Beginner Tiger Salamander Questions

I live in Hawaii and I recently purchased a tiger salamander larvae from the pet store, where they referred to it as a "waterdog". I have always been interested in tiger salamanders, and have never seen them in stores here before. After about a two weeks my larvae began to change quite rapidly. In almost 48 hours his gills had receded, his tale became round and his eyes began to look more pronounced. After 72 hours you could no longer see his gills and he began to breach himself on the artificial log in his tank. I lowered the water in the tank until he began to come completely out of the water. Then I moved him into a terrarium using damp, unbleached paper towels for temporary substrate, until I can locate some quality sphagnum moss here on the island. My questions are: does the metamorphosis usually occur this quickly? It took only about 72 hours! And, does anyone have any tips on how to keep my terrarium cool? the air temperature here often rises into the mid 80's F and it seems a little hot for the poor guy.

Sphagnum moss isn't an appropriate substrate for tiger salamanders. Have you read the caresheet yet?

Kaysie, Thanks for the reply, I had read about and, seen a few videos claiming that sphagnum moss is an adequate substrate, but I'd rather take your word for it :happy: what do you think I should procure as a substrate? Coconut husk or something else? I'm pretty new at this so I appreciate any help!

I use a mix of top soil and coco fiber. It holds burrows well and loses moisture slowly.

thanks again, any particular brand of top soil or coco fiber you can suggest?

Eco earth coco fiber and Earth Gro topsoil.

Another brand of compressed coco-fiber blocks for reconstitution is Bed-a-Beast. If you can't find the brand name top soil Kaysie suggests, then look for topsoil that is free of other ingredients such as vermiculite, fertilizers, pesticides, etc - avoid 'potting soil' as most contain some of these additives.

So, i'm still searching for some good coco fiber and topsoil, is organic topsoil available at Home Depot or Lowes? Here are a few pics of my salamander and his temporary paper towel set up. He seems to be doing well, and seems to have adjusted to living out of the water. He has been eating well and burrowing in the moist paper towels. How does this temp. set up look and little guy look??

I've found EarthGro at Home Depot regularly, but not found it at Lowes. Lowes disappoints me every time I go in there for something.

It looks like a pretty decent set up; you've got a soaking dish and a hide. That's really all that's necessary. Just make sure it's not too wet. And if you have access to unbleached paper towels, definitely use those. S/he looks like a decent weight. You're doing a good job

Alright, got my coco fiber and EarthGro topsoil. Now, when you mix them do you kinda stir them up together? Or do you lay down a layer of the topsoil and but the coco fiber on top? also, How deep should the substrate be, I've found different recommended depths from site to site? Sorry about all the questions Just trying to make sure I do it right, and make a good home for my tiger. I really appreciate all the help!

I mix mine 1:1-ish. I usually put a bit more top soil than I do coco fiber. When I do it, I make up the eco-earth (coco fiber) in a 5-gallon bucket with a lid. Then I scoop the eco earth and soil into a big pan/bowl and mix them up there. I put down 2 inches or so and pack that down really tight. Then I put another 2-4 inches of loose substrate on top of that. It may be a little much, but I have 3 tigers in a 20 gallon tank, and they all love the burrows.

Don't fret about the questions; that's what we're here for