Larvae rearing method recomended

Hi..i know this has been discussed, but i´d apreciate it if someone could share their experience with rearing Cynops orientalis larvae...what works best?? Total water changes every 1-2 days, using aged tap water???? or cycling a tank for them???
I guess it´s too late for cycling a tank....though if i used materials from the parent´s tank it could be ready, couldn´t it??
Also, with the total water change, it´s better to separate the larvae in small groups, or keep them all together...???
Would it be better to use water from the cycled tank, or tap water??
I´m sorry for asking this things again...but i´m a nub and i want to do things right....

Hello Rodrigo
I have had both good and bad results using both methods you talk about through the years so cannot advise you as to which is the best method for raising newt larvae.
However the way I go about it nowadays[Im presently raising Cynops orientalis from eggs], is to start off in groups of 5 or so larvae in small tubs with aged tap water[half changed daily], a small amount of java moss, and add moina,and baby daphnia.
lots of users of this forum have had excellent results using newly hatched brine shrimp as a first food for larvae.
I have never used these before, but have set up a hatchery , and will be setting up a small tub of larvae to feed mainly on brine shrimp, and will see how these go



After the first 2-3 weeks,all the larvae will be put into a small tank, complete with plants etc and fed on daphnia, grindal worms, whiteworms, small bloodworms etc.

cheers and good luck

Thank you very much Morg. I´ll try that. First, separated groups, and then all together. Though i may set two tanks to separate the bigger ones and the smaller ones...
I hope brine shrimps works for me...never used it...i kinda fear to make a mess...:S hehe

I am using freshly hatched brine shrimp to feed my larvae. I have them 5, to a 6 litre plastic tub with java moss and elodia . I feed daily and they eat very well. I had 14 together at first , but one lost a leg and I think it was because they think of eachother as food. I take out the plants to feed and change half to most of the water daily. Every two days I transfer them to a clean tub as I find it very hard to get rid of all the left over brine shrimp and don't want to foul the water. This is my first time raising C.Orientalis and I haven't lost one yet. It is thanks to everyone's help on the forum though so the credit goes to them . Good luck and have fun I do.

Cole
uneaten brine shrimp left over in the tubs is the reason Ive never tried using them before.
Moina and daphnia will live in the tubs untill eaten, so I am able to keep the larvae in the same tubs with just part of the water changed daily.
However, both moina and daphnia cultures run out quickly when raising newt larvae.
I always hate these first few weeks in raising any newt larvae, but as soon as I can get then onto larger food items, I know that most[if not all] will survive untill metamorphosis

Mine are all 4 weeks hatched . They all have little stubbies for back legs. When do you think I could start feeding them larger food. There is no live food in Edmonton that I can find except earth worms. The only other thing is frozen foods. Sorry Rodrigo for being a thread jacker