Hey I'm new - so I need all the info I can get!

Hey guys! I'm new to this site, and to all this salamander setup, and buying, etc. Has anyone heard about petland-discount the store? I'm going to head there soon, maybe today or tomorrow, as it is 4am here in the morning and I just came home from work lols.

So I'm thinking about getting a tank and owning a salamander. Does anyone have any suggestions or ideas what I should look out for, and what is needed to buy? I've read alot of stuff about them, so I'll have some idea in my head thanks!

Hello,

Welcome to the wonderful world of salamander ownership!:happy: First, I would take into account the conditions of your home. Do you keep the temperature pretty steady throughout the year? Does it tend to be rather warm or cool? You would probably want to get a newt or salamander that would fit in with the temperature you keep your home at. It is just easier. If you keep your home at say, 78 degrees F or higher and you got a Chinese firebelly newt that needs it's temperature in the 50's to low 70's, you would be having to find ways to cool it off all the time or risk illness or death.

Another thing to consider is matching the things you buy for the set up to the particular salamander or newt you end up purchasing. Some like an aquatic set up, while others like to burrow because they are land dwellers, while still others like a lot of plants to hide under. Some are semi-aquatic. It is best to know your particular animal before buying anything for it. DO NOT leave it up to the pet store people to guide you!! I can't stress that enough! There are wonderful care sheets here and experts online to help you through the process. I know nothing of the particular pet store you are referring to, but in general, pet store people know a lot of conflicting information on care of these delicate animals and it is NOT a good idea to go with what they tell you. It is good you have done some research. I learn something new every day on here, so checking in here at least every couple weeks or so is highly recommended as new ideas and more research develops with these complex little guys and their care. Things get posted to the internet nowadays before they end up in print and this site has some of the best minds out there!

If you have in mind to get a newt or salamander that needs water, you will want to read the area about cycling the tank before you put your pet in.

Please keep us updated.

Good luck and have fun!:happy:
Critter Mom

You might want to read the thread "species appropriate for a 10 gallon tank?" because in it the poster asks some really good questions and gets some really good responses that may help you out. Just a thought.

Hope this helps you at least somewhat,
Critter Mom

Also, you might want to look into getting some captive bred animals from members here. They are referred to as CB. You could place an ad, or just see if what you like is listed. They are much healthier than the ones in the pet store as they don't go through the trauma of being caught and the housing and shipping in horrid conditions like the pet store kind. The pet store ones have weak immune systems and are much more prone to disease, bacterial and fungal infections and are usually not kept in the right conditions even at the pet store if you look closely enough.

Here is most all the information you will never need:

Caudata Culture/ Newcomers

Axolotl.org / The Axolotl Sanctuary

I highly suggest you buy your equipment first and get your set up ready, then wait a few weeks. Learn about your animal of choice first, then once the enclosure is ready, go purchase one.
Also, I agree that pet shop caudates should be avoided for the most part. They are most often wild caught, and in poor health to begin with.

Caudates are not pets that thrive unless the owner has done their homework.

Yeah, thanks guys. right here on new york, during the summer if is warm, then it gets warm, and if it's cold then it gets cold, but i got AC and heat system, so i guess i'll be able to keep a regularly room temperature, and i live in brooklyn area, so i have no idea where i can find somoene that breed's them, so probably the only way i can get one is from the pet store. so yeah, i was also planning on getting the tank and setting it up before i just get everything and put it together and just put the salamander in the same time. thanks for the advice guys~:happy:

ItzChow said:

Yeah, thanks guys. right here on new york, during the summer if is warm, then it gets warm, and if it's cold then it gets cold, but i got AC and heat system, so i guess i'll be able to keep a regularly room temperature, and i live in brooklyn area, so i have no idea where i can find somoene that breed's them, so probably the only way i can get one is from the pet store. so yeah, i was also planning on getting the tank and setting it up before i just get everything and put it together and just put the salamander in the same time. thanks for the advice guys~:happy:

Click to expand...

Virtually all salamanders sold in pet shops are wild-caught. Most breeders are willing to ship (though most prefer to do so in cooler weather). You might consider posting a Wanted ad in the wanted section of the forum. It's not out of the question that you could find someone with sals available in the NY metro area. Just some food for thought.

Also be sure to read the FAQ on the CC site (link in my signature line).

Alright, thanks jen, i'll look forward to that.

Aw, went to petland discount there is no more salamander, anyone live in new york or sumthing in brooklyn know where to buy these creatures? really want one

Check the "Advertisements" at the bottom of the main page.. "For sale or trade" area, click on "FS:US" and look over the offerings. There are quite a few actually. Have fun and good luck!

