Aquatic vs. Non Aquatic

[Nachtmare]

So I've been thinking about what I would like to have pet wise for my future. Now my question is which way should I go? I am thinking about going all fish/eel/etc or going with newts/salamanders/etc.

What do you guys suggest?
And if you guys have experience, please explain your reasoning.


Obviously I could just do both(and probably will), but wanted to hear what everyone else thought.



Thanks

 

[Chinadog]

What about looking at Axolotls? They are simple to care for, easy to breed and a great way to gain experience in raising baby amphibians. They are also quite responsive and smarter than you'd think to look at them.

 

[allied123]

Even though I did just get a couple axies, I say non-aquatic. I used to have bearded dragons and a snake and now water chemistry is a nightmare. Axies are adorable and maybe it's just me but water changes and water testing are such a pain and I can't even imagine if they got fungus or something because their temperature has to be oh so low (below 70 but in Florida that's hard!). The bearded dragons were so easy just change the substrate and pick up poop and have a heat lamp and food and water of course, but they could also sit with me and be held...

 

[Boomsloth]

Even though I did just get a couple axies, I say non-aquatic. I used to have bearded dragons and a snake and now water chemistry is a nightmare. Axies are adorable and maybe it's just me but water changes and water testing are such a pain and I can't even imagine if they got fungus or something because their temperature has to be oh so low (below 70 but in Florida that's hard!). The bearded dragons were so easy just change the substrate and pick up poop and have a heat lamp and food and water of course, but they could also sit with me and be held...

Definitely good points to make. I'm also going to add in to consider what each thing eats and how much space they need.

 

[sde]

It is all about personal preference I guess. Some people like aquatic better, some people like non aquatic better. There is a poll somewhere around here that is actually about just that.....

Ah! Here it is, this should help you out a bit. http://www.caudata.org/forum/f1-gen...asier-aquatic-terrestrial.html?highlight=poll
Of course it is about which one is easier but it still might help.

I personally like both :yin-yang: A half and half or partially aquatic is probably my favorite. But terrestrial is good too. I have never kept anything that is fully aquatic, so I can't really say how I like that. -Seth

 

[Nachtmare]

Yea I am about to get two axies very shortly once I get my tank all ready and what not. I am leaning towards non-aquatic because I can hold them haha. They are still my pats and holding them would be alot easier than petting my fish haha.

 

[sde]

Petting amphibians is never a good idea, they have sensitive skin.

And by the way, I live in Washington too

 

[Nachtmare]

Well yea not all off them haha but there are some that can be held or at least I could take them out of their tank and have them roam around for a little bit haha

 

[rachel1]

That's a really bad idea. If you're looking for a hands on pet, a reptile may be a better option. Amphibians are easy to lose outside the enclosure, and they will dry out and die. Also as already mentioned, the oils in your skin are bad for them. I like my fully aquatic species, as I feel I get more viewing time, and the Axolotl's will eat out of my hand. My terrestrials spend a lot of time in their hides, but I also have subterranean, nocturnal species, so that's to be expected. My dart frogs are diurnal and bold, but still more of a pet for observation than handling. If you're looking for something you can carry around and hold, a bearded dragon or leopard gecko or crested gecko are nice low key species that can easily learn to enjoy that kind of interaction.

 

[sde]

You should really avoid holding amphibians completely. If you really want or need to handle a amphibian that do it with cool, wet hands. It is also best to handle them with their tank water.
But essentially, they should just be handled as little as possible. I occasionally handle mine to check their gender, make sure they are healthy, and check their belly color, but I keep it minimal. Handling is not only bad for the amphibians because the oils on your hand can get on them, but also because it can be stressful for them.
Like rachel1 said, if you want to handle your pet, a reptile would be a better option. -Seth

 

[Nachtmare]

Well that goes without saying. Reptiles are the only ones I would think about holding at all. I was thinking about something along the lines of a bearded dragon if I happened to lean in that direction. The future is a mystery so I guess I wont know until I actually get one

 

[allied123]

Bearded dragons are awesome! If you are leaning towards them they're adorable and done really like being held! There were actually a couple posts about bearded dragons somewhere else on here...I think they were posted by findi? Forgive me if this is incorrect and I can't remember where I saw the posts but they were really useful!

 

[Nachtmare]

I will do some searching...not looking too much into it right now since I'm just starting with everything but eventually in a couple years or less I can start getting more

 

[jj90]

i prefer non aquatic, easier to keep tanks clean which im a little ocd about but ill probably do both since there are such unique aquatic animals to choose from.