T.Verrucosus Q's

Hi, I've been researching T.Verrucosus for some time now and am considering getting a pair of them. However, just so that I know exactly what I am doing, I have a few questions, most of them arising from conflicting or unclear advice I have found on various caresheets etc. (Obviously I will not be buying any of the newts until I am 100% sure about everything )

1) Temperature: Is a heater necessary? Some say to heat the water, others say not to. If it helps, my room temp. is approx. 20c/68F.

2) Filter: Is a filter necessary? Or would regular water changes (daily? weekly? what?) be adequate? If a filter is recommended, what sort/make would you recommend? (Btw, the tank size is 45cm x 30cm x 30cm - although I will upgrade size as newts grow if need be.)

Okay, so those are the main things I wanted to get advice on

Other Stuff:
-- Plants: what plants d'ya think'd be good in there? (Preferably ones that will do well in low light.)
-- Feeding: what are your newts' favourite foods (earthworms, bloodworms, crickets, mealworms, etc)?
-- Pellets? I've read that some people feed pellets (Tetra Chiclid, I remember).

I think that's it for now
Sorry about some of the noobish questions, I just want everything to be good - and there's nought like firsthand experience! Thanks.

I have a pair of T. verr. that I've done pretty well with, I think. They absolutely do not need ANY heat. 68 is fine.
I don't have a filter, but an airstone, and I do a 1/4 water change every two weeks. I have java moss in their tank. They handfeed earthworms, and they especially love slugs when I find them.
My female has gotten pretty fat, so I cut her back to 1/3 a nightcrawler, two times a week.

I've posted a lot on my pair, if you're interested:

http://www.caudata.org/forum/showthread.php?t=56092

Thanks Dawn, that's some helpful information :happy:
It's good to hear what other, more experienced keepers have to say!

This really shouldn't have been approved for the advanced section but I suppose it's too late at this point.