How big of a tank?

[justin]

How big of a tank do you guys use for your crocodile newts? I have a spare 10 gallon tank that I am considering using for my setup and just wanted to know what you guys use and if i could see some pics.

 

[foster]

I use 50 gal breeder tanks for each group of the 3 species that I have. This seems to work well for 6 shanjings and 5 tailangensis however it almost seems too small for my 6 kweichows. I'm not sure which species that you are considering but a 10 gal is quite small.
Chip

 

[justin]

I am considering keeping 2 Tylototriton kweichowensis in a 10 gallon tank. The biggest I could go is probably a 20L just because of room constraints.

 

[edward]

A 10 gallon is probably too small. For attempts at breeding I use at least a 20 l.

Ed

 

[justin]

I am going to buy a 30 Breeder. Now the next question is, would you guys recommend a false bottom setup? Also, what elements should I make sure I have in the tank besides a water area for them to submerge and mate? Is a waterfall a good idea? Where can I get the wood to put in my tank? What type of substrate/soil should I use and where can I find it (is it normal hardware store stuff or what)? Should I get a heater for the tank and place it in false bottom portion of the water to keep humidity/heat up? What temps do they like the most?

I have so many questions, if you can just make a list and respond to them. As you can see I am very excited & dedicated to making these guys work out.

Lastly, I was thinking of a setup similar to this: http://www.victri.net/tanks/vivarium_2005-06-20.html Any objections, recommendations, or comments on it for these guys?

(Message edited by serox on July 14, 2005)

 

[foster]

I have never used a false bottom setup so I cannot comment on that. The basic design that I use is 50/50 land/water with gravel as a substrate and a piece of driftwood and some rocks as a divider. Cork bark flats on the land area serve as shelters. The water area is heavily planted with java moss (some of this on the land as well) and I also have a nice cutting of pothos that has sent many roots down into the water. I originally had used one of those tetra internal filters that creates a waterfall. I found that this created too much turbulence so I tried a more natural approach with only an airstone and the plants. This was ineffective for 6 animals however (I suspected a buildup of anaerobic bacteria due to the stench) so I am now using a small submersible filter with a piece of hose attached to the outflow port that wraps around to the opposite end of the tank. This has worked really well. I have read that there is a concern over too much heat being produced by electric pumps especially in small tanks however this has not been a problem for the 50 gal (I also keep them in the basement). Also, definitely no heater. Temps in the 60's seem to be good (again I am no authority) but you certainly do not want to go much higher than that. There are better qualified members that can give additional information however the above setup has seemed to work well for my animals (with the exception of breeding).
Chip