225 gal Freshwater Community plus Terrestrial design

[SwampeastMike]

My first post. Umpteenth home tank but first above 80 gal.

Will this work? It's my first aquarium with both water and land. I plan on invertebrates, amphibians, common small non-cichlids, mosses, terrestrial plants, aquatic plants, semi-aquatic plants.

Intend large groups of guppies, mollies, swordfish, zebras, neons, small catfish, mixed tetras. Diverse aquatic areas with plenty of cover for live fry and hatchlings. True community tank fed a diverse diet with potential of fry and roe as supplemental food sources.

Can I use a thin layer of clay-rich soil between two layers of sand for the "earth"?

Aquarium 72" x 24"

Land area is about 28"W x 23"D

[Fishlegend]

Wow um it's not a paludarium but waterfall?

[SwampeastMike]

Yes, a waterfall is an easy addition.

I see great lighting with thin LED panels for the aquatic, submersible at the bottom of the tray led + incandescent as thermostatically controlled IR heat of the land.

Do you see any potential pitfalls of the design?

[Fishlegend]

Well IMO when you have every thing setup and perfec and you look at it... You'll wish you Would have done one giant paludarium instead if those above tank things. It just takes away from the rainforest effect when you don't have just one huge enclosure...

[SwampeastMike]

Am not after a rainforest effect. Just some land area for a very few semi terrestrial creatures and some short plantings plus moss and lichen on decaying wood.

A large aquarium full of water with some easily removed land area at one end.

[Fishlegend]

You could. (and these are just an ideas)

Make the tank brackish water community and have the land areas connected to the water surface just enough so a muddskipper could chill their in like an inch I water.


Make the tank brackih water and add archer fish which will shoot Bugs on terrestrial branches above water
NOTE: their are freshwater archer fish but their harder to find in a store you'll have to order them. Then You could have a freshwater community because archers are non aggressive.