I Made a Paludarium With a Waterfall, Here’s How!

in this video I'm going to show you how to create a thriving palarum that even has a working waterfall be sure to stick around to the end as I'll even be adding some tiny inhabitants let's get straight into the build starting with making the tank I've got a few of these frameless picture frames I'm going to take them apart and use the glass to build the tank using glass from picture frames is a super easy and cost effective way of building small tanks I got these frames for a couple pounds each but you can get them even cheaper from second hand chops now let's get started with the glass cutting a lot of people think that cutting glass is extremely complicated and hard to do but I'm here to tell you it's not with the right tools and a bit of practice it really is quite simple the main materials you'll need is a ruler a marker pen and a glass cutter I'll leave links to all the materials I'll be using for this build in the description below as you've seen I've already taken some measurements of where I want to cut this piece a quick tip before cutting is to place on a few bits of sticky tack to the underside of the ruler this will stop it from slipping around and ensure that you get a nice straight cut now I'm taking the glass cutter and scoring a line down the glass make sure you're pushing down firmly with one continuous tape it should sound like some paper being torn in half now the glass has been scored I'm going to take it to a straight edge and give it a few gentle Taps as you can see it snaps in half with ease once the glass is cut make sure you handle it with care as the edges are extremely Sharp cutting glass really isn't as difficult as you might think just get hold of some old picture frames and start practicing you're bound to go wrong at first but with a bit of practice it really is quite easy now that all the glass has been cut I like to do a quick test fit before sanding it down I've made the mistake too many times of sanding the glass down only to find out that I've gone wrong I'm simply using some electrical tape to hold all the pieces together make sure you're really careful with the glass at this point as it is super Sharp it's lucky I did this as I completely forgot to trim off a piece of the top where the wire for the pump will come out the tank I took some measurements from the USB plug and then cut a section off accordingly for small Cuts Like This pliers come in handy with that done it's time to move on to the sanding the factory Edge on these picture frames is already super smooth so I only need to sand the edges that I cut when sanding glass make sure that the Sandpaper is Wet This stops any glass dust which is something you definitely don't want to be breathing in now that all the glass is prepared it's time to move on to assembling the tank with silicone a quick tip to make applying the silicone easier is to add a bit of tape on the top this makes the opening for the nozzle much smaller which is more appropriate for the glass I'm using As A good rule of thumb the bead of silicone should be no thinner than the thickness of the glass in this case that's 2 mm now the silicone has been applied it's time to start assembling you've got about 10 to 15 minutes before the silicone starts to cure so it's important to to work fast while still taking the time to make sure everything's in the right place and square I'm assembling the tank piece by piece and then using the electrical tape to lock it in place with the back and sides in place I'm adding a secondary bead of silicone where the pieces meet I'm then using my finger to smooth it out and remove any excess silicone adding this secondary bead helps ensure that there will be no leaks all that's left is the top and the front panel and then the tank can be left to dry I'll be attaching the door at the end 24 hours later and the silicone is fully cured and ready to be cleaned up but before doing so all the tape needs to be removed the benefit of using electrical tape is that it leaves no residue on the glass now I'm taking a sharp blade and removing all the excess silicone around the outside of the tank technically you don't have to do this but it will make the tank look much neater and more professional plus it really is quite satisfying now all the edges have been cleaned up it's time for an essential step which is testing for leaks the tanks I've made made very rarely have a leak but it's always better to test now than find out there's a leak once the palarum is complete a few hours have passed and there's no leak so it's finally time to start building the palarian I'm going to start with the drainage layer and for that I'm using some coarse filter foam it's extremely light and easy to cut it will also have the added benefit of filtering the water as it gets pulled into the pump now I'm taking some scissors and cutting off pieces of the foam I want there to be a nice big open section of water so I'm shaping the foam accordingly at this stage you're free to shape the foam any way you want to make the water section bigger or smaller now I'm happy with the shape it's time to move on to The Hardscape for this palarum I'm choosing to use some Maple Leaf rocks these pieces are certainly too big for this size tank so let's fix that I'm taking them outside and giving them some hits with a hammer to break them up into smaller pieces make sure you wear some kind of eye protection as some pieces do go flying as for all the dust and small rocks I'm collecting the them up as they'll come in handy later now the maple leaf rocks are a more appropriate size it's time to start building I'm starting by placing in the Rocks one by one around the foam to create a retaining wall as always it does take a lot of experimenting with different pieces I'm happy with these pieces so far so I'm going to lock them together with the superglue and tissue method I'm simply taking a small piece of tissue and placing it between the two rocks I'm then soaking it in superglue and leaving it to dry for a couple minutes the result is a strong bond which is 100% safe for live plants and animals I'm continuing to add more rocks and gluing them together as I go as you can see the retaining wall part of the hardcap is pretty much complete so now I'm going to start building up some height for the waterful here's how it looks with all the Rocks joined together I'm really liking how it's looking but I need to do a few things