Quote:
Originally Posted by SnoopySnake
Yeah, I didn't think it was something that could be done in the average size water bowl, it would have been once they're in their larger, final enclosures. I was thinking maybe I could just do something like a paludarium, and have small fish and a small species of plecostomus or other algae eaters, have lots of plants in the water and maybe some snails and other bottom dwellers that don't get too big or reproduce too fast, and obviously a filter, but I'm not really sure.
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I have been thinking about something along these lines for a long time. I've been into planted aquaria for many years and since getting back into reptiles I've been trying to figure out how to combine the two. The only solution I've been able to come up with thus far is either a paludarium as you mentioned or a full on custom build literally combining an aquarium and a reptile enclosure. I was thinking a large aquarium with the enclosure essentially built right on top. I have no experience with emergent plants so a paludarium scares me a little lol.
The aquarium itself wouldn't be to hard to set up, a filter-less low tech setup would probably be ideal. Although you certainly dump a lot of money in it and make is fancy as you wanted. Personally I would stick to a low tech set up to minimize maintenance. Dirt substrate with a sand cap stuffed with easy low light plants such as Crypts, Ferns and Anubis, with only small powerheads for some circulation. Add a heater, small tropical fish, shrimp and snails and let it go. Lighting would probably be the biggest challenge with having the enclosure right on top of the aquarium, a custom LED array may be the way to go.
The next thing would be what snake(s) to put in the set up. It would definitely have to be a small, semi-aquatic species. Anything of reasonable size would likely crush plants and stir up the substrate as well as foul the water with its feces. A good size planted aquarium would have no problem handling waste from a small snake or two though. Most small semi-aquatic snakes will eat the fish so it would have to be stocked with something inexpensive and safe for the snake(s) to eat.
I have a ton of research to do before I ever attempt to put something together but one of these days I'd like to try it. I already have a couple empty tanks laying around...
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