Capacity Question

2 weeks ago we found a 5-6 inch Tiger Barred in our garage... he is now happily hanging out in a 10 gallon tank with a good base of peat moss type stuff I picked up at the local shop..

This morning roommate finds and picks up a smaller 3-3.5 inch tiger barred..

the tank has some bricks in it.. they are the red clay.. approx 8" long w/ 4 inch and a quarter holes in them.. the larger one seems to love the holes.. s/he hangs out there most of the time..

any issue putting these 2 together?

as for food.. we have stuck to crickets.. rather inexpensive and easy to deal with. 20 for a buck here.

I did toss in some night crawlers to let them roam the substrate. as well as food.

thanks in advance..

Ken

First off, peat moss doesn't make the best substrate. Try switching to a mixture of coco fiber and topsoil.

Nightcrawlers and crickets are a good food combo. Try dusting the crickets occasionally.

As far as the smaller one, a 10 gallon tank isn't really big enough for two adult tigers. I have my two in a 20 gal long, and that seems to be working out well. But putting one that small in may be an invitation for the larger one to try having a snack. Adult tiger sals have been known to eat mice.

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Thanks for quick reply..


I was incorrect. .and rather in a hurry to get this posted..

the substrate is this product

http://www.zilla-rules.com/products/bedding/beaked-moss.htm


Can't do coco fiber.. wife is allergic to all coconut products.. and really don't want to risk that..

the tank is approx 10 deep 20 wide.. and 12 high.. now this was a donation from a friend who was moving.. and was previously for his fish..

Considering going to get some sand.. and setting a good sand base.. 1-2 inch's deep.. then some of the beaked moss.. not all of it..

this is a weekend project.. that I will likely tackle sunday.

I'd still mix that with topsoil. I wouldn't use sand as a base. It's pretty heavy. Topsoil and moss mixed together at a depth of 4 or 5 inches would be a tiger sal's paradise.

to follow-up what kaysie said, tigers will like to burrow and sand makes this problematic.

Pet shops sell some decent "forest floor" type substrates. I believe that these don't usually contain coco-fiber. The important thing is that the substrate be non-acidic (which makes peat moss a problem) and diggable. Organic topsoil from a garden shop is another option.

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Going to work on the habitat more this weekend.. I work today and sat.. ughh

But..

2 weeks ago.. caught the first one..
24 hours ago.. caught a 2nd one
2:30am CST today.. caught a 3rd one..

Someone want to come study my rental house.. I seem to be attracting Tiger barred Salamanders..




kinda cool.. kinda freaks the wife out.. and well the roommate named the 2nd one Osiris (Egyptian Death God) he's kinda odd..

I think the 3rd will be Fluffy (Destroyer of Worlds)

as for the first.. and largest.. I just called him Sal A. Mander figure he needed a proper name..

At some point, you will have to take additional sals caught in the garage to some wild location for release. It sounds like this could be a regular occurence. Please keep in mind that, once kept captive, they should never be released back to the wild. So the ones you keep as pets will be your obligation to care for - and that could be for 10+ years, as they have a long lifespan!

Keep us posted on the setup. You'll need a bigger tank if you keep all 3.

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More Setup's on the way..

Buddy has a few spare 10 gallon aquariums (he's a fish guy)

I think the next catch's.. will be put in a small aquarium and held until I can get out to the Playa Lakes and let them go..

3 is enough.. wish I knew where to take them.. like a "Rescue group" or something here local in Lubbock.

Are there any undeveloped areas right in your neighborhood? That would be the place to take them (at night, so they can find shelter before the sun hits them).

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This will give you a better idea of the layout..

the house.. to the "pond" is about 3/8 of a mile



The other location.. about 1.5 miles away.. is a permanent lake.. it's always got water in it year around..


Also.. re-did the 10 gallon

Now has 3-5 inch's of topsoil.. 3 inch at one end.. 5 at the other.. with deep moss over the 3 inch side for total depth of about 5 inches.. then I put the bricks with holes in them back in there with some earthworms..

also picked up a small container with air vents.. some gut load and 40 med/lrg crickets so that I don't have to run to the store every 3 days.. this allows for the crickets to have some hold time.. as well as adding nutrients to them.

today.. I am going to go grab a 3 inch T from the home depot.. thinking of putting that in and placing it approx 1/2 buried.. creating a nice little cave/hideout

That "puddle when it rains" is more likely to be a natural habitat for tiger sals. They normally do NOT use permanent water to breed (too many fish), they use vernal (temporary) ponds. And the adults don't need water outside breeding season. It's pretty obvious that the area around that "puddle when it rains" is where the sals are coming from, and that's where you should return any more that show up.

The setup sounds great! You probably realize this, but a 10-gallon tank is too small for 3 of them.

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2 in there now.. thus.. I consider it full if not over filled as is..

the 3rd.. is due to go to a 2nd aquarium.. but.. roommate is dragging his feet to get it done.. frustrating indeed..