My love hate relationship with my Paludarium. My experience + ask me anything

Hi everyone!

So this is my first and only (for now) Paludarium.

It is 6 months old and both the love of my life and bane of my existence. (Last picture is what it looked like 6 months ago). I know that’s not that old, but felt it could be worth sharing.

It has a massive shrimp population(started with 10, predict there are now about 30-50).

I started this project as a huge houseplant fan with no experience with aquariums/paludariums. I had made a houseplant cabinet in the past, but nothing quite like a Paludarium. For me, my priority was the plants. Although, while building it I also had vampire crabs in mind (and still plan on them being end goal).

In my experience, my Paludarium is constantly changing. Not from me pulling it all apart, but because plants change and grow.

Some of my favourite most gorgeous pictures are ones of leaves that are no longer around. The plants aren’t dead, but the leaves usually don’t last awfully long.

The water goes all the way to the very back and there’s a heater and filter that I can access through the back right corner if I take off the lid. The land area is built on top of a structure which allowed the water to run underneath, while also having the space for plants on top. There are many caves and crevices (as once again, I had crabs in mind).

I constantly chop the plants and move them into my other tanks when they get too big. It kinda works as one big propagation chamber.

Some of the moss and leaves have dried out a bit as I’ve been very neglectful with watering lately. At the same time, as it was overgrown, the light couldn’t reach the very bottom and some of the lower moss rotted. Now it’s been maintained I expect things will improve by a lot.

It goes through stages of looking beautiful and looking a little messy (or a lot, like at the moment).

I think keeping paludariums means loving the process. Expecting it to be built then behave isn’t very realistic. Although this is my first so I’m no expert. I just think enjoying the maintenance in between is how you fall in love with it.

Having fun is key I think 🙂

When a plant gets a new leaf or it blooms- it means the world! And when the shrimp are all just swimming about? It’s just all rather lovely.

I have lots of isopods/springtails in the tank along with lots of other bugs that have just appeared over time.

I haven’t had any major problems, but it hasn’t always been great. Things rot, things thrive.

Please ask me any questions about my experience- I’m happy to answer anything!