Are there aquarium ranges that we definitely know to be made with tempered glass?
Yes - Diversa for example.
In fact, the costs become more advantageous because far fewer goods are damaged in production and transport.
@UrbanDryad Have you had an opportunity to inspect and compare glass? Have you considered low iron glass like <
Pilkington Optiwhite>?
The retail prices for glass are usually quite reasonable, and for DIY projects I will be using Optiwhite, purchasing possibly from <
here>.
I haven't found anything commercially-manufactured that I want (paludariums).
The challenge is understanding what plants you are looking to keep, then finding/designing a tank biome to match those environmental conditions. Often there is a <
vapour pressure deficit> determining plants that will survive and thrive in different relative humidity and temperature levels. In terms of light tolerance, there are plants that react badly to intensive lighting, and inversely as you will find many plants that thrive.
Part of the challenge is finding an economical solution to heating and lighting. You have actually reached me at a point where I am willing to recommend a product... and I very rarely do that. There is a new LED light that came out this year that has really exceeded the expectations of many growers, and it is called the Viparspectra XS1500 Pro, reviewed <
here>. I own one and it is worth every penny. At it's lowest setting of 5% it is perfect for shade loving plants and it uses about 15 watts. At 25% intensity it uses about 35 watts and for me, hits a sweet-spot for tropical rheophytes. It gives an almost uniform light distribution, and this is exceptional because normally there is a 300-400% difference across the growing grid. It is the first light to achieve these standards, mainly due to the novel lens technology. I have run all kinds of estimates on how much energy this will save me each year, and it's looking like around £20 compared to the next best models. The lights come with a small amount of IR and UVB to promote plant metabolism, and they are a beautiful full-spectrum white. Reasonably waterproof too. So over the 10 years that I will have it - it will pay for itself in energy savings and will effectively become free. Ask if you want to know more. There are other lights more specific to terrariums and paludariums, and far cheaper options. But.... temptation diminished in my mind completely when I saw the test results, and the quality when I held it, oh the quality.
Heating is a bit like lighting. You want plants to be uniformly heated ideally. Suboptimal conditions will result in disease. There may be substrate heaters that have enough power and can be thermally controlled, but it would be worth speaking to a few other members before you purchase. Plenty of other options too, and it might be worth considering whether you will need a temperature controller (thermostat) in addition. And that's about all there is to it. I would consider a DIY or custom build because there isn't that much out there I would buy - plus you get something you want and will take with you through the hobby. As a side-note, if you end up with areas of dry land, do consider introducing some <
Trichoderma viride> to help your plants out. I am getting astounding results with it, and I have not lost a single plant to disease; I observe it colonising and protecting plant tissues as a white mass. Any questions - keep asking - it's well worth our time helping on this.
