Paludarium Ideas

by Apr 15, 202019 comments

Now that you already determined the ideal location and dimensions of your tank, it is time to think about your planted aquarium style. In this article, we will be discussing the different aquascaping designs to unleash the inner artist in you, specifically the Paludarium designs and Paludarium ideas that you can apply in your scape.

Aquascaping is the art of arranging aquatic plants, driftwood, rocks, stones, and even the substrate in an aesthetically pleasing and natural manner.

You probably searched on the internet and was overwhelmed by tons of aquascaping images and still cannot decide. So in this article: the main characteristics, what tank to use, light, substrate, if you need CO2, what filter, fertilizer, hardscape, what fish and plants will be discussed to help you in your decisions.

Table of Contents

Paludarium
Paludarium Layers
Definition of Terms
Vivarium Comparison Table
What Tank to Use?
What Light to Use?
What Substrate?
Do I Need to Inject CO2?
Filtration
Do I Need to Dose Fertilizers?
Hardscape
What Animals?
Aquatic
Amphibians
Reptiles
Terrestrial Invertebrates
Plants Selection
Aquatic/Semi-Aquatic Plants
Air Plants
Creeping Plants
Terrestrial Plants
Floating Plants
Conclusion
Closing Remarks

Why is it so important to know the different aquascaping designs?

These are no strict rules, and there is nothing that will hinder you from getting out of a particular design’s theme and combine it with other styles.

However, you’ll probably can create a much more appealing result if you are following a particular style.

So without further ado, here are the most common styles/designs you’ll see in planted aquariums.

Dutch Style

This style is characterized by many different assortments of plants and leaf types. Carefully planning and designing a multitude of textures, shapes, and plants’ colors is the main focus. It is much like the terrestrial plants that are displayed in flower gardens. It commonly employs raised layers, or terraces, known as “Dutch streets” that taper towards the rear to convey the perspective of depth.

Aquascaped by Jay-R Huelar Philippines

Nature Style

This style re-creates various terrestrial landscapes like hills, valleys, mountains, rain forests, even a half-submerged ecosystem. This design has limitless potential for beauty and creativity. The Nature aquascape or Ryoboku Style encompasses the same core principles of Japanese gardening techniques.

Aquascaped by Fritz Rabaya Philippines

Iwagumi Style Aquascaped by Monnette Arañas Philippines

Iwagumi Style

It is a style that is characterized by its daring stone formations, elegance, simplicity of open space with carpeting plants only, and dedication to conveying a natural and tranquil setting. The style features a series of stones arranged according to the Golden Ratio, or Rule of Thirds. There should always be an odd number of stones to prevent the layout from balancing.

Aquascaped by Monnette Arañas Philippines

Jungle Style

The Jungle Style encompasses the wild, untamed look. It is the complete opposite of the Dutch style, more organized and looks like a conventional tulips garden. The Jungle style overlaps with the core elements of the Nature Style except that the Jungle Style has little to no visible hardscape and limited open space due to the overgrown plants. The plants are even allowed to reach the surface and beyond.

Aquascaped by Franco Chester Pongco Philippines

Hardscape Diorama Style

The Hardscape Diorama Style is still a subset of the Nature Style. The only differences are emphasizing using a lot of hardscapes and building complex nature-like structures such as forest, caves, bonsai trees, canyons, or even fantasy worlds. Dynamic skills should be mainly displayed here to create an illusion of depth, scale, and proportions.

Aquascaped by Michael Yap Philippines

Paludariums - You Are Here

A Paludarium is a type of vivarium that contains water and land in the same environment or encasement. The design can simulate natural habitats such as rainforests, jungles, streams, riverbanks, and bogs. In a Paludarium, part of the aquarium is underwater, and part is above water.

Aquascaped by Yuno Cyan Philippines

My Riparium in its Full Glory Before Trimming

Ripariums

A Riparium is a type of Vivarium that typically depicts an environment where water meets land (riverbanks, streambanks, the shoreline of marshes and swamps or lakes), but it does have minimal to no land parts, unlike a Paludarium (which provides significant land parts). In other words, you are replicating the shallow parts of these natural bodies of water.

