Hobbies : Create A Paludarium In 5 Questions
If you are passionate about turtles and frogs and would like to welcome them in your home, you need to provide them with an adequate living space. We explain how to create a paludarium in 5 questions.
1- What is a paludarium?
The paludarium, sometimes called the aqua terrarium, is a space halfway between an aquarium and a terrarium.
Its name comes from the Latin paludis, meaning 'marsh'. It is presented as an aquarium where the water does not occupy all the space but where there is also an emerged part, like a beach, rocks emerging from the water and especially plants.
The principle is to recreate at home an aquatic environment including a submerged part and a terrestrial part.
Although it is possible to create an environment with 50% water and 50% land, the land parts usually make up a third of the whole, or even less depending on the species you plan to host.
2- What is it for?
If you are already an aquarium enthusiast, you will love to create a paludarium because this environment can accommodate many animal and plant species.
Unlike a traditional aquarium, the aqua terrarium allows you to set up an entire plant world reminiscent of the flora of a swamp.
As for the animals, you can have different types of species evolve there such as fish but also amphibians, reptiles or crustaceans.
The great interest of paludariums compared to aquariums is that they allow you to reconstitute more complete and diversified ecosystems than a simple aquarium.
Be sure to ask around when you buy to avoid predation problems. Indeed, not all species can coexist peacefully!
Design your project carefully before implementing it, but remember that each paludarium is a closed environment with a fragile biological balance.
3- For whom?
Creating a paludarium is an exciting but rather ambitious project. Indeed, this environment that is both aquatic and terrestrial is more difficult to achieve than a simple aquarium or a classic terrarium.
To bring this sort of aquatic garden to life, you'll need some knowledge of the subject, but also some DIY skills and a good dose of patience.
Once set up, this miniature ecosystem requires regular maintenance.
These difficulties probably explain why paludariums are much less common than aquariums.
4- How much does it cost?
Creating a paludarium can cost you a lot of money, especially if you buy an aquarium with built-in decor and adapt it to fit plants. You should expect to pay about €200 for an 80-liter aquarium.
Another less expensive solution is to create your aqua terrarium from scratch, thanks to a little DIY.
In this case, you will need the following equipment:
- a tank
- a pump to filter the water
- epoxy resin to create the decoration
- hydraulic mortar to ensure the impermeability of the structure
- peat moss or potting soil to install the plants
5- What species should be installed?
To create a paludarium, you can choose between several families of plants that appreciate this type of humid environment.
All marsh or river plants will be able to thrive in this type of aqua terrarium.
As far as animal species are concerned, you can opt for amphibians like the Kassina senegalensis frog, newts or farmed turtles.
Water turtles particularly like this kind of environment, since they need water but also emerged places to be able to rest and warm up in the sun.
Just be sure to assess the risk of predation and inter-species disease beforehand.
