New to the fire bellys

I already have 2 axolotls, so salamanders are not that new to me but I was wondering.
How big should the tank be? I saw on google that ´´10 gall is formidable´´ But I still think caudata and this awsome forum are the best help in the world.
If you have fire bellys please let me know how to take care of them. Cold water? Hot water? How big do they get? Do they eat bloodworms like the axolotls or should I give something else?
Yes I have many questions because Ii just dont like to read in every page from google and hear lots of b***s**t from people who dont even know whats a newt is.
Thank you for your time and I apreciate if You can answer me.
And if you got curious about axolotls go check them out! They are super cute. I have lots of pics in my album!
Peace!

Is it japanese (pyrrhogaster) or chinese (orientalis) firebelly you want?
Read these caresheets and i think you will get your question answered

Caudata Culture Species Entry - Cynops orientalis - Chinese firebelly
Caudata Culture Species Entry - Cynops pyrrhogaster - Japanese firebelly

I would like to propose alternatives.
Hypselotriton orientalis is a lovely species, but unless you can find a breeder, every single one you see in any shop is going to be wild-caught. It´s a dreadful process which many don´t survive at all. It can take up to a month from collection to distribution and it´s usually time spent in overcrowded containers with no food and not in suitable conditions. Shops aren´t much good either. Most provide inadequate conditions which exacerbate the problem. Those who survive are terribly stressed and quite often ill. by the time you get them home, the poor things are a mess, and only with certain luck and excellent care can they recover from the hell they went through.

Even if they do survive, and everything is ok in the end, i still don´t recommend buying these WC newts. If you buy some, they´ll be followed by newer imports, and the whole circus just keeps on going.

The problem with CB H.orientalis is that they are most commonly sold as juveniles, and raising them is not easy, it can require a lot of patience and it´s definitely not ideal for beginners.
If you are not too set on the species, there are a number of commonly CB ones that make excellent choices. Any species of the "cristatus complex" is a superb choice, as well as Pleurodeles waltl or Tylototriton verrucosuss. Then you have other species which require a bit more effort while they are juveniles but make fantastic choices when adult, like Cynops pyrrhogaster or Ichthyosaura alpestris.
If you like the small bodied type and the general appearance of H.orientalis, then perhaps your best choice is Hypselotriton cyanurus. Basically the same as orientalis, though a bit more colorful, reasonably easy to find CB, and the juveniles are just as easy as the adults.

Azhael

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Is it more Cynops than orientalis and cyanurus that have changed to Hypselotriton?

All small-bodied, chinese "Cynops" (orphicus, chenggongensis, orientalis, cyanurus, wolterstorffi, fudingensis) are distinct from large-bodied, japanese ones (ensicauda and pyrrhogaster) and that´s why most up to date taxonomies separate them into two different genera. Because of this, all small bodied "Cynops" are now included in the separate genus Hypselotriton, and that´s how most of us treat them nowadays. However, genetic studies suggest that Hypselotriton is paraphyletic too, and that the name is only valid for some of them (wolterstorffi, cyanurus and chenggongensis). Because we don´t currently have an alternative name for those species which technically don´t fit into Hypselotriton (orientalis, orphicus and fudingensis), we simply include them and treat them as a group (knowing that it´s not technically correct). A possible name for them could be Pingia, but it´s not very likely.

Sorry for the long answer, but i thought i should explain xD

I saw in a few forums and youtube comments that 10gallon tank is pretty good for two or more salamanders,
is it true?
If not how big should that be for 2 or 3 salamanders?

Depends entirely on what species you are considering.
You can keep 2-3 small bodied newts in a 10 gallon, but larger species will obviously require more space.
The first step is to choose a suitable species for you. I strongly advice you to choose one that is available as captive bred, simply because you will be getting healthy, already accostumed to captivity animals without interfering with wild populations. It´s just a better choice, specially if you are beginning with newts.
Once you know which species you want, then you can start learning about its requirements and specific care. Any of the species i suggested on the other post make very good choices. All of them are bred in captivity, they are easy to keep, beautiful, very rewarding and fascinating in their own right.
Check the caresheets for the species you like and see if they fit with what you can offer.
It´s important not to rush into it. Take your time and learn as much as you can before even considering buying new animals. That way you´ll be able to take good care of your future newts and you will avoid a lot of potential problems.


I would also like to say that youtube is not a reliable source of information for caudate care. Many of the videos come from people who know very little about caudates or offer negligent care. If you use it as a reference you can get a lot of bad information mixed up in the process.

Azhael said:

All small-bodied, chinese "Cynops" (orphicus, chenggongensis, orientalis, cyanurus, wolterstorffi, fudingensis) are distinct from large-bodied, japanese ones (ensicauda and pyrrhogaster) and that´s why most up to date taxonomies separate them into two different genera. Because of this, all small bodied "Cynops" are now included in the separate genus Hypselotriton, and that´s how most of us treat them nowadays. However, genetic studies suggest that Hypselotriton is paraphyletic too, and that the name is only valid for some of them (wolterstorffi, cyanurus and chenggongensis). Because we don´t currently have an alternative name for those species which technically don´t fit into Hypselotriton (orientalis, orphicus and fudingensis), we simply include them and treat them as a group (knowing that it´s not technically correct). A possible name for them could be Pingia, but it´s not very likely.

Sorry for the long answer, but i thought i should explain xD

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I only thank you for that long explanation as know very little about all this So If I understand right these last named will probably have another change from Hypselotriton with time? But is there another possible name instead for Pingia?

That´s right, the orientalis group will need a new name at some point. Until that day, we simply include them into Hypselotriton because it´s worthwhile separating all chinese species from japanese ones, so even though both Cynops and Hypselotriton are incorrect for them, Hypselotriton is a lesser evil than Cynops xD As far as i know there haven´t been any alternatives proposed yet, other than Pingia, although i may well be wrong. If FrogEyes sees this he may be able to give more details.

Nice, It is interesting information.