Two worlds, one enclosure. That’s the essence of a paludarium… a semi-aquatic habitat that merges the lush greenery of a terrarium with the serene beauty of an aquarium.
Creating this delicate balance of land and water on a miniature scale has always been the ultimate challenge for hobbyists, but this guide is designed to make it achievable.
We’ll walk you through everything, from the core design principles to a step-by-step build, showing you how a modern kit like the Bantamarium provides the perfect, watertight foundation for your own desktop shoreline.
Of all the vivaria, this is probably my favorite one and the very cornerstone of why Bantam.Earth was started.
What Is a Paludarium?
A paludarium, also commonly referred to as “paludaria”, is a type of vivarium that consists of both water and land.
The paludal part of the word comes from the Latin word palus, meaning “swamp” or “land near water.”
The word itself translates to “a place of swamp or land near water.” The plural form of paludarium is paludaria.
In general, it’s an aquarium with dry terrestrial features. There’s no set law as to how much of it needs to be either aquatic or terrestrial to qualify…
The enclosure just needs to consist of both to be considered a paludarium.
Paludarium vs Riparium: What’s the difference?
A paludarium and a riparium are very similar in the sense that they both consist of aquatic and terrestrial features. There is, however, a difference in life sustainability.
A paludarium has enough landmass to provide a habitable living space for semi-aquatic animals.
A riparium has a limited landmass but usually cannot support life that depends on “Terra-amenities” (yes – I made up that word).
When discussing ripariums, think of a riverbank-type aquarium. More than likely, there won’t be any completely dry areas in this enclosure.
The flora will be submersible plants. The animals living in this type of vivarium will be fully aquatic. I go more in-depth about ripariums here.
Designing Your Mini Paludarium: The Core Concepts
A successful paludarium is a feat of both artistry and engineering. Before you can start building, it’s essential to understand the core concepts that allow you to create a stable and beautiful environment where both land and water can coexist.
Creating the Land/Water Divide
The most critical element of any paludarium design is the barrier that separates the terrestrial (land) and aquatic (water) sections.
In a miniature setup, this is typically achieved with hardscape. You can create a dam or retaining wall using aquarium-safe rocks or driftwood.
These pieces are siliconed together or strategically wedged to form a stable barrier. Another popular method is to create a steep, sloping hill of substrate, supported by rocks, that naturally rises out of the water.
Substrate Choices
Because you are building two different environments, you will need two different types of substrate.
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For the Aquatic Section: A standard aquarium substrate like sand, fine gravel, or an aquatic plant soil is perfect. This will sit at the bottom of the water portion of your build.
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For the Terrestrial Section: Behind your hardscape barrier, you will build up the land portion using the classic terrarium layers: a base layer of stone or gravel for drainage, followed by a moisture-retaining soil mix suitable for the plants you’ve chosen.
Choosing Paludarium Plants
The most exciting part of a paludarium is choosing paludarium plants that can thrive in both land and water.
Terrestrial Plants – These guys can easily be water-bogged if not rooted in a dry enough place above water.
The planted area should allow access to water to completely drain out during watering and should have a fairly dry or moist top layer of the substrate.
Common plants used to furnish the land area are carnivorous plants, various mosses, and mini ferns.
Submersed Plants – This type of plant is completely submerged underwater. Everything from their roots to their leaves is completely under the water. Sword Plants, Christmas moss, and Java fern are all good examples of submerged plants.
Emersed Plants – These plants are rooted underwater but sprout stems and leaves above water. They are both pretty straightforward in terms of setup and care.
Your only limit here is the creative vision you have in mind for your theme. Pothos, hygrophila, and pennyworts are common examples of emersed plants.
Choosing Paludarium Animals
You’ll want to stock this enclosure with fully aquatic and/or semi-aquatic species. They should all be animals that can swim!
Aquatic Animals – Any type of freshwater fish will do well in this enclosure. You can even consider a brackish water type of vivarium if you want to go for a unique setup.
Pufferfish and fiddler crabs are interesting picks to consider! Invertebrates like shrimp or crayfish will also thrive in these types of vivariums.
Semi-Aquatic Animals – Crustaceans like crabs, springtails, and isopods are excellent for the ecosystem and thrive in the marshy conditions of a paludarium.