to make sure that the waterfall is functional and actually flows properly firstly what I'm going to do is take some of the leftover filter foam from earlier and plug in any large holes you'll see why I'm doing this shortly now all the holes on the hard scape have been filled in I'm going to flip the piece over and start adding some expanding foam after giving the bottle a good Shake I'm applying the foam all along the back side of the waterfall if I didn't add the foam and left it as it is all the water would fall down through all the gaps and cracks between the rocks by adding the foam it'll ensure that the water flows proper down over the Rocks into the water area try not to add too much foam as it really does expand quite a lot about 10 minutes have passed and the foam is still wet inside but dry to the touch what I'm doing now is pushing the foam down and compressing it into place this is super easy to do at the moment as the foam is still really soft and it will mean I won't have to do any carving later on after leaving the expanding foam for about an hour or so is pretty much fully dried and the filter foam from the front can now be removed if I didn't plug these holes the foam would have expanded through which is certainly not ideal with the filter foam removed from the front I'm now going to start covering up all the marks from the expanded foam and the glue to cover these up I'm going to use some more super glue and the crushed rocks that I saved earlier I'm simply applying the super glue to the area I want to cover up and then sprinkling the powdered Rock On Top the excess can then be removed and as you can see it creates a nice seamless joint between the [Music] rocks after covering up all the glue marks I gave the entire piece a good wash down before going any further I'm going to start installing the pump I'm using this small USB aquarium pump for this build firstly I'm taking off the output and gluing on a small piece of tube in to make it slightly wider I can then reattach it and start measuring and cutting out a square in the foam whilst it dries the pump fits nicely inside so now I'm going to work on the output tubing I'm attaching it in place and then placing the hard skate back inside the tank I'm then using a Sharpie to Mark where I want the water to come out from now I'm going to make a hole in the output for this tubing to fit into the tubin can then go in and get secured in place with some glue once dry it's nice and sturdy and can be installed back onto the pump now I'm placing the hardcap back inside and using some more Maple Leaf rocks to try and hide the output it doesn't have to be completely hidden as the Moss and plants would do the majority of the work later on next I'm taking a Sharpie and marking for where I want to cut the tube in now it's cut down all I've got to do is plug the hole in the top now the hole's plugged the output can go back onto the pump ready for a water test it's always a good idea to do a test of the pump quite early on to see if you need to make any adjustments in this case the flow was a bit strong but luckily the pump I'm using has an adjustable flow so I turned it down a bit and it was much better it flows just how I hoped it would with the pump being pretty much silent which is great with the test done and successful I'm going to go ahead and drain out the water I should have done this at the start but before moving on any further I'm going to install this foam mat to the bottom of the tank this will help protect the tank against uneven surfaces putting unwanted stress on the glass to attach it I simply use some double-sided tape with that done I'm going to get the pump back in and feed the wire through the hole that I made at the start I'm then going to add some filter foam on top which will stop the substrate from getting into the intake The Hardscape structure can then go back in for the final time as it is I definitely think the hard scope's missing something so I'm going to add some pieces of Driftwood I'm hoping these will create a nice contrast to the maple leaf rocks when hardscaping be sure to experiment with multiple different layouts until you find something you're happy with after all once the padari is complete it will be really hard to make any changes if you're enjoying this build so far or finding it useful be sure to drop it aik I'm really happy with this layout and I love the way the wood flows and fits with the Rocks they're just balancing at the moment so as you can probably have guessed I'm going to secure them in place with the super glue and tissue method securing the hard scope in a tank like this is essential as any small knocks and bumps would knock it over making maintenance a nightmare I don't know about you but I think The Hardscape looks 10 times better with the addition of the Driftwood I'm not going to worry about covering these glue marks as that'll be easy to do with moss and plants later now I'm taking some leftover filter foam and plug in any holes throughout the retaining wall plugging these holes will stop the substrate from falling down into the water area talking about substrate for this build I'm using some aqua soil Aqua soil is perfect for a palarian build like this one as it doesn't mind being on the wetter side with water constantly passing through it I'm pouring in a generous amount into the background with it sloping up towards the waterfall with the substrate in I'm going to finish off the hardcap by adding some sand into the Open Water Area I've chose a fairly light colored sand as I think it suits well with the maple leaf rocks after pouring it in and spreading it out with a paintbrush I'm going to add some small maple leaf rocks to create a more natural transition these are once again leftover pieces from when I broke up the Rocks earlier I really love the detail they bring to the scape now before moving on and getting the plants in I'm going to give the entire tank a good spray down now it's finally time to start bringing the Paladin to life with plants I've got a variety of plants that all range in different Leaf size shape and color but one thing they've all got in common is that they're aquatic plants although they're often intended to grow underwater they do grow really well out of water in setups like this this is known as immersed growth and actually the majority of aquarium plants are grown and sold in their immersed State this is extremely useful for me as they won't have to go