Taiwanese Style

The Taiwanese Style of Aquascaping combines the elements of Nature, Iwagumi, or Dutch styles, but the most bizarre feature is using figurines, toys, etc. in the tank to create a sense of life. The style isn’t ubiquitous anymore, but there are still many hobbyists quite fascinated by this style.

Aquascaped by Ian Garrido Philippines

Biotope B3 Class of the Rio Negro Region Aquascaped by Lao Ricci Philippines

Biotopes

The Biotope style seeks to perfectly imitate a particular aquatic habitat at a specific geographic location. From the fish to plants, the rocks, substrate, driftwood, water current, and even the water parameters of a certain aquatic habitat must be the basis of trying to recreate the natural environment, and not necessarily convey like a garden-like display.

Aquascaped by Lao Ricci Philippines

The Walstad Method

The Walstad Method choose to grow plants using very minimum technology as possible. This approach, which is sometimes called “The Natural Planted Tank” and is made popular by Diana Walstad, suggested using soil as a cheap replacement to the aquasoil or aquarium gravel, sometimes with no filtration, no CO2 injection, and limited lighting.

Aquascaped by Mark Ivan Suarez Philippines

Paludariums

A Paludarium is a type of vivarium that contains water and land in the same environment or encasement. The design can simulate natural habitats such as rainforests, jungles, streams, riverbanks, and bogs. In a Paludarium, part of the aquarium is underwater, and part is above water.

We can also consider Paludariums under the Nature style as it still overlaps with the core elements of simulating a natural ecosystem. They may be maintained for purely aesthetic or scientific reasons. The word Paludarium comes from the Latin word ‘palus,’ which means marshes or swamps, and ‘arium’ which refers to an enclosed container like aquarium tanks.

The aim is to create something that simulates the inhabitants’ natural environment that you want to include. To attain this, you need to think in layers:

Paludarium by Michael Yap Philippines

Paludarium by Michael Yap Philippines

Paludarium Layers

The top layer of your tank is called the canopy. This is usually where your tall plants grow, your creeping vines to attach to, some driftwood, and rocks. This layer provides the land-dwelling animals with shade and shelter.

Paludarium by Chuck Llorca Cajilig Philippines

Paludarium by Chuck Llorca Cajilig Philippines

The land part of your design is where most of your terrestrial plants and animals will reside. It can be built by piling up rocks before water is added in case you don’t want a waterfall in your design. If you want a miniature waterfall, it should be built after adding the water. 

Paludarium by Matthew Manes Philippines

Paludarium by Matthew Manes Philippines

The water part of your tank will be the same as an aquarium. This area will be the habitable space of all your aquatic life forms and will provide the needed humidity levels for your animals and plants above it.

Paludarium by San Mig Chad Philippines

Paludarium by San Mig Chad Philippines

We can include a much wider range of plants [from aquatic, semi-aquatic, epiphyte (air) plants, terrestrial], and animals (from aquatic to amphibians and reptiles) in a Paludarium setup. Also, unlike other aquascaping designs, Paludariums are exceptionally well-suited to keeping amphibians and reptiles with no fish at all.

It employs rocks and driftwood built to a height to raise some land regions above the waterline. It requires skills to build complex nature-like structures such as waterfalls if you choose to have one.

Paludariums can be designed:

  • with the land portion occupying one side of the tank with the water on the other side
  • or the land portion occupying only the backside with the water part at the front
  • or can be made to resemble an island with water surrounding it.

The areas covered by land and water must be sufficiently large to meet the needs of the inhabitants/animals you plan to keep.

Making a Mini Paludarium by Matthew Manes Philippines

Paludarium by Stoffer Samudio Philippines

Paludarium with Elements of Taiwanese Style by Stoffer Samudio Philippines

But before we tackle the many ways we can create a Paludarium, let me define some terms that we will be using here in this article and how they differ.

