Great set up for CFBN?

[vilaash]

I want to make a nice set up when i get a bigger tank for my Chinese fire belly newt. But i don't want to go broke. I'm hoping to get a 5gal tank, maybe 10 gal at most. Right now my CFBN stays on the land the most. So i was thinking of making it half water and half land. I just have a few things i want to know are ok for a CFBN, and if i can get it low price. So if you have any ideas about if it is ok for my CFBN, or if you have one, please let me know a price range, and maybe a cheaper alternative.


(Good/bad, and/or $$, what kind.)

• Moss
• Water filter
• Small gentle water fall
• Light
• Heater
• Plants (live, fake)
• Gravel/ rock
• Hides/caves/or any kind of housing
• Lid for tank

Also, If you know how to create you own, please let me know, Im open for any, and all, ideas.


P.S. What do you keep your crickets in, if you have them, and what do you feed them?

Thank you for your time

 

[Mark]

Moss – Avoid sphagnum moss as it can be acidic. Most woodland mosses (free!) are ok for tanks but they won’t grow without strong light.
Water filter – With only one newt in a small tank a filter is probably overkill. An air bubbler and regular water maintenance would be more suitable.
Small gentle water fall – Your newt doesn’t want a waterfall. Save your money.
Light – If the tank receives good natural light you don’t need one. If the tank is in a dark area or you want it lit for display purposes then you should choose a low wattage fluorescent tube that is positioned so that it doesn’t increase the temperature in the tank. Some lids accommodate a light fitting but these are usually designed with tropical fish in mind. Bear in mind, the more light you have the more algae will grow; more algae = more cleaning.
Heater – Certainly not. Your newt likes it cold – the colder the better.
Plants (live, fake) – Plastic/Silk are cheap and easy to maintain. Live plants are more maintenance and finding species that thrive in cold water is sometime difficult. Elodea, java moss and hornwort are my favourites.
Gravel/ rock – I don’t like gravel but many keepers use a thin layer. In my opinion it just traps dirt. Rocks can be effective and are easy to clean. Slate or other flat rocks can be used both as décor and stacked to create hides/caves.
Hides/caves/or any kind of housing – on land cork or tree bark are effective.
Lid for tank – Very important. A screen lid is best as it will help keep temperatures down. The key things are that it prevents escape and provides ventilation.

The great thing about newts is that they don’t require fancy aquarium gadgets or expensive decorations. Keep your eye out for nice rocks and aquatic plants whenever you’re out and about. Good luck with your new tank and be sure to post some pictures of it when it's finished .

 

[Jennewt]

Super answer, Mark. I would add some encouragement to get the 10-gallon tank rather than 5. At my local Petsmart, I can get a 10-gallon tank with a screen lid for about $18 total. That's a steal, and a 5-gallon with lid wouldn't save you much.

For short-term storage, I keep crickets in a bare plastic tub with wet cotton balls for water and fish food flakes for food. For longer term storage (I only use 2 large crickets/day, so I have to keep the large ones alive for a while), I use a big tub of damp soil with a dish of fish food. They stay alive for weeks like this, no problem. For either setup, I keep a stack of fiber-board egg-crates for them to hide in. NOTE: it is very important to dust crickets before use because they are calcium-deficient (no matter what you feed them).

 

[vilaash]

I have a 10 gal. Its a bit big for him. I got the tank for $4 and a cover (a tiny bit big by a half inch length wise, and 1/3 inch on width) for $8. so thats $12. Not to bad. lol. I also bought flukers spanish moss. Is that ok? I bought a reptile water bowl and put the moss in it. (I could not find any slate rocks. and around here they cost alot). I went to Dollar Tree and bought jumbo decor stones, they are big plat marbles, they had them for $1, so I bought 15 bags. I laid them flat and layered them and in each layer i left out a row. At first I had it this way ( [ \ / ] ) but not so high. what i mean is i had a dip in the middle. But, i realized the "moss bowl" was really tall, so i removed most stones on one side and put the bowl there. [\ -]. I still need a light since where i have the tank it is very dark and i like to give it more a show case look also. i will post pics soon.

 

[Repguy27]

I thought of a great looking setup although I haven't actually used it but it should be okay for one small cfbn.
-12 x 12 x 12 Exo terra glass terranium
-river pebbles at the bottom
- a few aquatic plants
-water filled up as much as possible
-slate rock coming out of the water for land

I'm not sure about filtration but I would say an external filter for aesthetic reasons.