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I'm planning on doing a 10g paludarium...not sure on the animal stock yet, but I'm thinking frogs or something

I've got 1.5wpg on the tank, no CO2, no ferts...just water, excrement, and light

I've currently got riverstones in the tank as a substrate, but I figure I'm going to mix gravel in or do 1/2 / 1/2 or something...not sure yet...but I'd like to incorporate the riverstones into it somehow...

What would be good plants for this setup? I'd probably need something kinda hardy that could stand some kicking 'round and maybe a bit of munching on. I'm definately going to have a bit of hornwort and some anacharis in there...probably some duckweed too. Maybe a crypt or something? What 'bout for plants for the land part? I might be able to get me a chunk of Pothos from the big one that's growing out of a filter in my 29g (rooted into the media ). Any other terrerstrial plants I could throw in?

Any thoughts, comments, ideas, etc would be appreciated, thanks

[link=here]http://www.fishprofiles.com/files/forums/Aquarium%20Oddities/60775.html?200506192323" style="COLOR: #00FF00[/link] is the thread 'bout the paludarium I want to set up

Crypts and anubias are ideal for the water part - and both will grow emersed, too, so you can have some continuity with the two areas as long as there's a good substrate on the land part. The Crypts particularly will need a good substrates, though - 3-5mm gravel. You can put river stones over that, around the crypts, but they won't grow in them.
Starting with anacharis and/or hornwort makes lots of sense but soon I think you'll find it fills up the limited water space and gets in the way of an attractive layout.

For the land part - again, those two will work very well. Java moss is great, and I LOVE dwarf hairgrass as an emergent plant. Pothos is great but will happily outgrow the tank - also, weirdly enough, it doesn't tend to do well in a wet substrate, but will work very well with its roots enirely in water. So, let the roots stay in the water part and the leaves and stems drape over the land area.

Lots of the best paludarium plants get huge, but try air plants (small bromeliad types) - just keep them off the wet substrate.

Remember to keep the lid tightly on the tank - and you may want to start the tank off with a daily misting (skip the pothos, and air plants if you get some) so they all get used to the emergence slowly.

-Molly
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Thanks for the help

I was thinking of having the pothos come up and out of the tank, growing up the wall, like I've got it doing on my 29g (but it's growing in the filters in there)...not 'nuff light tho, methinks...I might have to pass on the pothos there...

I know hornwort and anacharis and stuff gets in the way of everything...I plan to keep it in the corners and keep it well trimmed down...

Methinks I'll get some decent gravel...the riverstones don't look too promising

As for the tight hood, I've got a custom glass top that fits quite tightly, so I don't think that'll be a problem...

Again, thank you

Any other ideas, anyone?

Well there's always java fern, which I think might also be able to grow emersed(or maybe even on land if it's moist most of the day), and I know for a fact that E. Tenellus grows emersed, and very beautifully too. I recieved some that had been grown emersed and it was dark green with spade shaped leaves. This could be a nice underwater plant for you too if you keep it near the water surface.

Bacopa caroliniana might be a nice underwater stem plant for your lighting, and hygro polysperma would probably work as well. Both of these will need as direct light as possible to grow well.

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Critical Fertilator: The Micromanager of Macronutrients

And the bacopa, and possibly the hygro, will be able to emerge from the water. Moneywort's another good one for that - and it flowers like crazy out of water, mine has a number of lovely purple flowers daily (though they only last about 12 hours). Water sprite will emerge, as will the larger-leaved Ludwigia species, H. corymbosa, wisteria, ambulia in some cases, etc.

-Molly
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Methinks I'll go with some moneywort...it's cheap, attractive, and apperantly grows well. Methinks a newt (what I think I'm gettin' in the paludarium...and a school of neons) would like it

I'll probably get some java fern too

Thanks for the help

EDIT - I'm going to be doing a SA biotope...where are these plants from?

Last edited by PoisonWaffle at 20-Jun-2005 15:32