  • Terrestrial plants and animals – plants and animals who live in soil and land, respectively
Terrestrial animals and plants
  • Faunas – the animals of a particular region, habitat, or geological period
Faunas
  • Floras – the plants of a particular, region, habitat, or geological period
Floras
  • Semi-aquatic plants and animals – are plants that naturally grow partially submerged in water, animals that spend part of their time in the water
semi aquatic plants
salamander
  • Epiphyte plants – are plants that grow on top of other plants (usually trees or driftwood) or rocks. In the case of growing in tree trunks, epiphytes co-exist harmoniously and harmlessly, unlike a parasite that harms its host. They derive their nutrients and other vitals from the air, water (high humidity or rain), accumulated dust, and debris around them. Epiphyte plants can be aquatic, semi-aquatic, or terrestrial (air plants).
Resurrection Fern Epiphyte Plants

Vivariums – are an enclosed area for keeping plants and animals for observation or research. It simulates a portion of an ecosystem for a particular species and should have a means of controlling the environmental conditions.

So what we know so far is that Aquariums and Paludariums are types of Vivariums because they are an enclosed area (tank) for keeping plants and/or animals. But to add to that, there are more types of Vivariums namely:

Terrariums – are usually a sealable glass that contains soil and plants and can be opened for maintenance and to access the plants inside. However, Terrariums can also be open to the atmosphere rather than sealed. Terrariums only have land and no water part. It can be wet (sealable) and dry (open).

Terrariums should always have plants and can have animals or no animals. The light entering the glass and the heat generated inside the sealable terrarium result in moisture from the plants and soil evaporating and then condenses on the glass wall. Then the water will go back to the plants and soil, creating a small-scale water cycle.

Terrarium by Stoffer Samudio Philippines

Terrarium by Stoffer Samudio Philippines

You can keep animals too, such as Crickets, Tarantulas, American Chameleon, Land Snails, Salamanders, or Leopard Gecko, provided they don’t have the means to escape like using a covered aquarium tank. Still, you must have a small water bowl for the animals. You can employ a small shallow pond for the animals to make it more natural.

Now to add to the confusion, here comes the Riparium. This typically depicts an environment where water meets land (riverbanks, the shoreline of marshes and swamps), but it does have minimal to no land parts. It should always have plants that break beyond the waterline (half-submerged) and can have animals (like newts, crayfish, frogs, or toads) or no animals.

The difference between a Riparium and Paludarium is that Paludariums have significant land portion/s to provide habitable living space for semi-aquatic animals. In contrast, Ripariums have mostly water with minimal to no land parts.

    Can be Considered as Riparium by Fritz Rabaya Philippines Resized

    Can be Considered as Riparium by Fritz Rabaya Philippines

    Can be Considered as Riparium by Alain Denco Invierno Philippines

    Can be Considered as Riparium Pacman Frogs by Alain Denco Invierno Philippines

    Driftwood and rocks may be used protruding slightly from the water-line so that the animals can have a place to rest in a Riparium. Think about a half-filled aquarium simulating shallow parts of a riverbank with plants half-submerged and some driftwood and rocks breaking the water surface minimally.

    You may be able to differentiate all four types quickly by looking at the table below (you can scroll the table horizontally on mobile devices):

    Vivarium Type
    Aquarium
    Paludarium
    Terrarium
    Riparium

    Land Part?

    No
    Yes
    Yes
    Minimal

    Water Part?

    Yes
    Yes
    No
    Yes

    Animals?

    Sometimes
    Sometimes
    Sometimes
    Sometimes

    Plants?

    Sometimes
    Yes
    Yes
    Yes

    Now that we had these types of Vivariums and terminologies set aside now, we will now go back to the Paludarium setup in which this article should be about. I just felt that we need to understand these terminologies and differences between the four types of Vivariums so we can identify them when we see one.

    Now, there’re lots of Paludarium examples here. Let’s see if they are really a Paludaria or something else.

    My Riparium

    My Riparium – Lemuel Sacop Philippines

    What Tank to Use?

