Setting up a Paludarium

Understanding the term, Paludarium
For those of you that are new to the term, here’s the short and snappy explanation. A Paludarium comes from the Latin words, paludal -pertaining to marshes and arium-a place of, or connected to. When combined, the terms therefore apply to an aquarium that is set up with land and water portions, similar to what a real marsh would be like in natural surroundings. Setting up a Paludarium is a creative and interesting option when considering the totality of a fully aquatic life projected in most standard aquariums. Many schools and learning centers take the setting up of a Paludarium as a classroom project too as it encourages learners to gain more insight into the world of possibilities that nature can provide on land and water and types of animal and plant life that can thrive within it.

Some Paludarium habitats: considerations for setting up a paludarium
Paludariums can be set up according to your choice of plant and animal life; however knowing what thrives in the kind of environment that a paludarium is limited to helps one to invest in the right one instead of wasting time, effort, money in experimenting. It also saves living organisms the stress of dealing with a new, inept learner.

  • Paludariums can have different types of habitats, from bogs to riverbanks to rainforests. One can even opt for putting in a waterfall to replicating rapidly flowing river water, complete with sound effects, with a bit of effort and some extra green (money-green, not fauna in this instance).
  • Popular paludarium choices are river and riffle tanks that replicate habitats with constantly flowing waters. However, these are only limited by your imagination and budget. Fish keepers can choose their favorite variety of fishy friends and try to set up a paludarium to replicate the natural habitat for that variety of fish.

Picking Paludarium inhabitants: an important step in setting up a paludarium Setting up a paludarium is a fun alternative to the traditional aquarium and the most important step is picking the inhabitants of each paludarium, based on the habitat that is being created. Flourishing Paludariums contain a multiplicity of living creatures, each of which contributes in their own special way to preserving the ecosystem within it.

  • For a freshwater paludarium some popular choices are eels, frogs, lizards, newts, snails, snakes, salamanders, toads and turtles. However, the compatibility factor must be well researched by the owner as some of these creatures can eat the others so choose wisely.
  • Paludarium plant life is another key ingredient of every thriving paludarium and a rich bounty of basic plants is needed to jazz up the display. Amazon Sword plants are a great eye-catching bet for a paludarium display reflective of a South American rainforest replication. A saltwater paludarium can be recreated such that the littoral zone has waves crashing upon rocky shores, or even tide pools, simulated wave action with the help of timed pumps.