Question: Just a few questions

[jamessamlev]

Hi guys I just need to ask a few things:

How often do you change the substrate in the tank?

What live plants are good for influencing breeding?

Are earthworms a good staple diet for newts, axolotl ect.?

Do axolotls and alpine newts mind a slow (very slow) filter current?

I will be very thankful to have these answered

 

[Asevernnnn]

Assuming you're talking about aquatic species rather than terrestrial...

-Most substrates wouldn't have to be changed out, sand and siliconed slate tiles would work well, gravel is an impaction hazard but would be okay if waste was removed from under it often and feeding was done in a dish or by hand. Bare bottom is also a way to have no impaction risk and have an easier time with clean up.

-I don't think that live plants will induce breeding behavior, they just lay their eggs on them. My newts have laid in elodea, java fern, java moss, and sword plants, but plastic garbage bag strips can be used as an alternative.

-Earthworms are one of the best if not the best things to feed for a staple diet, other things like bloodworms are nutritionally incomplete, some types of carnivore pellets would work as

-It would probably depend on how slow it would be going, Axolotls usually don't tend to like any type of current, and its the same with a lot of newts. Ideally you could have just a lot of live plants and a sponge filter and wouldnt have to worry about any mechanical filtration, assuming frequent spot cleaning and regular water changes are done.

 

[jamessamlev]

Thank you this is just what I needed, also people talk a lot about cycling the tank I've never heard of this until I came on this forum, could anybody possibly explain

 

[Asevernnnn]

This article should help you out with starting a cycle:
http://www.caudata.org/cc/articles/cyclingEDK.shtml