    You can use conventional tanks for a Paludarium set-up that has open-fronts (for easy aquascaping and landscaping) in many different sizes like the pic below. These tanks are open halfway (some even lower) at the front then diagonally meets the tank’s height towards the rear.

    Paludarium by Michael Yap Philippines

    Paludarium by Michael Yap Philippines

    Paludarium by John Dustin Saints Victorino Philippines

    Paludarium by John Dustin Saints Victorino Philippines

    You can also use standard open aquariums for your amphibians and reptiles, and some aquariums have covered tops that you can open and close when needed (escape-proof!!!).

    Paludarium Standard Aquarium Tank by Yuno Cyan Philippines

    Paludarium Standard Aquarium Tank by Yuno Cyan Philippines

    Like the conventional tanks for Paludarium above, there are also tanks, but incorporate French doors or a single awning door complete with a lighting fixture.

    Paludarium Tank Single Awning Door by Yuno Cyan Philippines

    Paludarium Tank Single Awning Door by Yuno Cyan Philippines

    Nonetheless, the size of your tank still depends on your budget, and the amount of hardscapes that you need to use in a Paludarium can be costly. However, if you are near one of Mother Nature’s creations like rivers, forest, lakes, streams, bogs, swamps, or marshes, you can source your hardscapes there and some terrestrial epiphyte plants like wild ferns and some land moss too. You can source land moss on your own backyard, too, if there is any.

    Just remember that you clean the hardscapes and wild plants thoroughly before using them.

    You can set-up a Paludarium using a tank as small as a 5 gallons tank up to 50 gallons or even higher. Also, please consider the animals you want to keep in deciding your Paludarium tank’s size. You don’t want your Chameleon or Angel Fish in a 5 gallons tank.

    Also, we suggest having a tank with more depth in it than height for easy scaping and providing more horizontal living space for your animals.

    What Light to Use?

    Lighting is not too critical if you are using undemanding plants. Even a simple clip-on LED light will do. If your Paludarium is outside the house, in the terrace, for example, but shaded. Even the ambient light from the sun is enough.

    I still strongly recommend that you use a dimmer so you can adjust the intensity of your light lower once unpleasant algae started to show up in your Paludarium setup.

    If you know electronics and building skills, you can even DIY/experiment with your light fixture with LED bulbs, high powered LED beads. Some had success with LED floodlights, even 5730, 5630, 5050, and 3528 LED strips. I personally DIYed a 5630 LED strips lighting fixture, with warm white, cool white, red and blue LEDs, and a generic 3rd party dimmer.

    Whichever route you choose for your planted aquarium lighting, the most important thing is you should be able to control/adjust the intensity (which can be done with 3rd party dimmers for LEDs, or if dimmers are not possible, you should be able to adjust the height of your lighting fixture.

    For a more in-depth discussion about planted aquarium lighting, go here.

    Paludarium in a Basin by Chuck Llorca Cajilig Philippines

    Paludarium in a Basin by Chuck Llorca Cajilig Philippines

    Paludarium Clip-on Light by Matthew Manes Philippines

    Paludarium Clip-on Light by Matthew Manes Philippines

    What Substrate?

    You don’t need a substrate if you are using epiphyte plants. But you can still use inert sand, coarse gravel, small rocks, or crushed lava rocks at the bottom of the submerged part of your Paludarium for aesthetical purposes. You can tie or stick your epiphyte plants in rocks and driftwood.

    You can also use regular organic garden soil for your terrestrial plants (non-epiphyte ones). However, it would be best to plan how to divide or isolate the soil part to the water because the soil may cloud the water. Or you can just use Aquasoil to save you from all the troubles.

    If you want to use Amazon Swords, Cryptocoryne sp., some Aponogeton sp. can break the water surface in your Paludarium. You can use organic garden or potting soil (free from chemicals, additives, fertilizers, etc.) topped with inert black or beige sand.

    Do I Need to Inject CO2?

