Marbled salamander not doing well

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I picked up a marbled salamander from a pet store because it looked like he wasn't going to live very long at the store. I build a land area in my fish tank and covered it in java moss. He built paths all throughout it but I'm not sure if he ever ate anything. Now he sits around on top of the moss, never hiding, and looking rather thin. I have tried crickets, meal worms, wax worms, and live blood worms. I dont really know what I can do to get this guy to fatten up or even be interested in food.

help please


Mike
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Dont put him in with the fish, he is terrestrial and the fish are not. If you're pressed for cash, buy a shoebox, they are like $2.99. You can even use paper towels for substrate if you want. Good luck with feeding him; earthworms, waxworms, things like that are usually taken regularly.
 
his floating island is twice as big as any shoebox. He never has to go into the water. I specially designed it to cover the right side and back of the tank.
 
Health and well being for a salamander is dependent on proper husbandry. I would not have a marbled salamander in a fish tank - even with a land area. The enclosure needs to have hides. They are mole salamanders and will dig - but my experience is that they utilize hides more than burrowing. Food items must be size appropriate i.e., very small crickets, small pieces of chopped earthworms, etc. A. opacum tend to be shy and more reclusive than some of the other fossorial sals. Have you seen this caresheet from our Caudata Culture section? - if not, you will find useful information in it:

Caudata Culture Species Entry - Ambystoma opacum
 
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