hydrophyte

I started this project several months ago.

My general idea is to emulate a South America riverbank habitat. Plants include a couple of different Echinodorus. I also have tetras, a bristlenose pleco and Apistogramma.

Here is the display. It's in a 65 tall Aqueon tank with top rim removed.



I double-posted this picture over in the DIY forum where I was explaining stand build.

The emergent plants are all planted in Riparium Supply accessories. The underwater plants are rooted in pool filter stand. They get bi-weekly ferts and Excel every day. The lighting is bright, but the immersed plants do OK without pressurized CO2 because the emergent stuff throws a lot of shade. They need to grow in some more, but I am pretty happy with the emmersed plants. I need to work on the underwater scape some more.

I'll try to remember to post more later.

Regards,

Hydrophyte

KraKen

That's beautiful. I'm assuming that a riparium is the same as a paludarium?

hydrophyte

ripariums are similar in appearance to some paludarium designs, but they are put together differently. paludariums are usually rendered with built-up terrestrial areas and underwater features made with rocks, gravel, driftwood or synthetic foam. ripariums, on the other hand, are planted using hanging and floating plant support devices--similar to the island planters and plant baskets used in ponds.

ripariums are probably easier to set up and maintain than most paludarium designs. it's also easier to grow a wider range of plants in them because all of the planting hardware is modular.

here's the link to Riparium Supply.

http://www.ripariumsupply.com/

KraKen

That's really cool, I always thought the islands in paludariums were a waste of water space. A while ago I tried to make a floating island for plants out of filterfloss but I didn't have any plants that would grow emergant at the time.

hydrophyte

in that tank i used two different trellis raft models. they are held tight near the rear of the space with velcro that is also attached to the hanging planters. the plants on the rafts help to devlop the composition midground and they also hide the hanging planters.

hydrophyte

Here is the fauna list for that tank:

• Ancistrus sp. pleco (1
• Apistogramma sp. (4)
• Hyphessobrycon megalopterus--black phantom tetra (7)
• Hemigrammus erythrozonus--glowlight tetra (5)
• Puntius titteya--cherry barb (5)
• Corydoras pygmaeusa--dwarf cory (4)

Hydrophyte

hydrophyte

I include here a couple of pictures to show how this display is put together.

This picture was shot over the top rim of one side of the aquarium. Notice that the emergent plants more or less cover the water over the rear 2/3 of its surface. The water surface in the front portion is mostly open.



Here plants are numbered to reference the distinct foliage elements of the composition. Rather erect, tall background plants, including an Acorus sp. (1) and an Echinodorus sp. are rooted in Hanging Planters and fill much of the space in front of the rear panel of glass. Their leaves reach forward into the midground, which is also occupied by Lippia nodiflora (2) and other plants supported by Trellis Rafts. A floating leaf plant, Nymphoides sp. (3), resides between the midground and open water and softens the transition between the two areas. An underwater plant, Hygrophila angustifolia (4), grows in the underwater foreground, taking advantage of the relatively bright conditions there.

Notice, that the front panel of glass (5) is very clean, water spots and chalk lines show are very prominent on this area of glass, more so than for a tank filled to the top with water, so I wipe the glass here with a vinegar and distilled water solution every time that I service the riparium display.

hydrophyte

I have a couple more pictures to explain how to assemble the foliage elements in a riparium compositionr. The shot below also shows a view from the side, but I removed several plants in order to capture a cross-section view.



The next image is the same photograph with some reference numbers added. A Small Hanging Planter (2) hung form the rear pane of aquarium glass (1) holds a Bacopa monnieri plant that grows forward into the composition midground with support provided by a Trellis Raft. A Hemigraphis 'Red Equator' (3) also grows in the midground, supported by a Nano Trellis Raft (4). While the Bacopa is rooted in Riparium Planter Gravel, the roots of the Hemigraphis grow directly in the water.



The next figure is a CAD drawing, also depicting a vining stem plant (60), Trellis Raft (40) and Hanging Planter (30).



Yet another figure, this one with the Hemigraphis plant removed, better shows the Bacopa "lawn" (5), supported by a Trellis Raft, which is only barely visible (6). The carpeting effect created by the floating mat of Bacopa contrast well with the vertical growth of the background plant, an Echinodorus (7), and obscures the Large Hanging Planter that supports that large specimen. Notice that area of water in the front of the composition ( 8 ) is mostly open.

jaidexl

That is so awesome. I just saw the riparium supply site a few weeks ago and I think I saw this tank there. I've always wanted to do a half filled tank like this and now I'm really excited about it. I was just thinking the 29gl my buddy dropped off has great dimensions for this. I wonder how many projects I can take on at once before my marriage falls apart.

Anyway, great work, hydrophyte, very inspirational!

hydrophyte

Thanks. I think that I have resolved pretty well how to arrange plants in a effective way. I have a rather long blog post that I am still adding to that is all about plant selection.

http://hydrophytesblog.com/?p=182

Thank you. A 29G could make a nice display. It is a little bit tricky to work in tank that are just 12" deep front-to-back, but it should work well with the right plants. Crypts might be really good because most of them grow as relatively compact rosettes. I started a thread on APC for a crypt display that i am putting together in a 55.

http://www.aquaticplantcentral.com/f...-riparium.html

here's a C. ciliata in a Large Hanging Planter.