    Again, if you are using epiphyte plants, undemanding plants, or no plants at all submerged, you don’t need to inject CO2. Half-submerged plants or terrestrial plants have better access to CO2 from the atmosphere than aquatic plants.

    Paludarium Using Aquasoil by Jeremy Navarro Philippines

    Paludarium Using Aquasoil by Jeremy Navarro Philippines

    Filtration

    You need a filter if you plan to keep fish or aquatic invertebrates such as shrimps and snails. This is also a chance to plan for a waterfall-like structure if you like.

    A properly sized filter for your tanks, such as a Canister filter or HOB filter, can provide the necessary filtration for your aquatic life. Just make sure that their intake can be submerged in the water to do their thing, or you can use extenders if your water level is much lower. The outtake (return) of the filter can be used to provide the running water for your waterfall.

    The different types of filtration, types of filters that we can use in our planted aquariums, and considerations of what to look for in a planted aquarium filter are all discussed here.

    Did you know that the plants on the path of your waterfall act as a filter too? Just like in our aquariums, plants act as natural filtration by absorbing some of the harmful substances in the water, such as ammonium and nitrates (nitrates are harmful to fish and aquatic invertebrates at elevated levels).

    When the water from your filter falls back down, it will create surface water agitation needed for good gaseous exchange with the air, naturally providing oxygen for your aquatic faunas.

    Paludarium Using a HOB Filter for Waterfalls by Ian Garrido Philippines

    Paludarium Using a HOB Filter for Waterfalls by Ian Garrido Philippines

    You can also use a submersible pump for the waterfall effect. Here is a Youtube video on how to build a double waterfall Paludarium that provides easy access when maintaining or replacing the pump. 

    Some hobbyists also deploy foggers or misters to provide a misty or foggy effect in their Paludariums. Another practical purpose of using such devices is to provide the needed humidity and moisture to the ecosystem/emerge/marginal plants.

    However, mist makers add a couple of degrees to your water temperature if left on for too long (consecutive days of operation). They are atomizers, after all. If your water volume is less than 20 gallons, there is not enough water volume to dissipate that heat. Turn it on only during the day (or when you expect visitors) and turn it off at night.

    Paludarium with Mister by Dlareg Belarde Philippines

    Paludarium with Mister by Dlareg Belarde Philippines

    Paludarium by Yohannes Tolentino Philippines

    Paludarium by Yohannes Tolentino Philippines

    Do I Need to Dose Fertilizers?

    You can dose fertilizers in the water very lean or not at all (if you don’t have aquatic plants). Paludarium setups, once stable, will have the animals and plants look after each other’s needs.

    You can insert Osmocote capsules/beads (a slow-release fertilizer) deep into the substrate to fertilize the substrate. Most carpeting plants benefit from this to spread faster and get thicker. This also works on your hungry stem plants by inserting beads of Osmocote near the plants’ roots.

    Even aqua soils deplete their nutrients over time, and you can insert Osmocote into your substrate every 6 months.

    Hardscape

    The amount of your hardscapes depend on the size of your tank. You need rocks and driftwood and these can be source from Mother Nature or can be purchased. I suggest you take a vacation first and bring home some hardscapes so you can save money.

    Paludarium John Alfred Cezar Dafielmoto

    Paludarium by John Alfred Cezar Dafielmoto Philippines

    Paludarium by Alexander Jacob Corpuz Senayo Jr. Philippines

    Paludarium by Alexander Jacob Corpuz Senayo Jr. Philippines

    Aquatic, Semi-Aquatic, or Terrestrial Animals (Faunas)?

    If you plan to keep fish only and other aquatic invertebrates in your Paludarium setup, we recommend just one fish species like a school of (6-12) Cardinal Tetras, Ember Tetras, Zebra Danios, Glowlight Tetras, Harlequin or Chili Rasboras, etc.

    Paludarium with Gold Barbs by Matthew Manes Philippines

    Paludarium with Gold Barbs by Matthew Manes Philippines

    You can also add aquatic invertebrates such as snails and shrimps to the nano fish species mentioned above. Some hobbyists only keep snails and shrimps with no fish at all for their Paludariums. For snails, we recommend Nerite and Ramshorn Snails. For shrimps, we recommend the common Amano and Red Cherry Shrimps.

