Italian Crested Newts

[discoferret]

Hello everyone,

Ive just bought a sexed pair of Italian Crested Newts. There not coming for a couple of weeks so will be getting the aquarium ready. Ive got a few questions to ask.

1.Should I use a half water half land set-up? Or an aquatic set-up?

2. What plants can I use in the tank?

3. Best way to treat the water right for them?

4. Is a filter system needed for them or will changing a percentage of water each week be better?

And any other info that you might think I would need to know. Thanks.

Peter.

 

[jewett]

Hi discoferret, and welcome to the forum. Have you read this care sheet yet?

http://www.caudata.org/cc/species/Triturus/T_alpestris.shtml

If not I would highly recommend doing so. I keep my Ma's in a completely aquatic set up with just a small floating island. They rarely use it. I use java moss, java fern, and money wort for my plants, and I use aged tap water treated with a dechlorinator for the tank. I do not use a filter for my animals because I do not like the current produced (and I don't think the animals do either) nor the increase in temp a filter may create. So I do twice weekly 20% water changes and clean out any uneaten food after every feeding, though they hardly ever leave anything left uneaten.
Have fun with these newts, mine are active and entertaining.

 

[coendeurloo]

Heather, Italian Crested Newts are Triturus carnifex, not Mesotriton alpestris. The proper caresheet for this species is: http://www.caudata.org/cc/species/Triturus/Triturus_sp.shtml

 

[jewett]

Oh, I am so sorry! I was completely thinking Alpine Newts. I apologize, disocoferret.