Housing questions for P. waltl

Hello, all you ribbed newt lovers... :wacko:

I was doing some late night/early morning reading on the forums and noticed that the caresheet in Caudata Culture recommends having a water level of only 6-8 inches for P. waltl. I have also noticed a few photos of P. waltl set-ups with lower water levels. What is the specific reason for this? Can Spanish Ribbed Newts live in a full aquarium? I've heard the SRNs can be kept fully aquatic, but is a small land section recommended for this species? And how good of escape artists are they?

Also, I saw a few post entries from people mentioning a particular odor stemming from their P. waltl setups. Has anyone else experienced this; or could these few instances be the result of water quality issues?

I only ask because I am planning on acquiring a newt in maybe a year or so and am trying to assess living requirements of the few species I am considering.

Thank you for any help :happy: Cheers.

Pleurodeles are entirely aquatic and VERY rarely go on land. Usually it's a sign of something wrong if you find this newt on land. You can offer a small piece of floating cork bark if you feel more comfortable with it.

All newts are Houdini-esque escape artists. Lids are recommended for all species.

In the wild this species prefers deep water(probably to avoid predation). I think water depth is a non issue with this species as far as captivity is concerned.

6-8 inches is fine for mine ribbed newts. When the male is too horny the female goes out from the water to the dry land... fully aquatic will work, but I think with lower water level is better

As Fishkeeper says, P.waltl frequently inhabits large pools with a greater depth than those prefered by other local species. In my area they are particularly common in deep, turbid pools used for cattle to drink.
Specially since it´s a large species i think depth is important. Not absolutely necessary of course, but perhaps more natural for them.

I have been keeping 2 newts in a 55 gallon set-up with the water about 13 inches deep and they seem to be doing well. I have pothos in the tank and they like to hang out in them.

I kept 5 babies in about 2 feet of water for about a year. Did great. Got big and strong. Xp. I have them in a smaller environment now for cage side reasons.
Mine havent tried any escaping, but i know from experience all my other newts love to climb if the lid is off. I remember once having to hunt one down. In fact hes still around, haha.
But my spanish ribbed are my favorite of all of them ive had so far. Extrememly hardy, and very loveable.

Perhaps I will bite my tongue on this later but these guys are less adept than your average newt at escaping IME. They are highly aquatic and even when placed on land scramble clumsily often throwing their tail from side to side.(unlike more terrestrial newts that walk with their legs only somewhat splayed out, tails trailing straight behind) I have kept groups of them in uncovered containers and no escapes. However, I'm sure they could still scale the corners of a glass/plastic aquarium with sharp edges(the rounder edges of the sweaterbox I keep them in and that they have no land to brace themselves on likely explains this).

I have 5 blood lines of P. w. of different origins for 1.5 years
To my opinion an adult animals have much more problem to escape then most of other newts, when using vertical glass of tank only: too heavy.
In nature a deep areas of clear water bodies with no plants or debries are more safe then shallow ones, when the newts just seat or move slowly on very bottom of pool, only. But each time when they have to go up to surface for oxigen ( usaually fast) they are under danger, wich is the bigger the deeper is the area( means the longer exposition to potential predators). So, the optimal combination in nature should be a deep water with a lot of plants, or murky one. As far as I know something like that is recorded for their natural habitats.
In captivity, accomodated to its safe circumstanges, the newts are preferring a shallow water with some kinds of shelters( plants, logs or so): it is easier to get an oxigen from surface there. Usually that is what recommended in most of care sheets.The most appreciated enclosure would be one with 15-25 cm of water( the optimal level depends on your newts size also) and some shelters in it. In a full tank the newts will stay on its bottom for several days, then feeling safe in it, they will stay longer and longer closer to surface; that looks not naturally when no any supports( like a plants):they are
just hanging on surface awkwardy.

They frequently inhabit masses of water that have no plants.

But it does not mean that P.waltl has special pre-adaptations to such a pools. They are altered and simplified by humans and cattle, just easy to be affected by many new comers, including our newt.
Theoretically a natural selection in a newt with reduced ability to search on land for a better habitat must target the adaptations to long-lasting stages of eco-succession of pool: a planted ones.
Another argument: the regularly cryptic coloration of P. waltl’s belly (I know just a couple exclusions) . It suggests that it is more often exposed to predators from a bottom ( fish, partly - turtles) then in a newts with bright colored belly, such as bottom-dwelling Paramesotriton .
That mean a regular position above the bottom, i. e on plans or debris