Crazy plan help required

[SliK JiM]

Right, so here is something I need a little help with! I'm planning to build a base for my new enclosure that is a 'mini ecosystem'. That definitely sounds better than it will be (basically a glorified indoor planter) but I need some help to finalize my idea.

Please see the pic attached for my plan:

The idea is that I'll build an open top box, line in with a watertight membrane (the red line), to which I'll add hydrolite (the blue balls) as it's called over here in the UK to make an area for the water to drain into. On top of this, I want to put a water permeable membrane (the thick black line) to let water through, but not the soil and other things (worms in the soil etc) into the bottom, but, I don't know what to use? So any suggestions? My initial idea was the mesh I've used for the side screens, but I thought that might rust which would be bad. On top of that I'd put my mix of soil/bark/etc to make a good earth mixture, which I'll cover with moss that my chameleon won't eat (I've been using it for a while now to stop him getting to the soil in the plant pots! ) After which all the plants in the enclosure will be planted into this base.

My final problem is getting the water out that is pooling in the bottom. I have two ideas, and I just want to see what people think.

The first is to use a pump to draw the water out, but i don't know what type of pump to use or really how i'll fix it in place.

The other (the one I'm leaning towards) is to put a tap as close to the bottom as possible (I should literally be able to get it flush with the bottom), so that I can just open it and drain it out. I plan to put a hose onto this tap, dangle it out of the window (this enclosure will be upstairs) and use the old siphon trick to drain the water out. Does that sound reasonable? I guess I could always attach a pump to this if needs be, but again, I dont know what type of pump! Also, it seems like a waste of money if I dont really need it as gravity can take care of things!

Thanks for any input and suggestions all. I know I've seen some pics of people's enclosures in the past with similar plans (I'm sure I got this idea off someone on this site) so if by chance you see this and have done something similar, I'd love to hear from you!

Thanks again
James

 

[hallenhe]

For the membrane above the hydrolite, pygmy keepers commonly use two plastic screens sandwiching activated charcoal (I've heard of people crushing charcoal with a hammer, which is inexpensive but messy; I bought charcoal for aquarium filters, which is pricier but already the right size). The idea is the charcoal helps "clean" the water as it passes through, and gives a bit more separation between the clay balls and the substrate.

For drainage, I'm on shakier ground. Could you bore a hole in the bottom itself, with a hose leading outwards? - In my pygmy tank, this has never been an issue (has been planted and watered 10 months now); enough water is absorbed by the substrate, charcoal, clay, etc. that I don't notice any pooling and, indeed, the hydrolite doesn't even look particularly damp most of the time. My humidity is around 70.

 

[SliK JiM]

The idea of the charcoal is brilliant, I'd never really thought of it, but now you say it, it does make sense! What's the plastic screen you use? Just normal mesh type stuff?

The base itself is big, and I didn't know how well I'd be able to attach legs to it to support all the weight! It's gonna be about 120cm x 80cm x 30cm (W x D x H), so I thought trying to hold it off the ground would be a problem, plus, this would eat into the height of the enclosure itself (which i want to be 1.7m tall and cant go any more as the room isnt big enough!). I'm not going to mist it too much as it's for a yemen, but I just dont want it to get too boggy and for all the plants to die! At the moment I don't really get much 'pooling' occuring in my current enclosure with his current misting regime, so I guess with considerably more 'earth' to absorb it (even though I would use an extra nozzle and more water) I probably wouldn't see a build up! If that makes sense?

 

[philanddeb818]

Take a look at what Stefan's done in this video:
(CleaTheChameleon)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3MPSJMav--o

He has used screen.

 

[justjumpit621]

I would make the base a bit slanted and at the end of the slant put the faucet thing. Also, plastic or fiberglass mesh would do.

 

[CleaTheChameleon]

Take a look at what Stefan's done in this video:
(CleaTheChameleon)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3MPSJMav--o

He has used screen.

Thanks for sharing this with silk jim. I used the screen you use for patio screenings

 

[jamncristian]

just out of curiosity, why would you need to siphon out the water??

if you need a siphon i use this to replace my aquarium water
http://www.leesaqpet.com/component/...age=flypage.tpl&product_id=257&category_id=34

 

[jojackson]

Just a thought, You may need to research some to find cham safe plants that also tolerate artifical lighting and have low water requirements.
That done, I wonder if instead of the need for drainage as such, you could ventilate the base at hydrolite (the blue balls) level, and fill the space beneath (where water would accumulate) with water absorbing crystals.
In theory the dry crystals soak up water at a rate greater than water accumulates, aided by the ventilation (which might aid with ambient humidity aswell) ?
As the ventilation drys out the crystals, they in turn become absorbent once more.

Ofcourse that might rely on plants that dont need much water and if you use a dripper with large resevoir, all bets are off.

 

[SliK JiM]

Take a look at what Stefan's done in this video:
(CleaTheChameleon)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3MPSJMav--o

He has used screen.

Thanks for sharing this with silk jim. I used the screen you use for patio screenings

Cheers for this. It was a good video and it looks like what I was thinking! Just the normal fiberglass screen yeah?

I would make the base a bit slanted and at the end of the slant put the faucet thing. Also, plastic or fiberglass mesh would do.

Definitely a valid suggestion! I hadn't even considered it! Thanks!

just out of curiosity, why would you need to siphon out the water??

if you need a siphon i use this to replace my aquarium water
http://www.leesaqpet.com/component/...age=flypage.tpl&product_id=257&category_id=34

I just dont want it sitting around for too long making the whole base full of water! It may overflow (unlikely) but it being to wet would kill the plants fairly quickly! That's the idea I was thinking of, but I wouldn't need the "cleaning head" and it would be difficult to push it through all the earth to get to the water below!

Just a thought, You may need to research some to find cham safe plants that also tolerate artifical lighting and have low water requirements.
That done, I wonder if instead of the need for drainage as such, you could ventilate the base at hydrolite (the blue balls) level, and fill the space beneath (where water would accumulate) with water absorbing crystals.
In theory the dry crystals soak up water at a rate greater than water accumulates, aided by the ventilation (which might aid with ambient humidity aswell) ?
As the ventilation drys out the crystals, they in turn become absorbent once more.

Ofcourse that might rely on plants that dont need much water and if you use a dripper with large resevoir, all bets are off.

Hey mate! It's been a while! The ones I've got now are doing really well with how they're currently being treated and it that respect I shouldn't change much, so I'm set with my plants! (Although, my vitis is losing its leaves now - the ones that Dante hasn't eaten - so that'll be a sorry site to see at the back! )

How quickly will the crystals 'dry out'? I have an idea for the venting (stuff used in roofing as I know a few roofers) which should work nicelyand not let water drip out as it filters downwards. When you say: "rely on plants that dont need much water" I assume that's because these crystals will suck most of the water out of the system, i.e, the retention level in the soil would be lowered by the effect of the crystals somehow??? My estimated volume of water that the base will be able to hold is 96L (not including that which will be held in the soil/moss) so it shouldnt be flooded quickly by a large drip session, but I think sustaining that level of water would severely affect the plants! But, I'm guessing that this 'flooding' would ruin the effectiveness of the crystals?

Thanks again everyone!