Dusky Salamander Basic Questions

[AdvythAF]

I'm new to keeping salamanders, so excuse my lack of knowledge.

I have recently acquired two Dusky Salamanders, for a pet store. They were sold as "Dusky Salamanders" so I assume they are Desmognathus fuscus. I have them housed in a 75% land, 25% water set up shown in the pictures below. It is a 10 gallon tank. They are about the same size. The air temperatures are usually around 68ºF and I try to keep the tank around 60% humidity. I use Arrowhead bottled spring water.
Are these temperatures and humidity suitable? Is their set-up suitable?

I have fed each of them small-sized isopods, from my pesticide-free garden. They only accepted one each, but one of them also accepted one slug, which I culture. (The slugs are in a plastic container and laying eggs) I have some aquatic worms/larvae of some kind in my yard as well, could I feed them that?

They haven't eaten in days. How many food items should I feed them, how often, and what kind? Are these food items suitable? If anyone has experience with these species, please let me know.

Also, one of them prefers to stay in the water and the other one prefers to burrow in the dirt. Is this normal behavior?

 

[Cliygh and Mia]

The setup looks cool, but I believe that these salamanders like currents in their water, like a stream or small waterfall. They can also eat earthworms, and that should be their staple diet. BTW I mean night crawlers, not red wigglers, the red ones have a substance which makes animals hate them, and they could stick up their noses to the normal ones, thinking they are too much like the nasty ones. This care sheet might help. Caudata Culture Species Entry - Desmognathus monticola It is a species that needs the same care

 

[sde]

I have recently acquired two Dusky Salamanders, for a pet store. They were sold as "Dusky Salamanders" so I assume they are Desmognathus fuscus. I have them housed in a 75% land, 25% water set up shown in the pictures below. It is a 10 gallon tank. They are about the same size. The air temperatures are usually around 68ºF and I try to keep the tank around 60% humidity. I use Arrowhead bottled spring water.

For housing advice, please look at the link Xavier provided. Personally, though, I would change the setup into a stream style setup. As for the temperature, be careful. These guys need it cool. Try and keep it under 70 F for sure.
Check out this link for info on bottled water and amphibians. Caudata Culture Articles - Bottled Water for Amphibians

I have some aquatic worms/larvae of some kind in my yard as well, could I feed them that?

Yes, that would be fine.

They haven't eaten in days. How many food items should I feed them, how often, and what kind? Are these food items suitable? If anyone has experience with these species, please let me know.

The amount you feed per week depends on the amount you feed at each feeding. You could feed them a lot of food at each feeding but feed less often, or feed a little at each feeding but feed more often. Your choice. As for food items, what you are feeding now is good, but you should feed them earthworms/nightcrawlers as well.
Xavier, not all Caudates hate red wrigglers, in fact it isn't even species specific. And often times it is only when they are cut up that they are refused, when fed whole there is usually less of a problem. Also, what on earth do you mean when you say "they could stick up their noses to the normal ones"!? xD I am very confused.

The reason for them being in separate areas of the tank could be due to their territorial behavior. I am not totally sure though, it could just be coincidence.

 

[Cliygh and Mia]

"they could stick up their noses to the normal ones"!? xD I am very confused.

What I mean (I learned this with my Fowler's toad) is that they learn to stay away from worms in general after eating red wigglers, just like monarch butterflies and the viceroy butterfly, it eats a monarch butterfly, and stays away from things that look like it, including the viceroy. You are right about not every animal hating them though. My tiger salamander loves them when you dangle one in front of him. The only problem is he misses a lot. Sorry for the rant BTW but it's my two cents

 

[Cliygh and Mia]

What I mean (I learned this with my Fowler's toad) is that they learn to stay away from worms in general after eating red wigglers, just like monarch butterflies and the viceroy butterfly, it eats a monarch butterfly, and stays away from things that look like it, including the viceroy. You are right about not every animal hating them though. My tiger salamander loves them when you dangle one in front of him. The only problem is he misses a lot. Sorry for the rant BTW but it's my two cents

Also why take the chance and waste money on something that it very much so might not like

 

[AdvythAF]

I have a small pump meant for aquarium use; I think I will use that to create a current in the water to mimic a stream. I will also work on obtaining night crawlers. As for the feeding, I will see how much they will eat.

Thanks for your help, Seth and Xavier.