Hi Froggy, yes, it's been specifically set up to mimic their natural habitat. The sand, gravel, rocks, leaves and branches come from the exact same place as the newts do. But the really fine clayish substrate, which is found in their original habitat, was unfortunately sucked up by the sponge filter. I'll have to find a way to get around that. The tank has only just been set up.
In addition to the sponge filter in a rear corner of the tank, there's a small heater in there to prevent the temp from falling below 14C. The Egeria densa was added because the females are laying eggs.
Ryan, the driftwood in there has already been weathered to stop it leaching tannic acid into the water. The moss at the back of the tank, the main land area, is already stuck to some soil. The rest is just draped over the wood, and is of a kind that lasts a long time like that. I'll put up another pic soon to show what I mean.