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N. Kaiseri Setup - New to Caudata

lhoy

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Figured I would stop in and say hi. I have kept reptiles (venomous, dart frogs, lizards, etc), tarantulas, scorpions, and centipedes for decades but finally getting into newts. I have (3) kaiseri coming early next week from Dan and can't wait. I found a 20 gallon rimless tank with stand and LED light for a steal. Painted the stand with black textured paint.

Had some spider wood that I was planning on using for a hardscape only freshwater aquarium but decided it would work great for this setup. Went and bought some beautiful igneous stone at local landscaping place and then some white sand. I wanted a setup that would be a nice display and really highlight the outstanding colors of these newts.

Here are some photos of the setup coming together today:

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Igneous rocks washed and ready to be selected. Local landscape supply sold 50lb bags only so had quite a few to choose from for this setup.

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Spiderwood from Aquarium Design Group in Houston, Texas.

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Tank with white sand. Leveled by using a paintbrush and had slightly higher in rear to add some depth.

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Added spiderwood to tank and played with a few different layouts. Finally decided on this one. Wood had been soaking for 3 weeks and scrubbed on several occasions so it was ready to go in a tank.

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Starting to add stones.

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Final layout. Lights won't be on that often but they were a part of the deal with the tank ($50 for tank, stand, and lights). May drop the water level just a bit. Filter is a simple Tetra Whisper which is a bit intrusive in hardscape but didn't have a canister filter available at the moment. May change to one eventually for aesthetics.

Thinking of adding some Java Moss on some branches but otherwise think it is all set.http://www.caudata.org//www.pinterest.com/pin/create/extension/
 

Stupot1610

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I think it looks really good. The only thing I would say is, you need a lid; even if the newts are happy, in the best environment possible they can and will escape.
 

lhoy

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There is a lid that is glass and very tight fitting, just didn't have it on yet since they haven't arrived, but I do appreciate making sure I was aware of that! I would hate to lose any of these beauties!
 

supergrappler

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You have one gorgeous set up there! I would however agree with the other post here in that you do need a lid. Preferably a screen lid would be best as this would allow more fresh air to circulate and also keep the temps down. If you cannot find a lid that will fit the dimensions of your tank then you can make one using screen, wood, hot glue and wood staples. I did this for years when I had odd sized tanks.

In recent years I have purchased all of my screen lids from petco, petsmart and some local privately owned shops. Here is what I found at petco for you. Petco Heat Resistant Screen Top at PETCO

Good luck!!!! Looking forward to seeing your finished setup. :animal:
 

lhoy

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Thanks for kind words. The lid is actually three separate sections and one is plastic that can easily be replaced with screen if necessary and/or I can easily adapt for a small computer fan to help keep temps down if they don't stay down enough. The light will normally not be on either but there is virtually no heat from the light. With light on the temp is at 71 degrees right now (taken by Raytek minitemp).
 
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