I wanted to solicit ideas for converting this 11gal bookshelf rimless into a newt tank. It has been a cherry shrimp and ricefish planted tank for ages, but it got the double kiss of death: invasive New Zealand mud snails (tiny, breed prolifically, inedible to fish, very bad!) and cladaphora algae (like those darn moss balls!). The whole tank is going to get gutted soon, with only the cherry shrimp carrying over. I'm considering shifting it over to a newt and cherry shrimp *only* tank (ramshorn snails, yay or nay?), and I'm weighing pros and cons between two approaches: half full with land areas, or nearly full with only a small haul-out near the top.
Nearly full pros: more room for aquatic plants, more water volume (around 9-10 total gallons) for more stable parameters, could fit a larger internal filter inside. Could comfortably fit... 2-3 newts? Cons: no room for terrestrial plants, only a little haul out.
Half full with land areas pros: Land areas for mosses/nano orchids/dwarf begonia/micro ferns. Could comfortably fit... 1 or 2 newts? Cons: less water (around 5-6 total gallons) means water parameters could shift more easily, less room for filtration.
I have a polycarbonate lid, but I'll be working on a new DIY lid that eliminates gaps.
This tank is in a room that sometimes experiences high 70s in the summer (even with AC, my old house can struggle during the heat waves), down to 68-70 as the average winter temp, with small spikes into the mid 70s due to a nearby heating element. My assumption is that the only two species appropriate for this level of variation would be Cynops cyanurus or Cynops chenggongensis, but I'm open to other suggestions. Pictures included of the tank in its current state--I'll be sad to toss so many otherwise healthy plants, but I can't risk getting any of those snails or cladaphora in the new setup. Happy to hear any ideas or thoughts!
Nearly full pros: more room for aquatic plants, more water volume (around 9-10 total gallons) for more stable parameters, could fit a larger internal filter inside. Could comfortably fit... 2-3 newts? Cons: no room for terrestrial plants, only a little haul out.
Half full with land areas pros: Land areas for mosses/nano orchids/dwarf begonia/micro ferns. Could comfortably fit... 1 or 2 newts? Cons: less water (around 5-6 total gallons) means water parameters could shift more easily, less room for filtration.
I have a polycarbonate lid, but I'll be working on a new DIY lid that eliminates gaps.
This tank is in a room that sometimes experiences high 70s in the summer (even with AC, my old house can struggle during the heat waves), down to 68-70 as the average winter temp, with small spikes into the mid 70s due to a nearby heating element. My assumption is that the only two species appropriate for this level of variation would be Cynops cyanurus or Cynops chenggongensis, but I'm open to other suggestions. Pictures included of the tank in its current state--I'll be sad to toss so many otherwise healthy plants, but I can't risk getting any of those snails or cladaphora in the new setup. Happy to hear any ideas or thoughts!