Mud-skippers are cool fish that can actually come out of the water and do well in this setup. Amphibians like frogs, salamanders, or newts are the most common species of animals for DIY-ers.
A few honorable mentions that would do well in paludaria are reptiles like turtles, lizards, and skinks.
Many turtles, like sliders and soft shells, need both water and land to survive. Lizards like iguanas and water dragons love basking after a nice swim.
When it’s safe to come out and roam, crocodile skinks are known to come out and fish for food.
Essential Equipment for Your Mini Paludarium
While a paludarium build is a creative endeavor, it relies on a foundation of high-quality, reliable equipment.
Having the right vessel and tools not only makes the building process easier but also ensures the long-term health and stability of your delicate, dual-environment ecosystem.
The Ideal Tank: A Watertight Foundation
The most critical piece of hardware for a paludarium is a 100% watertight enclosure. Any leaks can be disastrous, and that’s why the Bantamarium V2 AQUA MINI & AQUA NANO Fish Tank kits are the perfect foundation for a miniature paludarium.
Their VAPO Core Glassware features a seamless, permanently sealed base, providing complete peace of mind. The clear, cylindrical body also offers a stunning, panoramic view of both the land and water sections of your build, showcasing your creation from every angle.
Creating Flow & Mist
The defining feature of many stunning paludariums is a water feature, like a small stream or waterfall. This not only adds a beautiful visual and auditory element but also helps maintain high humidity for your terrestrial plants.
Creating a Waterfall: Our silent Mini Water Pump is the perfect tool for creating a miniature waterfall. By placing the pump in the Tall Base and running its hose up through your hardscape barrier, you can create a continuous, gentle cascade of water flowing from the land back into the pool. This adds motion to your scape and is a hallmark of advanced paludarium design.
How to Build Your Mini Paludarium
With your design planned and your equipment ready, it’s time for the most exciting part: the build. We’ll walk you through creating a beautiful, functional mini paludarium using the Bantamarium V2 AQUA MINI as our foundation.
Step 1: Assemble Your Hidden Filtration System
The secret to a clean and healthy mini paludarium is a great filter. We’ll build ours inside the Tall Base before we even touch the main enclosure.
Place your filtration dividers and filter media (like sponges, LECA, and activated charcoal cage) inside the Tall Base.
Position the Mini Water Pump in the last chamber, ensuring the outlet nozzle is pointing up. This base is now your all-in-one filter and water reservoir.
Step 2: Connect the Plumbing
Twist-lock your VAPO Core Glassware securely onto the Tall Base. Now, connect the hoses.
Attach one hose to the pump’s outlet and run it up into the main tank… this will be your waterfall. Decide how high you want your waterfall to be and cut the hose to that length.
The “intake” for your filter will simply be the water naturally draining through the VAPO Core’s bottom holes and passing through the filter media in the base below.
Step 3: Build Your Hardscape Barrier
With your plumbing in place, you can now build the barrier that will separate your land and water sections.
This is a crucial step for both function and aesthetics.
Use aquarium-safe rocks or driftwood to construct a wall, making sure to build it around your waterfall hose to camouflage it completely.
Use aquarium-safe silicone to secure the pieces together for a permanent, stable wall.
Step 4: Add Substrates and Plants
Once your hardscape is set, it’s time to bring the scene to life. On the “land” side behind your barrier, add your terrarium substrate layers.
In the “water” section, add your aquatic substrate, like sand or gravel.
Now you can begin planting your semi-aquatic plants, attaching species like Anubias or Java Fern to the hardscape and planting mosses to blend the transition between land and water.
Step 5: Add Water and Power On
This is the final step. Slowly and gently add dechlorinated water, filling both the reservoir in the Tall Base and the aquatic section of the main tank to your desired level.
Plug in your pump to start the waterfall, and make any final adjustments to the flow. Twist-lock your Light Top into place and admire your new, dual-environment world.
Remember to let the habitat cycle and establish itself for a week or two before adding any animal inhabitants.
Long-Term Care & Maintenance
A paludarium is a dynamic, living ecosystem, and a small amount of regular maintenance is key to keeping it stable and beautiful.
Because you have two distinct environments… land and water… the care routine is a unique blend of terrarium and aquarium upkeep.
Maintaining Water Levels
Even with a lid, you will experience some evaporation. Your primary task is to keep the water level consistent.
