Setting up a Paludarium: April 2020

Paludarium plants

Tillandsia and Java moss on driftwood - Paludarium plants

As soon as the land area was ready and filled with the jungle substrate I filled the paludarium with water, keeping the level around 15 cm, just above the bottom of the start of the land/substrate.That way there will be always water available for the plants through cappilairy action.
After a couple of hours the water will look like tea, this is because of the tannings in the cocopeat and substrate. After changing the water 3-4 times during a week or so it will stay clear.
However to keep the plants and substrate in top condition I also mist most of them and the top substrate once a day. I try to avoid misting the air plants too much as they can get mouldy.

When you are looking for suitable plants in your paludarium, make sure they like high humidity. Some people put succulents in their paludarium. It will look good for a while but in the long term they will eventually die.

I wanted to create a jungle look for my paludarium. One of the best background climbers is the Ficus Pumila. It needs regular trimming however. They will look even better when you let them grow "strangling" the earlier mentioned vines.

Ficus Pumila - Paludarium Plants

There are also a lot of ferns suitable for your paludarium. I planted a Hares Foot (Davallia Feejensis next to the waterfall hoping the hairy rhizomes will creep over the edge into the water.

Hares Foot next to waterfall- Paludarium Plants

To add some colour you can use diverse varieties of Calatheas, they love high humidity and are famous for their wide green colourfull leaves.

Calathea Lancifolia ins and Button fern - Suitable Paludarium Plants

Calathea Medallion with frog :) - Suitable Paludarium Plants

Plants I used are listed below:

Anubias small

Calathea Lancifolia ins

Calathea Makoyana

Calathea Medallion

Callisia Repens "Pink Panther"

Chamaedorea elegans - Bella/Parlour Palm

Davallia - Hare Foot Fern

Eleocharis Parvula "hair grass"

Ficus Pumila - Creeping Fig

Hypoestes - Triple Splash

Micranthemum tweediei 'Monte Carlo'

Microsorum Pteropus - Java Fern

Pellaea Rotundifolia -Button Fern

Syngonium

Taxiphyllum Barbieri - Java Moss -

- formerly also known as Vesicularia Dubyana

Tillandsia - Caput-Medusae

Tillandsia - Ionantha "Druid"

Tillandsia - Ionantha "Mexico"

Tillandsia - Moonlight

Most of the plants are doing great after 3 months. With the Air plants (Tillandsias) I had less luck. 2 of them died because of the high humidity. So if you want to use them go for the "Moonlight" and "Ionanta" varieties.

I also used a couple of aquatic plants in the land area (emersed) and they are doing great:

- Anubias
- Java Moss
- Micranthemum tweediei 'Monte Carlo'

Eleocharis Parvula "hair grass" - Paludarium Plants

Java Moss growing on land - Paludarium Plants

Anubias growing on land - Paludarium Plants

Anubias growing emersed - Paludarium Plants

Java Moss growing on land - Paludarium Plants

In the first couple of weeks you have to make sure you keep them very wet by misting them at least twice a day.

Anubias growing submersed - Paludarium Plants

A good way to attach plants to the pur foam "rocks" is using stainless steel staples. After a while the plant will attach itself to the substrate and the staple can be removed if you want.