Hello! I am starting on my very first paludarium, and I have a few questions regarding the drainage layer.
Firstly, if I were to go with an ABG mix, or any standard type of substrate for bioactive vivarium setups, would I have to completely separate the entire land feature from the water (i.e: siliconing glass sheets to create a waterproof compartment for separate drainage layer and substrate)? I noticed that Dr. Plants on YouTube, and a couple other youtubers do not separate their drainage layer completely, and creates a permeable barrier between the water and substrate with sponge and weed fabric. In other words, the water that drains from the substrate drains into the water feature of the paludarium. The concern is that depending on the substrate used the water feature may be contaminated. For reference, I am planning on using a blend of organic potting mix (peat moss, aged bark, perlite), orchid bark, white sand, sphagnum moss, and some dried up leaf litter. Would this potentially contaminate the water, or is the sponge and weed fabric enough to filter out most of the components of the substrate mix, so that the water is purified by the time it drains? Sorry for the long post.
Firstly, if I were to go with an ABG mix, or any standard type of substrate for bioactive vivarium setups, would I have to completely separate the entire land feature from the water (i.e: siliconing glass sheets to create a waterproof compartment for separate drainage layer and substrate)? I noticed that Dr. Plants on YouTube, and a couple other youtubers do not separate their drainage layer completely, and creates a permeable barrier between the water and substrate with sponge and weed fabric. In other words, the water that drains from the substrate drains into the water feature of the paludarium. The concern is that depending on the substrate used the water feature may be contaminated. For reference, I am planning on using a blend of organic potting mix (peat moss, aged bark, perlite), orchid bark, white sand, sphagnum moss, and some dried up leaf litter. Would this potentially contaminate the water, or is the sponge and weed fabric enough to filter out most of the components of the substrate mix, so that the water is purified by the time it drains? Sorry for the long post.
