This is my first time making a paludarium, and I wanted to make a stream that led to a water section at the end. The stream works pretty good now, but whenever I turn it on the soil starts to get really wet. I've tried smothering the inside with silicone, and putting pieces of silicone mat next to it, separating the foam under it from the soil. The plants I got are started to die now because I can't put them in the dirt. If anyone knows what the problem is, please tell me.
by Kermle
1 Comment
You said the soil gets wet when you turn the stream on, so there you go.
Your water feature has a leak. You have a few options, the easiest being to remove the top rocks from the stacks in the “retaining wall” of the stream. Cut a strip of pond liner, lay it down, put the removed rocks back on top.
Otherwise you could buy some pond epoxy and paint it in and let it cure, but it’s super expensive and you’d have to buy a large can of it when you only need a small amount. You could disassemble the terrestrial portion and rebuild a stream made out of large diameter PVC pipe cut in half horizontally, or spray foam. Possibly even a 2 liter soda bottle cut up if the tank is small enough. You may even be able to find a long and narrow Tupperware or similar container made from plastic to cut to shape. If you wanted it tan to match the stone, you can paint it with a thin layer of silicone and press tan sand into it.
The last option is to swap out your plant selection to bog/marginal plants that do not mind saturated soil.