The Definitive Guide to Creating a Paludarium (Tank, Plants and Building Suggestions)

October 25, 2018 Fishkeeping WorldA paludarium is an aquarium which has terrestrial plants as well as aquatic plants and aquatic life.

They are much easier to maintain in comparison to fully aquascaped aquariums, because they pretty much look after themselves if you choose the right plants and animal species.

You can include a much wider ranges of creatures in a paludarium than you can in an aquarium. As well as a whole range of freshwater fish you can also include shrimps, newts, crabs and even turtles.

In this article we’re going to take a look at what exactly a paludarium is, the plants and animals you can keep in one, how to build them and much more…

Murphy's Law and Aquarium Habitats

Murphy's Law states: "Develop a foolproof system and only a fool will use it", while Aquatic Habitats are far from foolproof, there is commonsense engineering behind them that can make them almost maintenance-free. But there's times that makes us give pause as to how well Ol' Murphy and his laws can be right on the mark.

With anything involving living organisms, there are countless things can happen, all depending on outside influences.

"I was afraid my Frogs were getting too hot, so I placed then in front of the air conditioner... now they just sit there..."   Frogs are amphibian's, meaning they're cold-blooded, they depend on their environment temperature. If the environment is cold, amphibians become cold, and tend to hibernate...or die. African Dwarf Frogs were originally from the rain forests of West Africa, not a place commonly known for Air Conditioning. The Smart Thing: Keep your ADF Habitat within a moderately comfortable temperature of 70 to 80 degrees.

"I didn't think my frog was getting enough air so I took the lid off...now my frog's missing."
Oxygen that live plants produces, and habitat covers allow for plenty of air. A tank cover serves several functions...it keeps the dust and junk out, keeps water from evaporating too quickly...and keeps wayward frogs from exploring too far.


"I didn't use any gravel ...why is my water all cloudy and my frogs dying?" The "Ugly" gravel is the "third leg" of the entire habitats eco-system. The tank gravel becomes infused with beneficial anaerobic bacteria that increases the "filter" capability for a habitat Without it, it's be hard for an external filter to establish a healthy environment.

"I keep my aquarium in sunlight so plants can grow....why is my water green?" You'd think that aquarium plants needs needs lots of sun but that's not always so... most common aquatic plants thrives in indirect sunlight. Most importantly, too much sunlight can trigger an algae bloom, which can really muck things up. Keep your aquatic habitat away from the window sill & it'll do fine.

Happily, most of the problems that may arise can easily be fixed, and while there's always something that may come along that could be a real head-scratcher, with some commonsense, maintaining a happy, healthy habitat can be a snap.