P.deloustali eggs

Congrats, twins as well! I've always had a thing about deloustali, they are probably the only species I would squeeze another tank in at home for. A friend was thinking of selling his group of adult Laotriton recently and I resisted those, but had they been deloustali I would have caved in for sure! 8) 8)
 
Haven't measured it in a while to be honest, but it's over 15 centimeters, because that was his length for more than a year ago. It's still growing of course, but it is bigger than an avarage P. waltl already. This is my favourite species. They're big and beautiful. Raising them will be hell though, because they aren't much easier than L.laoensis. I've got 50 eggs and the female continues to decorate the Eleodea with them.

First larvae have hatched yesterday. I will try to raise some in pond water that has gone through a coffee filter, but most will be raised in tap water with an air pump like I did in the past with L. laoensis and the Paramesotriton sp, which Schultschik called the red warty newt. In the Netherlands we don't need to treat tap water (except for a couple of areas), because there's hardly any chemicals in it.

Trying to use filtered pond water, because I want to try raising the larvae less sterile. I will even try to feed them Dapnia, though Paramesotriton seems to be sensible to Saprolegnia sp. Don't like sterile setups, because when something goes wrong, it goes wrong big time. "Dirty" setups have a better "buffer", or so I've been told.
 
This is great news :) you should try and raise as many as possible. Good to hear that they are doing well in Europe I just wish that they were here in the US. When was the last time they were being offered over here for those people that have been in the newt business ? I am currently raising some honkonensis babies over here in the hopes of starting some new blood. What are the possibility of getting some delousalie over here to the U.S.? In my opinion there aren't many people keeping paramesotriton compared to neurgurus or other species.. I'd love to keep all paramesotritons. I recently got adult Laos and I love them :)
 
I have a 5.2 group, so I have a lot of males. Only coupled one pair though. The other female's from 2009 and I want her to be a bit older. I'm hoping to raise most of the larvae, except when I suspect there's something wrong. It's going to be a challenge though.
 
I've been more on facebook than on this forum. I know, it's a shame, but since I've got two daughters it's hard to relax behind my laptop. Though I had lots of eggs last year, I only managed to keep 6 alive. These are the problems I encountered:

- Kept the larvae too cold. Lost one third of all animals in two days, because the salamander room was colder than expected during the night (9C)

- The transition (temperaturewise) to the living room was too great, resulting in a great amount of larvae to morph too soon, which died within the weeks that followed.

- Fed tubifex on land, which can spoil pretty quick. This may have caused bacterial infections under the chin (where they come in contact with the clumps of tubifex while eating it). I've lost almost all my year old L.laoensis and Paramesotriton juveniles due to these infections.

The ones that remain also had a shiny skin, but after a while it transformed into a rough and warty one. After that they flourished and they're growing pretty quick now. I'm keeping them in styrofoam boxes with a window made out of a plastic container lid. In it are some beech leaves, stones with holes in it and a piece of cork bark. I'm feeding them lots of white worms and fruit flies. I've got bad experience feeding blood worms and tubifex on land. Since I'm feeding white worms and fruit flies I haven't had any infections anymore.

This year I haven't got any fertile eggs from my breeding couple. I had to move them, because their tank started leaking a little. The female then started to deposit unfertile eggs on the bottom. I know a similar case where the same thing happened to P. deloustali after they were moved. I now have three other couples, but no eggs have been produced. My P.chinensis couple hasn't produced any eggs as well. I got 6 P.guangxiensis juveniles at Gersfeld, which are doing great. Hope next year will be a better one.

Will update with pictures soon.
 
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The juveniles are doing well and all 4 couples are showing some courtship behaviour already. Hopefully there will be eggs coming spring from at least one couple.
 
Niels D said:
- Fed tubifex on land, which can spoil pretty quick. This may have caused bacterial infections under the chin (where they come in contact with the clumps of tubifex while eating it). I've lost almost all my year old L.laoensis and Paramesotriton juveniles due to these infections.