If you know specifically what you want, place an ad for free in the same area under "wanted:US". Babies are getting ready to sell all the time around here this time of year.:happy:

hmm , im looking for something like semi aquatic, or fully aquatic, really love water swimming creautures =) im hoping to find someone living in the new york area or something, am still young, but working, so hopefully not soemthing i cant afford. ! =/

Okay so, i really want a salamander already, so i called my uncle today because he told me a motnh back he had a tank that he is currently not using, so i called him and got this tank, note. it was used before for gold fish, this tank had a hand back filter need to change it or somehow adjust it to the tank. i filtered and washed the tank, also the gravel and the pebbles in the tank. I went to the aquarium store and bought a thermometer and a bottle of so call stress coat+, to remove the chlorine , cholramines and the ammonia in the water. Hopefully im on the right track to owning one
The tank is in my room, i think i need a mini fan or a type of cooler to cool off the tank, is kinda hot here in the summer in New York, so yeah, this all i got so far today, took a few hour. And for those people who use the "greatstuff" anyone got any tip how to like use them or buy them at? so i can decorate the tank. I need to entirely redo the tank to make it more "natural". Dang went to a fish store near my house they said no one buy salamander around here, he use to sell them but now no one buys them, so gonna have a hard time finding a store that sells it ;/ So yeah i took 2 picture today after i filterd and washed the tank.

http://i936.photobucket.com/albums/ad208/itzchow/IMG_2675.jpg
http://i936.photobucket.com/albums/ad208/itzchow/IMG_2674.jpg

hope this tank is big enough for a newt

Okay im planning on using this filter http://www.petco.com/product/12460/...-_-Tetra Whisper Internal Power Filters-12460

any suggestion?

I use the Tetra Whisper 3i, as it is a bubble type filter and it does not give heat into the tank. The motor (which is the part that gives off the heat) sits on a shelf above the tank and to the side of it, so it does not take the chance of falling into it. The 3i size does not move water very quickly, but in a planted tank, the plants will remove much of the bad stuff in the water in the cycling process if you don't have too many salamanders for the space and you clean the debris from the food and waste often. You can even use a turkey baster to avoid damaging plants and roots. How many gallons is that tank capable of handling? You don't want to have a filter that will be so strong that it will knock your salamanders around. You want to find out how big your tank is and if you think you will have a problem cooling it, find a species that is probably small and aquatic or semi-aquatic so you can use the most water possible in it. I am running into that issue. I am having to increase the water level and add more plants. The more water is in there, the easier it is to keep cool, and the less likely you will have problems with water quality issues. It also helps if you can have it densely planted. That helps with water quality too. Make sure you get a species that can handle those conditions. (a lot of water and plants) Also, don't get fooled by pet stores into buying plants that are not really aquatic ones that end up dying in a few months because they are really bog plants if you are putting them in an aquarium. Go to http://www.plantgeek.net to find out ahead of time which ones to buy if you are going to plant an aquarium. You may be able to buy them online if not in pet stores or here in the wanted area. I had a pet store that special ordered my Chinese firebelly newts, but due to their condition, and their poor immune system because they were wild caught, I had to go through many deaths before I now have some that I have finally found that are going to make it. You would do well having them shipped from a member in the for sale area. It is easy to place an ad in the wanted area if you would like.

A fan may be fine if you are getting a water dwelling salamander, but if it will be on land it may dry the salamander out. Sometimes a species like Chinese firebelly newts will be on land for part of their lives before becoming aquatic again as adults. If they are in the terrestrial (land) stage, the fan would dry them out too much. It depends on what you get. If you get the species that is aquatic and fill it up so you have a few inches left to the top, you may be able to keep it cool enough without a fan if you don't use a light and don't use a filter with a motor in the tank. If you do use a fan if the salamander lives in the water all the time, it won't affect the salamander but it will keep the temperature lower. Some salamanders need the lower temperature, and some are ok with 78 degrees F. It all depends on what species you get. I would research really well ahead of time! You may save some money and headaches.

Hope I have helped,:happy:
Critter Mom

Thanks critter mom!, yep i've been reading about, and the water cycling page on the site, on caudata. Read the housing and type of salamander a few time, now just really looking forward to finding a salamander to begin with hehe. I might try and find the filter that u have there since it doesnt give off heat, i heard most tetra internal filter doesnt give off heat anyways, Hopefully it will work out and keeping the salamander alive, i remember back then in china i had liek 2 fire bellied salamander , that i think , dont really remember. ethier bought or caught in the wild, so i bought them home. I was really young so idk what i was doing hehe. I just threw them in a fish tank that i had in my house, and they lived for a good year then i came to America, and had to give the tank away, they fed on fish food and ect. It was really healthy no idea so yeah. Thanks for the tip=) hopefully i'll beable to own one again with all these research.