through any acclamation or adjustments and they'll get straight to Growing I'm going to start by planting the majority of this trident firm behind the waterfall to hide the wire and the output of the pump like most of the plants I'm using in this setup this plant is an epy and should not be planted into the substrate all I'm doing is wedging it in place behind the Rocks next up is this beautiful anubus which has got to be one of my favorite plants I want this plant at the base of the Driftwood and for it to be a centerpiece of the palarian next I've got another anubia species that has some nice Arrowhead shaped leaves I'm planting it towards the back by simply wedging it in between some rocks I'm then taking a smaller plant of the same species and planting it on the left side it's very important not to let these plants dry out so I'm giving them a light spray every now and then next I've got a good number of hyr cuttings which will be planted into the background I love the shape of this plant's leaves and really think it helps bring out a deep jungle look this is one of the few plants I'm using in this setup which can actually be planted into the substrate you may have noticed that these cuttings have little to no roots at the moment but that's not not a problem as they'll root themselves in no time at all now it's time for some plants that will really bring out some detail and take this palarum to another level I've got a variety of different booa fandra species which I'm going to plant throughout the tank these plants are slow Growers which isn't necessarily a bad thing as it will mean they need much less maintenance than faster growing plants I should mention that I have links to all the plants I've used in the description below with most of the plants in I'm really loving how this palarum is looking but there's still a few more to come this here is Monte Carlo it's a Carpe imp plant with small round leaves and I think it would be a nice addition to this tank I'm splitting it up into smaller chunks and then using some long tweezers to plant it throughout the tank it should stay nice and low and I'm hoping it will slowly creep over the Rocks no paladan would be complete without some Moss this here is weeping Moss before planting it I'm using some scissors to trim it up into small pieces by trimming it up it would not only stimulate New Growth but it'll also mean you can cover more of the tank with less moss and ultimately save you some money I'm making sure to use the Moss to cover the output of the pump whilst not blocking the tubing at all now it's finally time to fill up the Paladar with water a small square of paper towel will stop the water from disrupting the sand and the small rocks now the padum is full with water I'm going to place in some floating plants I really love the detail and interest these plants bring to the surface of the water now it's time to add some tiny bugs which will help keep this palarum clean healthy and thriving as you probably guessed I'm talking about springtails these tiny bugs will eat things like mold and decaying matter throughout the tank and poop it out in the form of fertilizer for the plants they are even more important in a tank like this as I used a good amount of wood which is always prone to grow in mold now before turning on the waterfall I need to attach the door which will trap the humidity and stop the palarian from drying out I cut some glass to size and then secured it in place with electrical tape next I'm placing some masking tape on on the front and top leaving a small gap for the silicone to go on next I'm placing on a bead of silicone where the top of the tank and the glass door me I'm then using my finger to spread it out next I'm taking a flat Edge which is a ruler in this case and smoothening out the top when doing this I'm not scraping the silicone off but just passing over the top to create a smooth finish you should be left with a bead of silicone at the top of the tank which is 1 to 2 mm thick which will act as the hinge I'm then removing the masking tape whil the silicone still wet and then leaving it all to dry for 20 4 hours 24 hours later the silicone is fully dried and it's now working as a hinge this is an easy way of creating a discrete hinge and it is actually surprisingly strong now let's turn the pump on and let the waterfall flow I absolutely love how it flows down over the rocks and into the Open Water Area I do want to add some tiny inhabitants into the water but first i'm going to let the tank grow in for about 4 [Music] weeks four weeks have passed and I'm glad to say that this palarum has been thriving I've done two to three water changes since setting it up but that's the only maintenance that I've done it's been sitting on a rack where it receives 12 hours of light a day and despite it only being 4 weeks old it started to establish really well all the plants have got some fresh new growth but my favorite has got to be the new leaf on this anubius as expected the floating plant have been growing a lot and have multiplied fast so I'm going to remove some you may have noticed that I have added a new plant which is this hydroc cotal I've only planted in a few cuttings but I love the way it climbs and creeps Over The Hardscape now I think it's about time to add the tiny inhabitants into the water I'm going to add five of these small snails to start off their colony they're often seen as pests but they'll pose no threat to the plants and they'll only feed on things like algae this is beneficial as they'll help keep the water area nice and clean after introducing them they get straight to work and start [Music] cleaning let me know in the comments what you think of this palarum and be sure to subscribe so you don't miss any future builds or updates as always thank you for making it to the end of the video I hope you enjoyed it and found it useful

Channel: Terrarium Designs

Views: 639,900

Keywords: Paludarium, How to make a paludarium, Paludarium build, Paludarium tutorial, Step by step terrarium, Terrarium guide, Jungle paludarium, Tiny ecosystem, How to make a mini ecosystem, Nano paludarium, Nano ecosystem, Waterfall paludarium, Waterfall terrarium, Flowing stream, River terrarium, Bioactive ecosystems, Self sustaining ecosystem, Water terrarium, Bucephlandra terrarium, Anubias terrarium, Snail paludarium, How to make a glass terrarium

Id: SBWdeQPNG8s

Length: 17min 28sec (1048 seconds)

Published: Sun Oct 15 2023