    In a Paludarium, there is a wide range of animals that you can keep. From aquatic to semi-aquatic (amphibians and some reptiles) and terrestrial (some reptiles). Just be mindful, though, that combining these animals might create conflicts for food (the other species can be seen as food by the other and vice-versa), or territory (fighting will result in stress), etc. So we recommend sticking only with one species.

    For semi-aquatic animals, you need to design your Paludarium to make sure that they can get to land and vice-versa with ease so they will not drown, for example.

    My point is, it is the hobbyist’s job to know and research for the care/welfare of these animals and plants and which animals/plants that you can combine and can live harmoniously with each other.

    Paludarium with Mister by Alfred Repani Estrella Philippines

    Paludarium with Mister by Alfred Repani Estrella Philippines – AG Aquascaping

    Making a Paludarium Hardscape Structures by Alfred Repani Estrella Philippines

    Making a Paludarium Hardscape Structures by Alfred Repani Estrella Philippines – AG Aquascaping

    Amphibians:

    Paludarium by Yuno Cyan Philippines

    Paludarium by Yuno Cyan Philippines

    Paludarium with Red Eye Crocodile Skink by Yuno Cyan Philippines

    Paludarium with Red Eye Crocodile Skink by Yuno Cyan Philippines

    Terrestrial Invertebrates:

    • Land Snails (they can burrow and may uproot your terrestrial plants. They can also wreak havoc on your plants, making them for lunch)
    • Some Insects like Worms, Butterflies, Spiders (provided they don’t have any means of escape and they will not be eaten by your other animals). Butterflies will lay eggs and turn into caterpillars, which will eat your plants’ leaves too. Praying Mantises are interesting.

    Or you can choose to keep no animals at all if you just want to showcase the plants

    Land Snail

    Land Snail

    Tarantula

    Tarantula

    Plants Selection

    If you are near a forest, woodlot, lakes, rivers, streams, bogs, you can source some of these plants. Just don’t poach. Grab what you just need and propagate them in your Paludarium. Disinfect and rinse before using them. I usually disinfect newly bought plants using 3 cups of water plus about 30 ml of Hydrogen Peroxide (3% or 10 volumes – the red one). Soak the plants for 10 minutes, then rinse with running water.

    Poaching – the illegal hunting or seizing of wild animals. As for wild species of plants, it is the illegal harvesting.

    Paludarium by Jel Tronqued Philippines

    Paludarium by Jel Tronqued Philippines

    Paludarium by Alfred Repani Estrella Philippines

    Paludarium by Alfred Repani Estrella Philippines

    Semi-Aquatic Epiphyte/Creeping Plants 

    Semi-Aquatic Plants That Can Break the Surface

    Carpeting Plants

    Floating Plants

    Air Plants (Epiphytes)

    Creeping Plants (Terrestrial):

    Paludarium Newly Set-up with Waterfall by Aristotle Quintana Comboy Philippines

    Paludarium Newly Set-up with Waterfall by Aristotle Quintana Comboy Philippines

    Terrestrial Plants:

    If you have substantial land parts (with soil), these plants will work and should be planted in soil.

    • Most Syngonium
    • Most Philodendron
    • Tuberous Alocasia
    • Begonias
    • Calatheas
    • Aglaonemas
    • Cyperus (Umbrella Palm, Papyrus, Isocladus)
    • Equisetums (Horsetail)
    • Rhizomatic Ferns (Boston, Maidenhair, Monarch Ferns)
    • Peace Lilies
    • Dracaena
    • Caladium
    • Aloe Vera
    • Spider Plant
    • Taro
    • Croton
    • Fittonia
    • Impatiens
    • Purple Heart
    • Sweet Potato
    • Creeping Fig
    • Monstera species
    • Creeping Jenny
    • Paperwhite
    • English Ivy
    • Schismatoglottis Wallichii
    • Pothos varieties
    • Corkscrew Rush
    • Amydrium
    • Northern Blue Flag
    • Herbs (Fennel, Celery, Green Onions, Basil. Oregano, Lemon Balm, Rosemary, Sage, Thyme, Lavender)
    • Sweet Flag
    • Baby’s Tears
    • Marsh Marigolds, etc.
    • African Violets
    • Persian Shield
    • Coleus
    • Purple Waffle

