nwmnnaturalist
New member
- Joined
- Nov 8, 2011
- Messages
- 229
- Reaction score
- 9
- Points
- 0
- Age
- 43
- Location
- Hubbard County, MN
- Country
- United States
- Display Name
- Cassie
My rescued Abystoma tigrinum (http://www.caudata.org/forum/f1173-...p-etc/80161-my-new-little-rescued-friend.html)is a spoiled brat, and I'm thinking about spoiling it more. It seems to be eager to explore it's habitat and not satisfied. I think I might just be acting like a doting mother more than a herp owner, but I think it may be bored! It will pace the 10 gallon habitat, trying to get through the glass. I love keeping my critters (great and small) happy, so I'm starting to worry!
The current habitat is a standard 10 gallon glass aquarium. The substrate is a mix of leaf-mold (mulched leaves that are slightly decomposed), untreated wood mulch and a bit of native woodland soil. There are some moss-covered strips of bark for it to burrow under, and there is a large fake fern frond for cover. It has a small planter dish filled with river stone and water. I have the rear portion of the tank covered with a camouflage burlap, and the cover is a cheap screen/plastic cover. At first it seemed quite content, but as it is has gotten itself comfortable, it is showing signs it is bored. For now I am going to try and add new things to it's habitat to enrich it, but I think I'm going to need to expand!
My ideal setup would be the equivalent of a 30-40 gallon tank. I've seen some of the member's projects and I like a lot of them. I consider myself pretty darn handy, and I also have a neighbor that is an accomplished carpenter and craftsman. However, I am not able to spend a lot of money at all on this. "Naturalist" does not equal a lot of dollar signs! I'm probably going to snoop around at junk/salvage stores, garage sales and other places to see if I can find furniture that can be converted into an enclosure.
Some of the things I want to include in the new vivarium:
- Water source - I would like to have a larger water source for the salamander, perhaps with a filtration system to help keep slime at bay. I have a variety of aquarium filters which I could potentially turn into some sort of pump system. My dream would be to have a water source that mimics the flow into vernal pools that are around here.
- Substrate - Substrate is no issue, really. I can easily craft my own mixes. I am interested in creating a drainage system so that any spilled water will not sit and stagnate underneath.
- Shelter - Again, I think I can easily create my own shelters for the salamander with various found debris from the forest, but I am also willing to create more sturdy versions such as the hand-made molded creations I've seen here.
- Heat - Knowing this species has a fairly easy temperature requirement means I can probably make do with store-bought heat mats placed on the enclosure.
- Enclosure - The hardest part! I want to create something that is comprised of sturdy, non-toxic materials that are easy to clean. The setup that I like is one with a window at the front, closed sides and back, and an open/accessible top. I would love for the rear portion to be removable if necessary, as well as having an easily accessible bottom for cleaning. Good insulation is a must, but with heating mats it wouldn't be such an issue. If I can salvage the materials, it would be a great plus.
I am open to ANY suggestions in this. I really love some of the work you guys have done, and I love to be creative with these things. I will get some photos of the current enclosure later and post them for you guys to critique.
The current habitat is a standard 10 gallon glass aquarium. The substrate is a mix of leaf-mold (mulched leaves that are slightly decomposed), untreated wood mulch and a bit of native woodland soil. There are some moss-covered strips of bark for it to burrow under, and there is a large fake fern frond for cover. It has a small planter dish filled with river stone and water. I have the rear portion of the tank covered with a camouflage burlap, and the cover is a cheap screen/plastic cover. At first it seemed quite content, but as it is has gotten itself comfortable, it is showing signs it is bored. For now I am going to try and add new things to it's habitat to enrich it, but I think I'm going to need to expand!
My ideal setup would be the equivalent of a 30-40 gallon tank. I've seen some of the member's projects and I like a lot of them. I consider myself pretty darn handy, and I also have a neighbor that is an accomplished carpenter and craftsman. However, I am not able to spend a lot of money at all on this. "Naturalist" does not equal a lot of dollar signs! I'm probably going to snoop around at junk/salvage stores, garage sales and other places to see if I can find furniture that can be converted into an enclosure.
Some of the things I want to include in the new vivarium:
- Water source - I would like to have a larger water source for the salamander, perhaps with a filtration system to help keep slime at bay. I have a variety of aquarium filters which I could potentially turn into some sort of pump system. My dream would be to have a water source that mimics the flow into vernal pools that are around here.
- Substrate - Substrate is no issue, really. I can easily craft my own mixes. I am interested in creating a drainage system so that any spilled water will not sit and stagnate underneath.
- Shelter - Again, I think I can easily create my own shelters for the salamander with various found debris from the forest, but I am also willing to create more sturdy versions such as the hand-made molded creations I've seen here.
- Heat - Knowing this species has a fairly easy temperature requirement means I can probably make do with store-bought heat mats placed on the enclosure.
- Enclosure - The hardest part! I want to create something that is comprised of sturdy, non-toxic materials that are easy to clean. The setup that I like is one with a window at the front, closed sides and back, and an open/accessible top. I would love for the rear portion to be removable if necessary, as well as having an easily accessible bottom for cleaning. Good insulation is a must, but with heating mats it wouldn't be such an issue. If I can salvage the materials, it would be a great plus.
I am open to ANY suggestions in this. I really love some of the work you guys have done, and I love to be creative with these things. I will get some photos of the current enclosure later and post them for you guys to critique.
