# 45g Southeastern Asia Backwaterish Paludarium (Prebuild stage)



## datfish (Sep 7, 2012)

So basically, I was trying to work with the tank and I found the depth was just not enough to properly make a paludarium for medium sized African fish while having a sizable area of land. So instead I've decided to do a vaguely backwater biotope based in Southeast Asia. I'm trying to keep it to easily accessible fish so I won't be spending extra money there. I'm thinking for this setup I'm just going to have a hill in the back with a few bog plants that grow along the shore, then emergent plants on the hill and then the aquatic plants along the base of the hill and on the substrate. A little plus is that our tapwater can be an advantage for a tank like this. I'll probably be using sprayfoam to form the hill and coat it in clay/mud of some sort. Aside from that I don't have a good layout planned just yet.

The fish: Rainbow Shark, Glass Catfish, Red-tailed Rasbora and Pearl Gourami.

The Invertebrates: Malaysian Trumpet Snails. I'd like to have a few crabs, but I don't know how that'll work out. If I get them they'll be one of these species: White Arm Borneo Crab, Orange Arm Borneo Crab, Purple Vampire Crab or Red and Black Vampire Crab.

The plants (possibly): Java Fern, Java Moss, Blyxa japonica, Compact Corymbose, Water Wisteria, Cyperus helferi, Downoi, Crinkled Aponogeton, Onion Plant, Corkscrew Val and Alternanthera sessilis. Basil, Myrmecodia echinata, Selaginella Fairy Plume, and maybe Bamboo along the shore if I can't find any other plants. I'm hoping someone has suggestions as to what plants could work out of water but in drenched soil. I may cheat and use a few terrarium plants that aren't from the region, such as Trichomanes javanicum.

Attached are my current supplies.


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## datfish (Sep 7, 2012)

I'm just gonna drop a couple links here that are going to be used to help me with building the paludarium or inspire me at all. I figure they could help other people interested in building one.

A small, simple 5 gallon paludarium.

One of the nicest 10 gallon paludariums, in my opinion.

Paludarium using cork.

A very attractive paludarium.

Simple, easy paludarium. Helpful with materials needed.

A nicely planted 7 gallon paludarium.

Here are my sources of information thus far, I'm hoping I'll find more.

Southeast Asian Blackwater Pool Biotope | Mongabay.

SE Asian Backwater Biotope | Wetwebmediaforum.

Southeast Asian Blackwater Pool | Aqua-fish.

A picture.

A small discussion about substrate.

A user talks about how to make a more effective Southeast Asian biotope.


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