    Conclusion:

    A Paludarium is a type of vivarium that contains water and land in the same environment or encasement. The design can simulate natural habitats such as rainforests, jungles, streams, riverbanks, and bogs.

    We can also consider Paludariums under the Nature style as it still overlaps with the core elements of simulating a natural ecosystem.

    The aim is to create something that simulates the inhabitants’ natural environment that you want to include. To attain this, you need to think in layers: the canopy, the land, and the water part.

    We can include a much wider range of plants and animals in a Paludarium setup. Also, unlike other aquascaping designs, Paludariums are exceptionally well-suited to keeping amphibians and reptiles with no fish at all.

    It employs rocks and driftwood built to a height to raise some land regions above the waterline. It requires skills to build complex nature-like structures such as waterfalls.

    Want to Explore More?

    Fishless Method – How to Cycle a Planted Aquarium

    It is called the Fishless Method of Tank Cycling, which is self-explanatory. We will cycle our planted aquariums with no fish. We don’t have to be worried about any of our faunas anymore if they will survive the fish-in cycling we discussed in the previous article.

    The Right Material for Aquarium Tanks

    Have you ever wondered what types of glass are used in building our Aquariums, or are there any other materials that we can use? In this article, we will be discussing the right material for aquarium tanks.

    Canister Filters – Types of Planted Aquarium Filters

    Canister filters are more powerful and larger than most other filters, and they are suitable for medium to large planted aquariums. This means you can stuff more media due to its larger capacity/volume, which in turn allows for better filtration and more beneficial bacteria colonization. The simple fact is the more volume your filter has, and the more media you can stuff into it, the more effective and efficient your filtration is and the clearer/cleaner your water is.

    TDS – The Planted Aquarium Water Parameters

    TDS is the measure of all dissolved organic and inorganic solid substances in your water. However, tests of this water parameter don’t say what comprises your TDS. It measures the total of all molecular, ionized, and any microscopic substances in our water that cannot be caught by your filtration.

    Dissolved CO2 – The Planted Aquarium Water Parameters

    As for all living things, Carbon (C) is essential, including our aquarium plants. The main source of Carbon for plants, whether terrestrial, semi-aquatic, or aquatic, is Carbon Dioxide (CO­2). Terrestrial and half-submerged plants usually absorb an adequate amount of CO2 from the air with their leaves. The average concentration of CO­2 in the air is currently 0.04 % (412 ppm) by volume.

    Closing Remarks

    I hope you enjoyed this article and if ever you have additional questions or want to share your experiences with Paludariums, please leave a comment below.

    Next, we will be discussing the Ripariums.

    19 Comments

    1. Aly

      What a great discussion on aquascaping designs and paludarium ideas. You have showcased some beautiful spaces and provided a lot of inspiration! These gorgeous designs look like something that one would stumble across somewhere deep in the woods — a great balance of water, land, plants, depth, height, and inhabitants!

      Reply
      • Lemuel Sacop

        Hello Aly, thank you for coming back and the appreciation on my articles as always.

        Reply
    2. Michael

      Wow I had no idea there were so many designs and types of plants you could add to an aquarium. I will definitely have to book mark this site to give myself some good ideas on how to create my next aquarium.

      Out of all these designs and plants you showed, which one would you say is your favorite and why? 

      Also do certain fish like a typical environment or will these paludarium designs work with just about any fish?

      By the way my wife is from the Philippines and her dad had a real nice aquarium. I noticed many these pics were from Philippines is why I say it 🙂

      Reply
      • Lemuel Sacop

        Hi Michael thank you for your appreciation about this article. 

