better the initial tank plan.

1st, dont give up and start swinging bats heheh that just makes a mess that you gotta clean up.

i see what your going for in the design and i love the idea and it sounds to me your after the look and not the occupents so stay with that and work the fish in later.

a suggestion with the beach..which i think looks great on paper...make it hollow with a cave system so its actually full of water. the idea is to create as much water space possible without comprimising the actual look. so you just leave it hollow with sand and rocks siliconed to it or another way then place a couple holes here and there large enough for fish to swim in ( or other critters ) and water to move through. you could even place a intake inside to make sure the water doesnt become stagnent.

ok before this becomes to long, let me know what you think if you would like me to continue with my 2 cents and ill toss some more detailed info on this thread.

hope this helps a little, or atleast gives hope

well sin if im hearing u right i love it! i thought of something similar actualy but it didnt sound that good in my head:%) this way i can stick to my original plan with the water now being 55 gallons give or take a few(well not give) my only problem is if a fish dies or is sick in said caves it will be hell to get them out

ya i was thinking of that also but it would be possible to make it so the beach comes out completly or a side wall slides off. i think a slide joint thats like a hook may work. can use plastic sheets to mold the beach how ever you see fit useing a heat gun or something similiar.

ive never done anything like this at all but if you ask around people will tell ya my head is constently thinking up projects to keep busy lol. i fully believe this is completly possible with some patience and thought. dont try to rush through it and im sure we can find a way to possibly make this plan happen.

ok now u lost me,u want to extend the beach the whole side of the bay

no no make it so the beach is removable from the tank...like its decor. if you suspect a fish stuck inside you just slide it out and look. or slide a wall out of the way so you have a good side view inside.

oh i get it like those tree stumps and what not at pet stores, i have 2 problems with this though 1 if i make the entire land hollow i will disturb the plants and animals in habiting it when i lift it, and 2, if i just make the beach hollow then i lose gallonage

or

if i insert under water lights in the caves that can be turned on with a button and make slid down doores for the cave entrances i can corner the fish and net it. and i could also use one of those scopes with a mirror in side shaped like an L and place it in the middle of the cave sticking out of the ground above(creativly hidden) will allow me to see the caves entirty]

Last edited by resle at 03-Apr-2005 11:10

there is another way to work aroudn the lost water volume from a solid beach.... a sump tank. figure your gona lose 10gallosn worth fromt he beach and the tank will prolly be lowerd so thats another 20g. so your running a 30g tank if you want 50gallons of water you add a 20g sump tank. this wont help with swimming space or crowding issues but does correct water quality issues.

i like my way better but i may make it less unarthodox:%)

oh and the water is 100% with the land sticking out the top(dont worry about things escaping i already have that figured out)

just a freindly bump

does anyone else have ideas on how to get fish out of the cave?

Not sure about the cave thing, but I just want to say something about the philisophy you are putting into the palundarium. In a half water, half land tank like the one you're putting together, you want to stick with little fish and amphibious creatures. You want animals that would naturally live in a pond or on the shore. It seems like what you're doing is putting two different ideas together. First of all, most fish you're talking about would not enjoy the comprimised water space you have due to the land portion. On the other hand, most lizards would not appriciate the mold and fungus they would develope from excess amounts of humidity. Even if you managed to make the bottom of the island hollow, you would still be hurting the herps. You really have to pick what you want more. If yout want lizards, get lizards. If you want fish get fish. If you really want the island, I would suggest getting land hermit crabs. They will give you a beach look and they will not have the same problems with humidity as a lizard would. If you want some ideas, check out my thred

- Dj :88)

READ THROUGH WHOLE THREAD BEFORE POSTING

honestly ive answered the same question several times its driving me nuts!!!]:|:%)

maybe this will help

get two pots relativly the same size then fill one with water after that put the other pot upside down ontop of it and there you go thats my aquarium HTH

so far we know that the land portion is hollow but dont know how to get fish out with ease...ideas?

heres a new list (well not really new)

1 african knife
2 reed fish
6 glass cats
9 rainbows
6 cories

Last edited by resle at 10-Apr-2005 15:42

I haven't read all the post but enough to get what you are trying to do(cool). Have you thought about molding a wall or beach that would extend to the bottom of the tank. Have the land rest on supports so you will have more water. Maybe even put the sponges under the land somehow.

Sorry, if this has been said already, but what species of knife? I might be concerned about the cories/glasses

hmmm........ i was sure no one had posted the knife is a Xenomystus nigri

lowlight im not sure i know what ur talking about