Once a week, check the water level in your Tall Base reservoir and top it off with dechlorinated or distilled water.
This ensures your pump never runs dry and the waterfall feature continues to flow properly. Keeping the water topped off also helps maintain the high humidity needed for your terrestrial plants.
Plant Care
You’ll need to care for two types of plants. For your aquatic plants in the water section, care is minimal.
For your terrestrial plants on the land portion, a light misting with a spray bottle every few days will keep their leaves hydrated and happy, supplementing the humidity from the water feature.
Use a pair of small aquascaping scissors to prune any yellowing or dead leaves from both land and water plants to encourage healthy new growth.
Cleaning the System
Your hidden filtration system in the Tall Base will do most of the heavy lifting, but it still needs occasional maintenance.
Every 4-6 weeks, unplug your pump and take some of the tank water you removed during a water change and gently rinse your filter media (sponges, etc.) in it.
Never use fresh tap water to clean your filter media, as the chlorine can kill the beneficial bacteria that are vital to your ecosystem’s health.
You should also use a small brush or algae scraper to clean the acrylic panels whenever needed to maintain a crystal-clear view.
Vivariums Similar to Paludariums
The many other types of vivariums you will see out there are more than likely based on one of these core designs.
If you are building a vivarium to house a specific type of plant or animal, be sure to go with a design that closely fits their needs.
If you enjoyed this type of content, be sure to check out some of the other popular types of enclosures we’ve covered in the past:
Your Own Slice of the Shoreline
A miniature paludarium is the ultimate creative challenge, a rewarding project that combines the best of terrestrial gardening and aquatic life into a single, dynamic ecosystem.
You now know how to build this incredible intersection of land and water, from designing the hardscape to creating a living waterfall.
With a Bantamarium, the complex art of the paludarium becomes an accessible and beautiful addition to your home or desk.
Ready to build your own private shoreline? Explore our collection of watertight aquarium kits and accessories.
Frequently Asked Questions
To separate the land and water components in a paludarium, you will want to create a physical barrier such as an aquarium divider or false background.
Alternatively, you could create a slope or a berm to separate the land and water sections, or you could use aquatic gravel to raise the water level and create a dry area.
To prevent mold in a paludarium, make sure to clean it regularly and keep the humidity levels within range. You should also reduce stagnant or still water areas. A colony of springtails and isopods can help keep mold in check as well.
The best way to ensure that the temperature is maintained is to use an aquarium heater. The heater should be placed close to the water source, but not directly in it, and set to the required temperature for the type of animals you have in the paludarium.
Here’s a list of things that be kept in a paludarium:
- Live plants
- Fish
- Amphibians
- Snails
- Crabs
- Turtles
- Geckos
- Shrimp
- Frogs
A Terrarium is an enclosed container typically used to grow and display plants. It can be either open to the atmosphere or closed to create a more humid environment.
A Paludarium, on the other hand, is a type of container that combines, land, water, and sometimes even air to create a dynamic, multi–dimensional habitat for plants and animals. A Paludarium also typically contains aquatic plants, amphibians, and other aquatic animals.
A paludarium is a type of terrarium that serves as a closed–loop indoor ecosystem with both land and aquatic components.
Paludariums can be used to house a variety of aquatic animals, plants, and terrariums, and they provide an environment that helps them thrive while looking great!
A riparium is an aquatic-based terrarium consisting of an artificial habitat with live plants and/or other organisms kept in a tank of flowing water.
A paludarium is an artificial habitat combining elements of land and water, typically with a pool of water, live plants, and substrate that can be used both in or out of water. They may also include land features such as rocks, soil, and a variety of land plants.
Yes, you should regularly change the water in a paludarium. Depending on the type of plants and animals present, it‘s recommended to drain and replace somewhere between one–third to two–thirds of the paludarium water every two to four weeks.
It depends on the type and size of your paludarium, however, it typically takes about 4–5 weeks for a complete paludarium cycle.
Paludariums provide ideal conditions for many tropical and semi–aquatic plants to thrive. Most of these plants require at least 60% humidity and temperatures between 70 to 85°F.
A substrate of soil mixed with gravel, sphagnum moss, and/or eco–substrate will provide the necessary nutrients to the roots of most plants. Plants should be placed between the water and the land section of the paludarium. Additionally, the addition of supplementary lighting will provide an ideal environment for growth.
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