        As for your question, my favorites are nature, jungle, iwagumi, hardscape diorama and paludarium. I already have a nature aquarium and at some point it became a jungle. So my next aquarium will be the iwagumi style followed by hardscape diorama and i hope i can setup a paludarium too.

        Glad to hear that you have a Filipina wife.

        Reply
    3. Benson

      Hello Lemuel, i am really thrilled with what I have seen here and to be frank having a such paludarium design is really nice and i should try out some of it in my house. One thing i like about these designs are the natural outlook it gives and with that the creatures there wouldn’t feel caged or captured since it will look just like home, maybe just u a. smaller environment. Great arts, great idea. Cheers

      Reply
      • Lemuel Sacop

        Hi Benson thank you for your appreciation about this article. I agree with you that the animals wouldn’t feel caged in this very natural environment. Please watch out for more articles coming soon.

        Reply
    4. Riley

      I have never seen or heard of this  aquarium design ever. It is really nice and all the design makes it even more fishy. Lol. But really it is good and I would like to experiment this type on my tank. I just got some new tanks and I have gotten a new idea on design as well. The paludarium design is very nice. Thanks!

      Reply
      • Lemuel Sacop

        Hi Riley thank you for your appreciation about this article. It is really nice to hear that you are now starting your planted aquarium at home. Cheers to that! If you have any questions please don’t hesitate to ask. Please watch out for more articles coming soon. 

        Reply
    5. Horatius

      The amount of information contained in this article is amazing. I used to have an aquarium many years ago and I am recently thinking to set up a new one. I went through your website and I found many useful information to get me started again. I have to say, these designs that you listed are truly amazing. I am bookmarking this page so that I can come back to it when I have to set up my new aquarium. 

      Reply
      • Lemuel Sacop

        Hi Horatius thank you for your interest and appreciation about this article and for the website as a whole. Please watch out more articles coming soon. If you have some questions please don’t hesitate to ask.

        Reply
    6. Jeff

      I always find your articles very nice, well arranged and so interesting. I totally agree with you that when it comes to design something the end product will be more appealing if you are following a particular style. The terrariums seem nice and manageable too. The size also is so convenient and I think I will try to set up one on my own.

      Reply
      • Lemuel Sacop

        Thank you Jeff for your interest and appreciation of the article. Please watch out for more articles coming soon!

        Reply
    7. C.N.

      Brilliant article. You did an excellent job of breaking down the different types and styles of plants for your aquarium. I am a visual person, I love colors, and I would definitely consider myself to be a fish person (though I don’t currently own any fish). I love how thorough you were in breaking down the designs and various aspects of each style; I can tell that you’re an expert in the field. I will definitely visit your site again! God bless you!

      Reply
      • Lemuel Sacop

        Hello C.N. thank you for your appreciation about my articles. Yes my target audiences are very visual people and since I still don’t have any videos to incorporate, I rely on pictures and images of my own work and my co-hobbyists. Please watch our for more articles coming soon.

        Reply
    8. Ali

      What a nice post you wrote Lemuel. I was looking for such that information and after reading your post, it answered all my questions in details. I’m happy to see that you decided to write such a quality post.
      I’ll definitely come back to your site to read more posts like this.

      Thank you!

      Ali

      Reply
    9. Thabo Khoza

      Wow

      I am bookmarking this post. You have just made me fall in love with getting my own aquarium because I love seeing fish.

      I used to have a fish tank when I was young.
      I love the forest look you showed. and all was explained well.

      Reply
      • Lemuel Sacop

        Thank you Thabo for the appreciation about my article. Please watch out for more articles coming soon.

        Reply
    10. Tony

      I was actually thinking about turning one of my aquariums into a paludarium and this article is pushing more towards the idea. I am going to save your site so I can reference it when I decide which way I am going to go with my tank.

      Reply
      • Lemuel Sacop

        Hi Tony I am looking forward to seeing your Paludarium in the near future. There are many more styles i discussed already in this site, please check it out.

        Reply

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