Hi I used expanding foam in both a 75 and 150 gallon standard aquariums. The 75 was actually a paludarium 150 used a false bottom . Took a lot of trial and error to keep the water from splashing on the glass.. Streams were even more difficult ,containing the water . false bottom runaway the best.. I used a canister filter for the power, plumbing was PVC under the foam Used acrylic paint to alter the color of the foam Though the 75 has returned to an aquarium the "waterfall" now serves as a background. Has been running since 01 with only minor problems. The 150 got some frostbite this winter but will be returned to a terrarium come spring. WITH a reliable heating system !!! lol gary

Thanks for the follow ups guys. I'll give the three CFs a shot. I was just afraid that the CFs wouldn't put out enough heat to serve as basking lamps, and too much light for whatever plants I decide to put in. I thought I read somewhere that the basking temp should be something like 80 or 90 degrees. And I guess, depending on what plants go in maybe I won't need 3 CFs?? I'm thinking of starting with some kind of moss, maybe Java, some Broms and maybe a Nepenthes which I think is a kind of pitcher plant, and some kind of aquatic plant around the pond. And I'll keep building from there. Plant selection is killing me, because there's so much out there.

Insecto(?) Nice post, I have links from a great variety of sources. If you email me will send, some fantastic vivariums.... sherryazure@yahoo.com... best Sherry (I have aquariums/terrariums and wall fountains (sculpture so used this skill to build water feature) none the less saved many links and like to forward them on...

First, with the water. Brown isn't always bad. Much of the coloring you see are caused from tannins that leak out of the soils and woods. I have 3 pools of water in my 75 gallon, and I swear you cannot see more than an inch into the water, but I have the most gorgeous killies growing in it. In fact, the plants and soil (mind you, NO fertilizers) act as your filter in all cases, with the exception of extreme amounts of waste. I should note, I also do partial water changes every week. Next, with the waste. You said your terrarium is not large, so I would advise against something like a white's treefrog. Perhaps look into reed frogs or mantellas, but it's hard to say without seeing the terrarium or knowing the dimensions. Smaller animals = smaller amounts of waste. Insects like crickets can usually take care of themselves, and if your goal is beautiful plants, take care not to have too many extra running around the terrarium anyway, as they can quickly consume plants (yes, I found this out the hard way...and on a similar note, I hate hitchicking slugs too). Smaller amphibians like mantellas (god I love mantellas haha) don't normally take anything much larger then flightless fruit flies, which will not harm your plants. Or if you like salamanders, pick a small species. I've had several species that learned to take blackworms and tubifex worms from bowls, making feeding and cleanup as simple as possible. Despite the more 'natural' setup a terrarium promotes, you will have to clean up every once in a while. If you see feces, remove them. Point is, don't worry too much about what you don't find. I also highly suggest the addition and promotion of small scavenger insects in your tank, like springtails.