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Dreamtheory

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I was wondering if there is a thread on here about how to make your own set-up for salamanders, I was browsing around for a while but i didn't see one.

I saw the set up link --> http://www.caudata.org/cc/articles/setups3.shtml

And i absolutely love Terrestrial Setup #7 but I need something like a check-list of things I would need to buy to complete a large project like that one there.

If anyone knows where a thread is on these forums explaining on how to build and what i need please point me in that direction =)

thank you very much in advance for your help
 
well if you really love #7 you could simply ask Zuccone and he might be able to lay out a building plan or he may even help you in step-to-step with it, i have never met Zuccone nor have i had the pleasure of chatting with him but i know the forum has loads of simply lovely people with gracious characters.

alternatively you could use basic analysis to guide yourself on creating a set-up that could rival any other and be totally original to you and your newts/salamnaders, in either case it shouldn't be very hard to do and the vivarium/terrarium section has great threads about this specific sort of thing.

the basics are:
-actual tank
-tank lid
-maybe some glass for dividers and what not
-silicon
-some kind of inert bonding material
-maybe some "great stuff"
-chosen substrate or mix
-suitable woods
-suitable plants
-treated water
-rock or rock thing (gravel, sand, slate, stones, etc) (maybe, it depends really)
-maybe a good light to show of the nice green and keep the living green things alive
-various tools and plenty of time

i think that should cover the basics, the rest is either variable or another valid reason i excluded but i can't think of at the moment because it's late and im slightly tired, once you have the basics the sky is your limit on how you use the items and how you want your tank to look.

P.S. google is very reliable friend when it comes to images and that sort of thing, as well as the forum search function.
 
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the basics are:
-actual tank --
-tank lid --
-maybe some glass for dividers and what not
---- What would you be dividing? where would you place the glass?
-silicon
---- What brand is used for a project like this?
-some kind of inert bonding material
-maybe some "great stuff"
---- I Heard of this, seen pics of people using it, seems to do the job great.
-chosen substrate or mix
---- i got some Coconut husk, was told to get some top soil as well.
-suitable woods
---- Do you have an example of one or two?
-suitable plants
---- What plants work well with a salamander set up?
-treated water
---- What does that mean? So tap water is no good?
-rock or rock thing (gravel, sand, slate, stones, etc) (maybe, it depends really)
-maybe a good light to show of the nice green and keep the living green things alive
---- Do you know what type of light?
-various tools and plenty of time


sorry for all the questions I'm just trying to learn and make a great like for our salamander
 
-a divider would be used to seperate a water feature the substrate to keep the substrate from being too soggy and the water getting dirty or it can be used to keep 2 species seperated if they don't get along (like a larger salamander species and a smaller one), here is a related article:
Caudata Culture Articles - Setups With Dividers

-im not really sure as i haven't used it myself, im sure most silicon brands work the same way and should be used in the same way, i may be wrong so i would wait for a more knowledgeable member to come along for your silicon needs.

-i use coconut fibre with my tiger, when i get the money im going to make a mix of 50% coconut, 25% top soil (organic), and 25% sphagnum moss (brick) and here is a link about substrates to use with terrestrial species: Caudata Culture Articles - Vivarium Substrates

-better yet, i have the caresheet which covers all suitable woods and which ones aren't :
Caudata Culture Articles - Wood in Vivaria

-most hardy plants will work, as it needs to be able to survive the stomping/burrowing/whatever else that your salamnader will put it through, you could alternatively leave the plant in it's pot, specific examples are ferns, moss', you could also look at your sals natural home and the plants that live there, fake plants will also work.

-i have never seen the side-by-side comparison of sals with treated water and sals with tap water, i've always played it safe and treated my sals water beforehand as i know chlorine can wreak havoc on my own eyes, for most sals though they will use direct water rarely and when they do they will use it to go to the washroom instead of a drink, im sure tap water would be fine if you can't get your hands on some de-chlorinator.

-im sure most light sources will work fine, you could go all out and spend a couple hundred dollars on the "deluxe-super sun ULTRA package" but i don't see the need for them, sals won't need any light (i wonder what a pitch-black environment would do to a sal?) to be happy, the light would be so that you could look into the tank and oggle your sal (i know i oggle my sal a lot, he/she is so pretty) and to keep the live plants lively. just for reference my plants (some local moss and a lovely local vine plant) do just fine with the lightless corner (some sunlight, not a lot) and they grow despite my sals constant stomping and thrashing as he eats.

the questions are fine i enjoy helping out a fellow member where ever i can, i may not be an expert but i do know what works for me and what has worked for others before me, and besides we all want the best for our 'slimey' little friends (note: not slimey).

also here is an article related to building projects if you want to give them a look and maybe an attempt:
Caudata Culture Articles - Vivarium Building Projects
(if it has water in it you could try it without the water)
 
yup its official, your my favorite person on these forums, your awesome! tyvm for the answers :D
 
lol, im glad i could help so much.
 
For a spotted salamander (A.maculatum) you should be thinking of a fully terrestrial tank. They only use the water during the breeding season. I suposse outside of it, they can even drown (as happens with other species). If you want to provide some water (which is always a safety meassure) just provide a shallow water dish.

They have the same basic care requirements as A.tigrinum/mavortium, so make sure to read this caresheet:
Caudata Culture Species Entry - Tiger salamander
 
Ok scratch that last idea, i don't feel like drowning my buddy! thanks for the info, i seem to be learning tons every day about these slimy little guys :rolleyes:
 
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