How to Build a Paludarium
 

What's a Paludarium? I'm not really sure but this thread will outline methods I used to construct one.

Step one, shut down your reef tank. Nothing in there will be useful for the remaining steps. This concludes step one.

A Swamp?
 

...in my living room? I think I'll stick to reefing.

There was a thread a few years back, poster named Raf. Or his wife. Think it had pics.

You haven't even seen step two yet :lol:

There's a few kicking around.

should not have looked at this thread . Now I want to build one after googeling . Will follow see how it turns out

Step Two: Background.

I wanted something 3 dimensional that would hold some plants and act as a water feature. Only option was to build one from scratch so I picked up some rigid foam and some spray foam and got to work.

Foam outline and pots all siliconed in place
http://i11.photobucket.com/albums/a1...m/IMG_2253.jpg

Spray foam going on
http://i11.photobucket.com/albums/a1...m/IMG_2254.jpg
http://i11.photobucket.com/albums/a1...IMG_2256_1.jpg
http://i11.photobucket.com/albums/a1...IMG_2257_1.jpg
http://i11.photobucket.com/albums/a1...m/IMG_2258.jpg

After burning through 2 cans of the expensive black pond foam rather quickly I just decided to continue with the standard great stuff.
http://i11.photobucket.com/albums/a1...m/IMG_2260.jpg
http://i11.photobucket.com/albums/a1...IMG_2261_1.jpg

Then I curved out the exist to reveal a more rock like structure.
http://i11.photobucket.com/albums/a1...IMG_2266_1.jpg
http://i11.photobucket.com/albums/a1...m/IMG_2267.jpg

After one coat of Quickwall Cement with Acrylic Fortifier
http://i11.photobucket.com/albums/a1...m/IMG_2268.jpg
http://i11.photobucket.com/albums/a1.../IMG_2272.jpg.

Next layer had brown cement coloring added
http://i11.photobucket.com/albums/a1...m/IMG_2274.jpg

Final Layer has charcoal coloring
http://i11.photobucket.com/albums/a1...m/IMG_2276.jpg

Apologies in advance for poor picture quality, just snapped a few rather quickly with my phone as I worked through the process.

looks great so far but no concerns with the regular foam?

Another method used:

Rigid foam rough cut
http://i11.photobucket.com/albums/a1...m/IMG_2280.jpg

Followed buy some blow torch action
http://i11.photobucket.com/albums/a1...m/IMG_2281.jpg

First coat
http://i11.photobucket.com/albums/a1...m/IMG_2284.jpg

Finished product for the back wall
http://i11.photobucket.com/albums/a1...m/IMG_2287.jpg