Paludarium/viv build help?

[deranged chipmunk]

ariel pretty much covered the basics. my favorite method of applying substrate to the foam is a mixture of coco fiber/titebond III wood glue. add coco fiber to an amount of glue and mix until you get the consistency of runny oatmeal, or whatever the British equivalent of that is...lol then just paint it onto the foam. let it dry for about a week. if you have any bare spots, you can go over it as many times as you like. that is the biggest advantage over silicone. if you have bare spots with silicone, you're done. you can also use grout, cement, concrete. the only limit is your own imagination.
as far as planting into the foam, a couple options. 1) place grow pots in strategic locations and foam around them. remember to allow for drainage. or 2) build up foam to make a bog blob, and then carve out your own pot. once again, remember to allow holes for drainage. easy peasy lemon squeezy

[Ribbity]

Hey thanks for replying, I'm in work at the moment and i cant wait till my lunch so i can spill out all of my ideas!

[Ribbity]

Lunch Break at last!

I've got a ReptEVO 600 Glass Vivarium not quite the tanks I've seen creating these Palidarium's.
I own 4 FBT's, and at the moment i have created a garden like enclosure, filling the tank with substrate and adding a pond. i have plenty of live plants which i purchased from ebay - Houseplant, terrarium items in Terra World Tropicals store on eBay!

Anyways, im debating whether to go with foam for the background or with epiweb? im considering epiweb because i dont really want to ruin my tank, i know people say foam is easily removable but.. i dont have 100% confidence in it.

Although i found this on youtube yesterday - Making a Great Stuff Background - YouTube

I want to aim to either create a well planted rainforest or riverbed, maybe a rainforest riverbed! haha its been decided. Making it look as natural as it possibly can is my aim, im going to the forest this weekend, to gather some moss and logs etc. but what i would like to know is, when i gather moss from the wild they can carry alot of insects how would you guys tackle this? and also logs from the wild, would you let them sit outside for a while to air out and see whether the insects leave or just go for it and place it in your tank?

Also any other freebie tricks you all have up your sleeve to create the perfect tank?

Thanks for reading and i look forward to hearing all of your replies!!

HAVE A GREAT DAYYY!

[deranged chipmunk]

I am going to say that the decision between foam and epiweb is completely up to you. Keep in mind that you won't be able to attach any potted plants to it, only epiphytes.
As far as field collecting moss, i think if you ask 40 people this question, you will get 40 different responses. Now, i personally have done this, but i collected moss from a rock in a stream. I rinsed them thoroughly, then dipped them in a very mild bleach solution, then they got another dip in a very mild hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) solution. Then grew them emersed for a week before i used them. Wood is easy, boil it or bake it. Just be careful to collect only HARDWOODS. No evergreens. Oak is safe and should be plentiful in G.B.

[Ribbity]

Hi Bill, there is infact a website that sells epiweb attachments, such as epiweb branches and pots i have found, which is reall interesting.

concerning the moss and branches the more views and opinons the better, gives more of a range of knowledge and tactics of what people do. personally for me, i wouldnt trust myself using bleach, but maybe if you sent me a message with indepth details? such as measurements and times would be great, because i would love to try it out. Also the hydrogen peroxide, i wouldnt know where to begin to look for that in the shops haha as i have never used it before.

I must admit though the thought of baking the wood instead of boiling it is a great idea! and one strangely i have never thought of before! so thank you very much i will be using this idea!


- Has anyone ever thought about just taking small plants from the wild? what effect would this have on the toads?


KEEP YOUR IDEAS AND INFO POURING IN!

[deranged chipmunk]

I will shoot you a pm after work tonight

[Ribbity]

Thanks dude! i look forward to it!

If anyone else has any great ideas they would like to bounce round be my guest! I think this would make for an interesting forum posting if we all kept this going?

Give some great info for the guys who may have the same queries!