Hello from NJ- not so new to amphibian keeping

Hello, I am from NJ, USA.

I currently have no pets(my mom has a dog so technically there is a pet in the house).

Anywho, I was thinking of going back into amphibians because as the name states xenopus is one of my favorite species. Little buggers can survive in almost any condition and are very very crafty indeed. I also love toads of all sorts-- particularly the american toads, cane toads, etc. I love some tree frogs as well, and poison dart frogs-- but the latter is way too complex for me to handle. (I will be honest I don't think I have the capacity to keep up with something complex like a poison dart with so many needs and how they look rather fragile)


I also love axolotls(never seen one in person considering they're illegal over here- ugh), mudpuppies, and I heard about this giant spanish ribbed newt(completely aquatic-- I forgot what it was actually called had the words ribbed newt and something about it growing 12inches in the wild and 8 inches in captivity).


I am not sure where to post but since the sticky said I should post in another section for help (mainly I just want advice on what to keep) I will be posting in the general area-- because it's really a somewhat broad question.

I hope I get to know more of you and get to hear different opinions and fill up my knowledge as I am trying to re-start from scratch.


I had moderate success in keeping amphibians.... I'd follow the guides I'd find online but still there would be random deaths. I am trying to fix what I know so I can learn to keep them more properly.


I've had american toads(I had them in a rather "sloppy" rain chamber for a night and they bred raised the eggs into toadlets, and released them into a friends pond--- they never died on me- I just gave them to a friend during a move), xenopus laevis(they died on me but not because of their tank- but because they'd sometimes jump out of their aquarium (I couldn't find a tight fitting lid because of where I lived and I lack creativity + needed filters to get in), I've had reptiles too but that's another story.

Hi, welcome to the site.
Spanish ribbed newts are a lot of fun to keep, in fact they remind me of Xenopus frogs in some ways, especially at feeding time!

Chinadog said:

Hi, welcome to the site.
Spanish ribbed newts are a lot of fun to keep, in fact they remind me of Xenopus frogs in some ways, especially at feeding time!

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I see. Do you have more indepth info on their care and stuff? Also how clean would you say they are? I remember my xenopus were pretty clean.

I also liked these

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SYUitLNh-A4


But, not really sure.

I was thinking of a bare tank though in whatever I keep.

Thing is, are the newts escape artists like the xenopus? Those things jump out of the water, they sometimes climb out. It was annoying because I couldn't find a tight enough lid (they dont make lids like that for aquariums, and I couldn't keep it it tight enough because the filters were bulky.

Any opinions on how to keep water quality crystal clear? Is there anyway that I could keep the carpet from getting wet at all as well? I was thinking of laying down some kind of tarp... and putting a tarp or plastic underneath the furniture.....


I was thinking of maybe a long enough syphon with something to suck the water out and a tube that drops water in as well...

Am I the only one who has exotics die on them so much? Even after following guides online(like from apparently legit websites), or books, and opinions?

The only thing that wouldn't had died on me is the toads, the xenopus. The toads I gave away I believe, and the xenopus laevis died because they jumped out of the water- which I was told they do that without reasons sometimes.

Are you saying that axolotls are illegal in New Jersey??

Otterwoman said:

Are you saying that axolotls are illegal in New Jersey??

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Yes, indeed I am. Here is one source:

http://www.njfishandwildlife.com/pdf/pet-dealer_info.pdf

I will quote

"It is also illegal to sell or possess in New Jersey any
species on the New Jersey Enda
ngered Species List. Due to
difficulties in determining morphological
differences among several species and th
e fact that these difficulties have
already produced problems, including but not limited to the following species
CANNOT BE SOLD OR
POSSESSED
in New Jersey:
Gray Tree Frogs (all species), Dino Dogs, Larval Salamanders, Mud Puppies,
Water Dogs and Axolotls."




Upon closer inspection, wouldn't that make the spanish ribbed newt illegal to own as well? Aren't they larval salamanders? (I admit my knowledge on the caudata branch is very limited).


It sucks because how can you not like axolotls and mud puppies? I hate to say it, but they look a lot better than the ribbed newt. Mostly because of the frills. But that's just my very biased opinion.

I also noticed (while not all related) that they added the quaker parrotlets to the list of potentially dangerous birds that one cannot own.... I recall 8 years ago I saw them in this petstore...


Anywho, even the corn snakes they're so restrictive.

To be honest. New Jersey sucks pond scum... :l I feel screwed from moving to here long ago. It's not the most reptile unfriendliest state but it's so strict in everything... and I do mean everything... Not just petwise.

But I digress, because I can't keep axolotls is why I am looking for something else.

But even before that, for those of you who keep aquariums and like to be neat freaks-- how would you go about doing water changes, or even draining a tank(if you had to), cleaning filters, etc without wetting a carpet?

Is there anywhere that makes custom lids for aquariums that could be made tight fighting?

What filtration do you use to keep your water pristine clear? How often do you change it?


I've had fluvals(the big ones and some small ones), eheims, zoomeds, I think I tried renatas as well and honestly some are okay-- the eheim was hands down the best but it also sucked to remove(i.e. open the lid) and it just became a massive mess...


So I am hoping for something that even a dummy could use without screwing it up...