Pseudotriton ruber

P

pezzatos

New member
Joined
Sep 28, 2008
Messages
37
Reaction score
1
Points
0
Country
Italy
Display Name
Pezzatos
Hi everybody,
can anybody tell me how should be kept Pseudotriton ruber? I wanted most to know wath's the temperature range they tollerate in °C and how to breed them in captivity, if there's a sperimented method....
It seems to be nothing on the internet!
Thanks! :famous:
 
I keep mine at about 15.6 degrees celsius during the warmer seasons. During the winter they're temps are about 10 degrees celsius or even lower. I've often seen them in mountain streams that are about 10 degrees celsius. I've personally found larvae in freezing mountain streams and adults in leaf litter along side cold mountain streams. I think breeding them in captivity isn't impossible. You would have to simulate a cold mountain stream habitat. Last winter my ruber tanks froze over and they seemed very much at home. I haven't bred rubers so I can really help you there. Good luck.
 
Thank you very much Jaymes! The degrees celsius that you're talking about are the water temperature or the air temperature? Can they tollerate 20 - 23 ° C (air temperature) in the summer...?
 
I haven't kept them, but Jaymes's suggestions seem good to me based on observations of wild P. ruber. They are not strictly a mountain species and do occur in the hot lowlands of the southeastern US, but in lowland areas are usually in moist ravines and small, often spring-fed streams, and may go underground during periods of hot weather. I most often find them in and near springs where the water temp is a constant 13 to 16 degrees C.
 
I was talking about water temperature. Moisture is very important as well I don't if I emphasized that earlier. I can say every time I seen a wild ruber it was in cold water or under rocks that covered a very moist living condition. I've seen some in thick leaf litter that is right on the transition of water and land. Which at the base of that leaf litter is either cold water or very damp wet leaves. Good luck.
 
I keep mine fully aquatic (mainly for the ease of feeding) with just a small rock pile protruding out of the water. This rock pile has a large piece of bark covering it for added hide areas.

Every year I could see my female was gravid but I just couldn't get her to lay, but thanks to advice from a good friend, I was finally able to get my female to lay eggs this past year. I tied java moss to the bottom of the previosuly mentioned peice of bark so that it could hang loosely into the water and then I also added some free floating pothos so that the roots would grow and hang in the water column. The female laid her eggs among the roots and strands of java moss.

My group usually gets a temerature gradient of a low of 4'C (during winter) to an average high of 20'C (during summer). However, this past summer my group survived a couple of days in a row where their tank temp was around 24'C.
 
Thank you very much Justin! Those are precious informations! :happy:
 
Thank you for that tip.

I have kept mine for years in a large mainly aquatic set up, but with sizeable easily accessable land shelf which is rarely used , summer, or winter,
When kept this way they become very bold, and are a favourite species to watch for visitors I have to my newt room.
I have now added java moss, and pothos to the set up as you described and have fingers crossed for eggs in the future lol.
 
My experience is similar to Justin's, though they have more terrestrial opportunities with pine bark and oak leaf substrates. They finally laid last year on the submerged underside of a large slab of sandstone. The female excavated sand and gravel underneath to enlarge the cavity. Temp range Justin gave is perfect, and I think it is the key to breeding.

How are your larvae doing Justin?
-Tim
 
Justin did you add any current into the water? Did anyone else use current? I had the idea that maybe given a current that might help as well. Not a strong current but a slower paced movement.
 
I did not ask about because i was sure from the beginning to put current in the terra-acquarium...
 
As far as i´ve investigated they are stream dwellers, at least the do breed in streams and their larvae grow in flowing water. I guess its something that might be a useful to add to someone that plans to breed. Nature talks for itself. Pezzatos were are you planing to acquire your animals here in europe?
Cheers,
 
Hey guys.
I would like to keep p. ruber but as mentioned already, there is not much information on this species...

What I want to ask is about the current in the set up, as in the wild this species is found in streams. You guys have find them in slowly flowing parts, shallows or in places with more current? Here in the forum the set ups posted have rather 'still water' appearance than a stream like environment.

Could you please share your experience from keeping them and from observation in wild regarding the type of water the seem to be feeling the best?

Thanks.
 
Last edited by a moderator:
The system they bred for me in has only a trickle of fresh carbon-filtered municipal water coming into it (flow through system). There is no additional (or noticeable) current. The larvae do fine in deli cups or a few inches of water in an aquarium with zero added current. High flow would likely dislodge eggs, and many nesting records in the wild are from tiny stagnant pools within caves, again with no current. They are not found in raging rivers, just trickling streams and seeps.
 
The only water movement in my tank is what is created by the air stone, but even that doesn't move the java moss any.

Tim, my larvae are growing ever so slowly. Once I get a chance I'll take pictures of their setup and the larvae.
 
legardored said:
Hey guys.
I would like to keep p. ruber but as mentioned already, there is not much information on this species...

What I want to ask is about the current in the set up, as in the wild this species is found in streams. You guys have find them in slowly flowing parts, shallows or in places with more current? Here in the forum the set ups posted have rather 'still water' appearance than a stream like environment.

Could you please share your experience from keeping them and from observation in wild regarding the type of water the seem to be feeling the best?

Thanks.
Click to expand...

The sites where I have seen the most of them were rather rapidly flowing rocky springs. The adults hang out at the margins, among rocks in the stream, or in crevices near the stream, while the larvae are under submerged rocks, hanging out in eddies, or in leaf packs, so they're using low-flow pockets in a generally high-flow system. I suppose this combines the best of both worlds: the crashing stream is better oxygenated than a sluggish one would be, but the larvae would rather avoid the strong currents. Really, I haven't seen any plethodontids hanging out in strong current. Maybe some of the big keel-tailed desmogs do so, but I don't imagine any others would. They're just not built for it.

If you decide to use a powerhead or similar to increase flow, just be sure to use rocks and other structure in such a way that the animals can get out of the current if they wish.
 
My set up has a fluval 1 power filter but the current is slowed by slates etc , but untill hitting the slates is quite a strong current.
The sals use all parts of the tank,including the part before the water slowing slates.
 
eljorgo said:
As far as i´ve investigated they are stream dwellers, at least the do breed in streams and their larvae grow in flowing water. I guess its something that might be a useful to add to someone that plans to breed. Nature talks for itself. Pezzatos were are you planing to acquire your animals here in europe?
Cheers,
Click to expand...

Yesss! I found them finally! ;)
I dreamed of P.ruber since when I was 10 years old! Now I'm 23!!!
It's a specimen that's NEVER offered in Europe!!!
Cheers
 
They do make great captives. We have had the same 3 at the zoo for at least 11 years. The c.b. larvae and the adults become quite habituated to being fed.
 
I'm certainly going to try to breed my small group of P. ruber. I feel a lot more confident trying it out now, after reading this thread. Thanks guys. Good luck!
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
General chit-chat
Help Users
  • No one is chatting at the moment.
  • 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??
     +1
    Unlike
  • 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
     +1
    Unlike
  • stanleyc:
    @Thorninmyside, I Lauren chen
     +1
    Unlike
  • 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?
     +1
    Unlike
    Clareclare: Would Chinese fire belly newts be more or less inclined towards an aquatic eft set up versus... +1
    Back
    Top