Accidental salamander newbie

Thrillbilly · Oct 8, 2013

So I came home from work and my wife tells me that our boys found a lizard in our sandbox. She informs me that they have it in a tupperware container and askes me to see what kind it is. So I take open the lid to take a peak and see this guy with sand from the sandbox stuck to him:

Now I know right away that it isn't a lizard but a salamander. So I search the web to try to identify it. I couldn't find anything that looked exactly like it. However, from what I have found it looks to be some sort of tiger salamander. Armed with this info, I went out today and got a small (20gal) tank, that eco earth for substrate, sphagnum moss, some hiding areas, a lid, water dish, and a UVB 5.0 CFL bulb. I also got calcium supplement and some live cockroaches and crickets.

We put "Oscar" as my kids named him in his new habitat. He bolted to the hiding area, and then we put the live food in some of the crickets and a couple of roaches that we put the calcium on. He ate a few and then began to dig in the substrate. After a while he came back out but he looks like he has been dipped in batter. I did use a spray bottle to mist the moss down as well. I did not use tap water as I assume that the CL and other toxins are not good for them. I did not touch him during the transfer as I understand it that the oils and salts in our skin are bad for them.

So a few questions: 1. is the eco earth stuff ok and is it always going to stick to him? 2. He is pretty small around 3-4" how long will it take him to outgrow the 20gal? 3. Never having kept these before what else do I need to know?

Thanks!

Gia · Oct 9, 2013

This should tell you what you need to know.Caudata Culture Species Entry - Tiger salamander

PS
Stay away from sphagnum moss the pH is not good for your salamander. You will read more about that in the link. Also uvb is not necessary.

Thrillbilly · Oct 9, 2013

Thanks for the link, I was able to read through it quickly.

Now for the other questions; is the eco earth ok? as mentioned, my guy is coated in the stuff even today. Will it ever not coat him? I am also confused on the moss thing, I completely understand the pH scale and what the values represent. Now I have read several threads here that state that the moss isn't an issue. I have also read that it can create issues. So should I remove it or is it good to go?

Thank you

Gia · Oct 9, 2013

Eco earth is is good. Yes he'll probably always be dirty. My mole salamanders are always dirty too. I mean if others say the moss is fine then maybe it is. I was just going by the care sheet on here. But I've seen people that keep sphagum moss with there sallies and they seem fine. Maybe others will have more opinions on it. I use green bits of pillow moss that I buy from home depot and leaf litter to help hold humidity on top of either organic soil or coco fiber. I included photos of one of my terrariums.

Thrillbilly · Oct 10, 2013

Gia said:
Eco earth is is good. Yes he'll probably always be dirty. My mole salamanders are always dirty too. I mean if others say the moss is fine then maybe it is. I was just going by the care sheet on here. But I've seen people that keep sphagum moss with there sallies and they seem fine. Maybe others will have more opinions on it. I use green bits of pillow moss that I buy from home depot and leaf litter to help hold humidity on top of either organic soil or coco fiber. I included photos of one of my terrariums.

Good to know, I wasn't sure and wanted to be sure the eco stuff was good to go. When I keep things, I like to make sure that I am giving whatever I am keeping the best possible care. Cool looking set up by the way, as of now mine is a bit more basic. I need to add some things when I have some more free time.

John · Oct 11, 2013

Considering these guys spend most of their time either buried or under something, and most of their movement is at feeding time, 1 should do alright in a 20 gallon terrarium. Depending on how often you feed it, it should reach adult size within a year. It should also tame down a lot. They are always a little dirty I'm afraid!

Jan · Nov 9, 2013

Thrillbilly said:
Thanks for the link, I was able to read through it quickly.

Now for the other questions; is the eco earth ok? as mentioned, my guy is coated in the stuff even today. Will it ever not coat him? I am also confused on the moss thing, I completely understand the pH scale and what the values represent. Now I have read several threads here that state that the moss isn't an issue. I have also read that it can create issues. So should I remove it or is it good to go?
Thank you

As you are new to being a keeper, have a look at this care sheet: Caudata Culture Articles - Tiger Salamander 101.

There are many types of moss. One type you need to avoid is peat moss which can have a pH of 3 - 4. In gardening, it is used as a soil amendment to increase acidity. You can always test the pH of a moss by placing a sample in distilled water, let it sit for 24 hours then test the pH. My philosophy is to always be safe rather than sorry. As I'm not motivated to do pH testing, I avoid mosses.

Thrillbilly · Nov 10, 2013

Jan said:
As you are new to being a keeper, have a look at this care sheet: Caudata Culture Articles - Tiger Salamander 101.

There are many types of moss. One type you need to avoid is peat moss which can have a pH of 3 - 4. In gardening, it is used as a soil amendment to increase acidity. You can always test the pH of a moss by placing a sample in distilled water, let it sit for 24 hours then test the pH. My philosophy is to always be safe rather than sorry. As I'm not motivated to do pH testing, I avoid mosses.

Thank you for the information!!!

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