# 38 gallon paludarium / vivarium build input appreciated



## shibbyplustax (Feb 28, 2011)

im going to build my first paludarium / vivarium. iv had a vivarium for a few months now in a 20h tank but used a t-rex foam rainforest rapids insert. i am building this new 38 gallon viv because my 20h tank has a crack in the top of it and decided to go bigger and build my own.

i started cutting out the styrofoam into the shapes i wanted and just placed them together in the tank in order to get a feel of how it would fit. the pain in the butt part is that each peice of styrofoam, once it is sealed and painted, will have to be put together inside of the tank becuase tthe plastic divider in the middle of the tank wont allow me to build it outside and simply place it inside. i am currently stuck at this part as i cant do anything until the peices are sealed and painted. i am having trouble finding a sealant that will meet my requirments. if anyone can let me know of a product that meets these following requirments i would greatly appreciate it and can get started on finishing this project and continue posting its progress.

I need a sealant that will do the following:
-first off needs to be reptile/ fish safe
-i want it to dry up pretty hard in order to make the styrofoam alittle more durable / easier cleanup
-i want to be able to paint on the outside of it in order to make the details look more realistic
-moderatly easy to work with

I also would like to know of paints that are aquarium/ reptile safe and long lasting/ durable

any help on this would be greatly appreciated as i cant got any farther in my project until this gets done. i am not going to get into the mechanics or plumbing of this project just yet as it will be hard to describe without pictures. once again ill keep everyone posted on the status of this build just so long as i can get some input on how to get past this step


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## yoink (Aug 31, 2005)

Wow, that is going to turn out really nice. Good job thus far. I made a small paladarium in similar fashion. I don't remember what the brand or style of epoxy was. I bought it at lowes, it was the only kind that they sold at the time. It was fish and reptile safe. I had some frogs and fish in it for a few years with no ill effects. I used krylon fusion spray paint that is also animal safe. Good luck with your build, and keep us up to date on pics. Excited to see how this one turns out.


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## shibbyplustax (Feb 28, 2011)

haha i actually saw your build thread and copied some of your ideas on the construction of it. i actually only signed up for this forum so i could ask you what kind of epoxy you used as i cant find anything that meets my needs without dissolving the styrofoam on contact. anyway when i figure it out i will post what brand it was and keep updating on construction pics. let me ask you a question though, did you have drainage problems on the land part of your paludarium? i figured since there is no where for the water to go it would sit in the soil and rot out any plants planted there. i decided not to go the false bottom route because i didnt want all the water for plants to be drained into the water for my fish causing it to get dirty. instead i planned on slightly sloping the land area to one side and take a pvc pipe to the top of the tank so the water can evaporate easier. i would use the great stuff foam to make the pvc piping look like a tree in the backround. think this idea will work? any other suggestions? let me know
thanks


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