FYI: Update on my old blind tiger sal....

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Sharon
He is still going along just great. I hand feed him every couple of days. I piggy back a few of the crickets on a wax worm to get some additional fat into him. I don't know if it makes any difference but I'm keeping the crickets for a week now - feeding them the green circket total bites food daily - trying to make sure they're as healthy and nourishing as can be as well.

And I'm pleased as punch to have two more smiley faces added to my group. I've looked for years for a pet tiger sal that needed a new home but I was always just a little to late in responding to ads. After a while I started checking petshops too. That always bothered me - knowing that they are wild caught.

But handfeeding my old guy and knowing the end was coming just picked at me. I couldn't imagine not seeing him on the beach in his viv. I asked around at a few petshops - all said they hadn't seen tiger sals in years.

I had to drive to Tucson (200 miles from my house) for some truck repairs. On a WHIM I decided to go miles out of my way and take the scenic route out of town. Before I knew it I was passing the tiny hole in the wall petshop where I purchased my original sal 11+ years ago. I zooming past and saw the glaring neon sighn "OPEN". WOW.

HUH ok, they didn't stay open this late when I lived in Tucson. I decided to pop in and see the old lady who owned it and browse a little.

She had all the standard fish and animals. I poked my head in her reptile room and was disappointed but I expected it. She never carried much in the way of amphibians - so no frogs, no newts - no sals.

I was headed back down the main aisle and I saw her son - a lump of a human - sweet but still a lump - putting baby - quarter sized red ear sliders into a large lagoon style tank. I stopped to marvel at their cuteness and congratulate myself on knowing what a pain they are keep with their heat and light requirements.

And there it was. A single salamander at the bottom of the lagoon. Fully morphed. A nice light yellow. I excitedly jab the poor man in the ribs asking "is it for sale?" and pointing. Poor guy blinked in confusion and said yes. I told him to fish it out. Besides, no way could I leave the poor thing surrounded by vicious baby turtles!! While he was off digging up a container - I poked around. Lifting logs and rocks and was blessed with two more sals. One of them looked gross. I can't explain it. It was large enough, seemed fat enough - but just gross. I was really reluctant to touch it. But I did. After finding those guys I searched THOROUGHLY but didn't find any others that needed "saving". The gross one expired before I even got home. A guess it was a blessing for him.

The other two are way to small to live with my old man sal and who knows what parasites they might be carrying - or the old man might be carrying. So they'll live seperately. They currently housed on papertowels in a 1 1/2 plastic box with a shallow cat dish for water.

They've been there for a couple of months now. One of these days I'll have my husband convinced to cut a hole in the wall so I shove some tanks in there (no room for a stand or shelf) so they'll be in front and I can watch them.

But more than likely after the holidays - I'll consolidate the axolotl tanks into one large tank. And they'll move out to the livingroom.

I know it was long - but I wanted to share my news. I feel guilty about buying them and elated at the same time. I'm not sure how/why I can resist petshop puppies, wild caught salt water fish and petshop birds but not an amphibian. Is there a name for this disorder?

Sharon
 
i hate it when shop do stupid things like that.

i hope the new 2 survive and live as long as your "old man"
 
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  • Shane douglas:
    with axolotls would I basically have to keep buying and buying new axolotls to prevent inbred breeding which costs a lot of money??
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  • Thorninmyside:
    Not necessarily but if you’re wanting to continue to grow your breeding capacity then yes. Breeding axolotls isn’t a cheap hobby nor is it a get rich quick scheme. It costs a lot of money and time and deditcation
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  • stanleyc:
    @Thorninmyside, I Lauren chen
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  • Clareclare:
    Would Chinese fire belly newts be more or less inclined towards an aquatic eft set up versus Japanese . I'm raising them and have abandoned the terrarium at about 5 months old and switched to the aquatic setups you describe. I'm wondering if I could do this as soon as they morph?
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    Clareclare: Would Chinese fire belly newts be more or less inclined towards an aquatic eft set up versus... +1
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