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Can I keep a salamander or frog in this terrarium?

Raeske

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Hello! I'm new... so please have mercy on the noob. :D

I recently finished my new terrarium, and although I set it up primarily for the plants and mosses, I got to thinking that maybe I could add some sort of critter. I'd love to find some sort of small salamander, tree frog, or even some kind of neat bug that would be able to live comfortably in there. I've kept lots of different native frogs before, but never permanently. Here's a little info on the terrarium, and hopefully someone can tell me if there's any critter than might be happy here.
It's relatively small - a 5 gallon hexagonal aquarium. The substrate is a thin layer of aquarium gravel covered with about 1" -1.5" of peat moss. Most of the ground is covered in live mosses. There's a cave in the back, and plenty of climbing space (two sides are covered in tree bark, plus plenty of other areas and a couple small branches). There's no water dish/swimming area, but I may be able to add one if necessary. I do mist the tank a couple times a day, and the peat moss and live mosses hold plenty of moisture. There's a lot of mosses in the tank - most surfaces are covered in some sort of moss. There are also a couple other small plants that will grow in soon. The lighting is pretty low - just a small incandescent bulb, but the tank does recieve some sunlight throughout the day. I keep it in my room, so the temperature is about 75-80 in the summer and 69-73 in the winter.

Any ideas? If there's anything I could keep in there, that'd be awesome. I could make some minor adjustments if necessary, although I would like to change is as little as possible, as I did set it up primarly for the plants and mosses.

I'll try to post a picture later to give you a better idea of the amount of space there is in the terrarium.
 

Jan

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I would agree with Otterwoman - between the high temps and the use of peat moss (imparts acidity) salamanders would not be in a friendly environment.....which would be adverse for the health of the animal.

You mentioned a 'neat bug' would be acceptable. A few female or a few male Madagascar Hissing Cockroaches would do well in your terrarium. These are docile creatures, easy to care for, grow to 3" in length, can live for up to 5 years and would do well in the warm temps and high humidity of your terrarium. They are nocturnal and the hides you have would be beneficial. For an insect.... I think they are pretty handsome :).
 

Raeske

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I didn't know the peat moss would be a problem... It's Canadian sphagnum. What kind of ph do salamanders prefer, or does it differ between species? About what ph might the peat moss have?

For the temperature, I could easily move the terrarium downstairs, where it's about 10* cooler, for the hottest summer months. So if there's anything that would do well, aside from the temperature, I'd love to hear the suggestion, and I'll just consider moving the terrarium to a cooler location next summer.
 

Kaysie

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Peat and sphagnum are basically the same thing. It's too acidic for caudate use.
 

Jan

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I didn't know the peat moss would be a problem... It's Canadian sphagnum. What kind of ph do salamanders prefer, or does it differ between species? About what ph might the peat moss have?

Sphagnum peat leaches tannic and gallic acids into an environment (especially when it is wet or moist) which causes acidity to be imparted. Salamanders should be maintained in an approximate pH neutral environment. Peat and sphagnum are used in horticulture to amend soil .... and especially in soil that is alkaline to bring the soil to a more neutral pH. These products have pHs as low as 3. To give you an idea, here is an MSDS sheet on Canadian Sphagnum peat:

http://www.peatmoss.com/pdf/msds.pdf
 

la silla

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I live in Phx AZ and I keep the house temps warm in the summer (unlike most folks I know whom maintain their houses like an icebox). The little pond in the tank that I have (30 gal) has a temp over 80 deg. I've measured the substrate over 80 also. The critters are one tiger salamander, two feeder minnows, and several ghost shrimp. The salamander was AZ-grown and rescued from a bait shop; it was a former 'waterdog'.

These critters are native to AZ and survive in temps in the 100s even in the high country. You should seek to find a supplier of critters that are native to your area and then they will be accustomed to the temp in you house.

One additonal note is that tiger salamanders are diggers. If you get a similar salamander, your substrate is way too thin. Mine would love burrowing under all your moss (as she does in her tank here), but the (coconut fiber) soil is about five or six inches deep.

Good luck.
 

Jennewt

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These critters are native to AZ and survive in temps in the 100s even in the high country. You should seek to find a supplier of critters that are native to your area and then they will be accustomed to the temp in you house.
This makes enough sense that some people might believe it, but I have to clarify this. While it's true that temps in AZ do routinely go above 100F, and salamanders do live there, the salamanders do not actually endure that temperature. They live underground, where the temperatures are always much cooler. Living underground is like living in a cave, it stays a steady ~60F all year round (perhaps slightly warmer if the burrow is not so deep). The sals only come out from underground to breed, and that is during cool weather.

While a healthy, well-established tiger sal may survive a summer at ~80, I really wouldn't recommend it.
 
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