March 2019 Meeting
The streak of large meetings continued this month with over 35 people making the trek to Sterling, Virginia to hear Nick Kinser talk about how to build a Paludarium.
There are two different styles of Paludarium: Jungle wall and Island style.
To build a jungle wall Paludarium: First, place hardscape in the tank to visualize what it will look like. Then, mark the waterline. Add eggcrate in the back, use spray foam to fill in the egg crate and add texture. Seal the foam with masonry sealer and paint. Next, attach the wall to the aquarium with more spray foam or silicone. It’s important to keep the terrestrial plants’ substrate out of the water! Nick uses media bags to do so. After the water is added, use air plants to map out where the terrestrial plants will go and adjust as necessary. Nick also cautioned to wear gloves when creating the jungle wall!!
For an island style Paludarium: First, stack up stones on top of bricks for a dynamic look. Next, mark a waterline. Add substrate and add smaller loose rocks in the cracks between the larger rocks. You can use houseplants to see what the setup will look like with plants. Finally add the water.
Here are a few photos from the meeting.