The ones that remain also had a shiny skin, but after a while it transformed into a rough and warty one. After that they flourished and they're growing pretty quick now. I'm keeping them in styrofoam boxes with a window made out of a plastic container lid. In it are some beech leaves, stones with holes in it and a piece of cork bark. I'm feeding them lots of white worms and fruit flies. I've got bad experience feeding blood worms and tubifex on land. Since I'm feeding white worms and fruit flies I haven't had any infections anymore.

Will update with pictures soon.
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Do you have access to springtails out there? If you're having issues with bacteria, and need a small feeder, springtails feed on bacteria so you can solve both problems or at least help reduce chance of death.

From what I had read online (here) and a few books, when young newts have 'the shine' it is just because they morphed too soon(not sure if that's what you were alluding to), not necessarily an illness related shine which is good news/likely why they were able to recover and grow. A beautiful species! Don't think there's anyone working with them in Canada unfortunately. All the best!
 
shnabo said:
Do you have access to springtails out there?
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From another topic regarding to raising L.laoenis:
Niels D said:
I'm using a new method now. I put in bigger amounts of compost, even the nasty looking kind, which seems to hold more little earth worms, springtails and white worms, in a plastic container of the size of a little film canister, which they use in the dart frog hobby. With a piece of mosquito mesh and a small rubber band I cover the opening of the container and I put it in the setup sideways, but in a manner no fluids can ooze out. This way all yummy critters can crawl out through the mesh, but my animals can't come in contact with the compost itself.
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shnabo said:
From what I had read online (here) and a few books, when young newts have 'the shine' it is just because they morphed too soon(not sure if that's what you were alluding to)!
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Indeed:
Niels D said:
- The transition (temperaturewise) to the living room was too great, resulting in a great amount of larvae to morph too soon, which died within the weeks that followed.
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With this last method of adding "encased" compost result are a lot better. No dirt in the enclosure, but still a great amount of nutricious goodies. For a complete description of the method I'm using now check http://www.caudata.org/forum/f1173-...ton/106471-alternative-method-l-laoensis.html A lot of information is posted later on in this thread.
 
Awesome! I will check it out. I have actually book marked a couple of your threads, I like your styrofoam box with window idea.
 
I've learned that from Janssen, one of the authors of "Salamanders, keeping and breeding". A great book and he really is my mentor regarding to Paramesotriton and Laotriton. I owe most of my succeses with these species to the knowledge he passed to me.
 
My favourite book! I find myself referring to it quite often, it is quite useful. Beautiful pictures also.
 
shnabo said:
Do you have access to springtails out there? If you're having issues with bacteria, and need a small feeder, springtails feed on bacteria so you can solve both problems or at least help reduce chance of death.

From what I had read online (here) and a few books, when young newts have 'the shine' it is just because they morphed too soon(not sure if that's what you were alluding to), not necessarily an illness related shine which is good news/likely why they were able to recover and grow. A beautiful species! Don't think there's anyone working with them in Canada unfortunately. All the best!
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6 laos were shipped to Canada in 2012, so theres a chance.
 
I don't know about deloustali alas. There are a couple of keepers in Europe and I believe some in the US. I really hope to get some eggs again this year. I have 4 couples now, so chances are greater for success than the years I only had one couple. It's too cold still in my newt room at this moment. Even my Triturus species haven't laid any eggs, so I really have to wait for warmer temperatures. Spring, hurry up! If I have a good amount of eggs I will be experimenting on how to successfully send some eggs to the US with a couple of them together with a member of this forum. If we want this species to be a main stay in the hobby we need more dedicated keepers/breeders. Believe me, this species requires some dedication and a lot of patience. It's not like Triturus and such, which can give you eggs within a year or two. The raising of the larvae and juveniles is challenging as well. Methods that seem to be working perfect for some can be of no use for another. Small details can mean the difference between success and failure.
 
I had actually forgotten a keeper out west has a colony of Laos, some eggs would be awesome! Really hoping the yangi come through this year, but will be happy with any eggs really lol.
 
Two couples are laying eggs... and they're developing. The couple who had unfertilised eggs last year, probably due to the move, produces some duds between the good ones though.
 
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