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will this work for a gulfcoast waterdog?

mattinwisconsin

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Hey folks, I have a 29 gallon bowed tall setup already established, with just a few mollies and ghost shrimp in there right now. Could I introduce a gulfcoast waterdog (or 2) to this ecosystem? I have some caves and river stones in the bottom.
 
T

tylototriton

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The main question when thinking about keeping any necturus is floor space and water temperature. Although most members of this forum are rightfully against mixing species, I don't think that the mollies would cause a problem, i'm not sure about the ghost shrimp. On the other hand my guess is the water is going to be too warm to sustain a beyeri. Check the caudata culture portion of the sight to see ideal temperature ranges. Also, although tall aquariums are great for fish they are not as ideal for aquatic salamanders, because they require large amounts of floor space, so take that into account as well.

Alex
 

onetwentysix

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I don't think the mollies or shrimp would last long at all with any Necturus. N. cf. beyeri might be small, but they can still easily eat these other animals.

I don't know how big a 29 tall is, but your best bet would be a regular 29 or a 20 long, as Alex suggested.

Given that you're in Wisconsin, I think it might be in the best interests of yourself and the animals if you would look into finding a local N. maculosus instead of cf. beyeri from a wholesaler. In my opinion, it's better to collect an animal or two yourself from a healthy ecosystem than to pay a wholesaler (where it's possible that diseases may be picked up, due to the volume of animals they go through) and a collector who goes out and harvests and sells every animal he comes across. If you're really set on a Necturus spp., maculosus might be a bit bigger, but one can fit in a 29 gallon or 20L tank comfortably; I have 3 small adults in a 20L, and a larger group of three in a 75. I'd keep it down to a single animal until you've had success with the one for a while, though.

Given that the walleye run might still be going on in Wisconsin right now, you might be able to post a wanted ad at a baitshop; fishermen catch them frequently during this time. You'd have to nurse him back to health and it might not eat for a bit, but it would be an ideal animal to remove from the wild; a hooked Necturus would have reduced fitness and any care/protection you could give it would be more than it would get in the wild.
 
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