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Raising Neurergus kaiseri

F

frank

Guest
Hi all, I will try to add some positive note in between all the shouting in the previous threads. I have raised two N kaiseri from juveniles, bred by our famous Belgian Heinz K 5 years ago. For the raising of these animals I used the same technique as for example for raising Triturus and other Neurergus. Actually, I don't do a lot: I just take a container (5 liter), fill it for 5 cm with slightly moist (almost dry) forest soil (mixed beach/oak), then a layer of dry leaves (beach) and finally 3 to 4 layers of cork. Once every three months, the substrate is replaced. In one corner of the container, I put one of these small plastic cups used for food (approx 10 x 5 x 3 cm) and fill it with water. Once weekly, this cup is emptied, left to dry for a week and replaced by another one. Temperatures: 18 - 25°C in summer and 11 - 16°C in winter. Food consists of crickets and buffaloworms, all dusted royally with a mineral/vitamin powder (the animals are fed twice weekly). I take care not to spill insect food or mineral supply over the substrate (induces heavy fungal growth). Using this method, I raised the two juveniles to adulthood and I am raising now their offspring of last year (none available, please don't inquire) using this method without having a single animal lost. I think the key stones are: 1) good hygiene 2) relatively dry conditions 3) good food and 4) REST (I don't know any other urodelan that is so sensitive to light and so easily disturbed as these guys, you must not even touch them in some cases for inducing toxin secretion). Any comments always welcome.
 

TJ

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Hi Frank. A few questions for you:

Have you always raised them terrestrially? If not, what and how did you feed them during their aquatic phase?

Which do you find them to favor, worms or crickets?

How frequently do they soak in the corner cup?

How did you conclude about this sensitivity to light that I hear so much about with this species? By observing hyperactivity when the light is turned on? Desparate escape to shaded areas of the tank?

Congrats on your successful breeding of this species
biggrin.gif


(Message edited by TJ on March 09, 2005)
 
F

frank

Guest
Hi Tim,
Yes, I always raised them terrestrially. During raising of the larvae, the food mainly consisted of Tubifex, supplemented with Daphnia and bloodworms.
What do they favor? Hard to tell: the babies are very shy. They eat both anyhow. I personally prefer to give crickets since these can more easily be "gut loaded" (sorry, I forgot: in the terrarium is always a little bit of insect food (chicken food and carrot) available.
I see them soaking very regularly, especially when the substrate is getting too dry.
The sensitivity to light is obvious, both in the adult and the juveniles: when turning on the light in the room or shining on the animals with a flash light (or when taking pictures) they try to escape to dark places very quickly.
 
J

joeri

Guest
Good job Frank
Interesting description of your methods as well.

Joeri
 
S

sergé

Guest
My experiences with raising are a little different than Frank. I raised 6 larvae that I obtained 3 or 4 years ago from CB in Germany. Two larvae died very shortly afterwards and 4 metamorphosed. From that time on I kept them in an aquarium with 5 cm of water and a pile of flat stones. Top of the tank was open. They stayed on land most of the times but also searched for food at night in the water. They were fed with earth worms, tubifex, crickets etc. Last summer i kept them terrestrial and in november i placed them in an aquarium. All 4 grew into adult, now 1 male and 3 females how seem to be in breeding condition. Just hope that they will produce fertile eggs. Here is a picture of a female.
32227.jpg
 
C

carlos

Guest
Hi Serg, Do you mind if I ask you few questions???
1)Do you have any hidden place in your aquarium provided for the N.kaiseri ???
2)Is it possible to keep the juveniles in the aquarium set up???
Thank You!
 
A

alan

Guest
A question for Frank and Sergé:
How do you judge when to move them from the terrestrial to the aquatic setup? Temperature, or purely by the calendar?
What about moving them back again - after spawning?
 
S

sergé

Guest
Hidding places; yes, a lot! And the use them all the time.
I don't know what is the best way of keeping. I keep them as I do; a semi aquatic set up for juveniles. So they could choose, and they don't like to stay in the water all the time, in fact they go into the water only once in a while. For adults...I have kept them terrestrial whole last summer, and moved them to an aquatic set up late autumn when they were develloping their cloaca's. Now i let them stay there until they will go on land by themselves (there are a lot of stones in the aquarium and they can leave the water any time. I fact; just like i keep my Triturus vittatus or like i kept my Triturus pygmaeus.
 
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