Paludarium Guide

A paludarium is a vivarium combining aquatic and terrestrial sections in one enclosure, suited to plants and animals of wetland, swamp and marsh environments.

Overview

A paludarium is a type of vivarium that incorporates both terrestrial and aquatic elements within one enclosed, leak-proof container. It sits between an aquarium and a terrarium, combining open water with a land area in a single integrated display.

Origin and meaning

The term derives from the Latin palus (marsh or swamp) plus the suffix -arium (enclosed container). A paludarium can be created by adding water to a terrarium or land to an aquarium; if the land area is small, the result is instead called a riparium.

Design principles

The land area may occupy one side of the tank with water on the other, or form an island surrounded by water on all sides. Setups range from small display boxes to large installations, such as the tropical rainforest exhibit at the Montreal Biodome, and serve aesthetic, scientific or horticultural purposes while simulating specific biomes. Because the enclosure is leak-proof, the water section can be a fully functioning aquarium beneath a planted terrestrial zone.

Plants

Suitable plants thrive in humid, wetland environments and often grow both submerged and emergent. Anubias is noted as hardy and easy to maintain; vertical and climbing plants are commonly used on the land section, and emergent and riparian species bridge the water-to-land transition. Many aquarium plants such as Bucephalandra, Microsorum pteropus and Cryptocoryne wendtii adapt to grow above the waterline in the high humidity of the enclosure, blurring the boundary between the aquatic and terrestrial zones.

Animals

Ideal inhabitants naturally live in mixed water-and-land environments such as swamps, marshes or mangroves. Common choices include amphibians, fish and reptiles, and insects or birds are sometimes kept as well, depending on the biome being recreated.

Difficulty and maintenance

A paludarium combines the upkeep of an aquarium and a terrarium, so both water quality and the humidity of the land section must be managed. The mix of habitats and the frequent use of features such as a waterfall make it a more involved, intermediate-level project. Maintaining stable humidity above the water, providing appropriate lighting for both emergent and submerged plants, and choosing animals suited to a mixed environment all add to the planning effort compared with a standard aquarium.