Some notes on rearing Tylototriton shanjing larvae and juveniles

I thought it might be interesting to share some of my recent experience with Tylototriton shanjing, as I know more and more people are acquring them, particularly youngsters.

I acquired a number of small larvae from a friend in summer 2001. I used identical conditions for raising them as I have many times for my own T. verrucosus. These are:

<UL><LI>Water maintained at between 22 and 24 <SUP>o</SUP>C (71-75 <SUP>o</SUP>F). <LI>Light aeration in the tank so as to move water around the tank very very slowly, but, in so doing, promoting gaseous exchange at the water's surface. <LI>Water depth of appoximately 8 cm (just over 3 inches). <LI>Food consisting solely of Daphnia until the larvae reach about 3 cm, and then approximately 75% frozen bloodworms, some whiteworm (Enchytraeus) and some Daphnia until larvae reach approximately 4.5 cm (just under two inches), at which point they will take pieces of chopped small earthworm. <LI>Lighting seems unimportant. <LI>I keep some pieces of Egeria densa and some Java moss (Vesicularia dubyana) in the tank too to help reduce nitrate levels. <LI>Water changes approximately twice a week, depending on the state of the tank. <LI>Numbers of larvae are maintained at about 12 larvae per 45x30 cm tank (18x12 inches) when nearing metamorphosis.</LI>[/list]Under these conditions and with a good feeding regime (i.e. every day), Tylototriton shanjing reaches metamorphosis in less than 3 months. Losses should be very small or non-existent, the only problem being perhaps some bullying by larger siblings, which can obviously be avoided.

Size at metamorphosis seems to be very important for this species, with absolute minimum and maximum sizes at metamorphosis being 4 cm and 6.5 cm. Those that metamorphose at 5 cm or greater in size are relatively vivacious and good eaters. They tend to grow fastest. Those metamorphosisng closer to 4 cm tend to be problematic at best, often being anorexic/unwilling to eat, and have poor/slow development of skin and adult features. Possible causes of metamorphosis at small sizes in this species are usually stress (bad water conditions, high numbers, etc) and lack of food. It's worth pointing out that this is where the raising conditions really diverge from T. verrucosus, which is a much more vivacious and an easier to cater for species at small sizes.

Anyone who has kept T. shanjing successfully can tell you that adults prefer quite dry conditions over moist, apart from during the breeding period. In fact, wildcaught adults frequently develop sores if kept too moist for their liking. This seems to be less of a problem for captive bred adults, but important to bear in mind nonetheless. However, this leads to a complication for metamorphosed animals: how damp do you keep them? A moisture gradient is a good idea, but I've found it necessary to keep metamorphs under a month old in quite damp conditions because newly metamorphosed juveniles are prone to drying out very quickly until their skin becomes as tough and granular as that of the adult. Once the animals begin to show the points of colour on the "rib peaks" it's usually safe to begin keeping them dryer. Animals less than 6.5 cm long seem to do best on micro/hatchling brown crickets or fruit flies, and they can then graduate to first instar crickets or larger species of fruitflies. They will also take whiteworms with gusto and alternating between these two foods may have a positive effect.

I maintain animals that are one month past metamorphosis on an additive-free compost with a few pieces of filamentous woodland moss for hiding places. Sphagnum moss should be avoided as it fragments easily when dry and it also promotes harmful acidic conditions. The temperature needs to be about 20-23 <SUP>o</SUP>C and no lower, in order to get them to grow past any problems at small sizes as quickly as possible.

Once over 6.5/7 cm (just under 3 inches), these animals are quite hardy and are quite easy to maintain.

Any questions/comments/additions? Please follow up to this post.

John

Someone just commented to me that one well-known text recommends much lower temperatures than those I describe above. I think that the author of the book read an erroneous paper (which unfortunately there are a number of relating to Tylototriton). If you keep Tylototriton shanjing, T. verrucosus or T. kweichowensis larvae too cool (below about 19 <SUP>o</SUP>C/66 <SUP>o</SUP>F), they metamorphose at very small sizes, if they survive at all.

I acknowledge the temperatre range, my adult specimens even did very well at 27&deg;C during summer and at the paticular peak they even bred...

Also another addittion on food : my larvae and juveniles ranging about 6 to 9 cm already eat axolotl pellets, which makes feeding them easier

I take it you're referring to T. verrucosus though, not T. shanjing ?

Is it possible to feed T.verrucosus larvae on live midge larvae, it's just that I have a large water butt in my garden full of the things.
Thanks

No, they're usually not small enough. You need Daphnia, microworms or newly hatched brine shrimp. A combination of two of these is ideal.

Getting Daphnia from blades biological as well as fairy shrimps and asellus for the big tank.

As someone who has ordered Daphnia from Blades before, I should warn you that the amount of Daphnia you get in a bag is enough for one day's food for about fifty 25 mm larvae. What I'm saying is, I don't think they'll last long.

http://www.caudata.org/daphnia/

;o)
kai

Well I was thinking of culturing them. The Daphnia will hopefully arrive on Tuesday (I've already started culturing algae ).The eggs should hatch around the second of June, will six days be enough to increase the yeild of daphnia.

Well, if you're really good at it, you have a good chance of keeping up with demand for a while, but you need lots of light, lots of food for the Daphnia, and plenty of regular water changes (some people recommend huge daily water changes for best output). I think I know what I'm doing regarding Daphnia, and I don't think I could do what you're proposing unless I had a pretty big tank that was outside in the sun. Just my opinion.

Good luck.

[Morg]

Raoul
do you have access to a pond, especialy a fish free wildlife pond in somebodys garden?
If so you could get some from those to supplement the ones you are culturing.If doing this though
check well to make sure that only daphnia are being put in with the newt larvae.
I usually skim the pond with a fine net, put the daphnia into a large container, checking for any other creatures.
Before I use them as food I will put small amounts into empty margarine containers where I can check them again before using as food

MORG

Thanks, I shall attempt to do all the things you've mentioned. I am also going to a nature reserve today with a bucket and my fingers crossed.

Did I read that right that you feed juveniles pellet food? But you aren't keeping juveniles in water. How well do the pellets work with a terrestrial animal? I've only ever used pellet food for aquatic animals.

Hi Greg
My marmoratus eat pellets on land. I hold them with tweezers and just put them in front of their mouths

PS I soak the pellets before otherwise they are too dry