Setting up vivarium

[carl]

i need some help here but please can you try and be a bit simple i need help setting up a vivarium for 1 fire salamander is 1 and a half foot long enough and i want to use soil/compost can anyone advise a certain one also i heard they like it cool so do i need a fan on it also does he need a light last but not least what plants are good to use that need very little light in damp conditions thankyou in advance

 

[william]

i can do you on plants, most ferns are excellent, they like it shady and damp, devil's ivy, or pothos is also excellent spider plants can live i find that spider plants are very tollerant from abuse, i keep them in all kinds of substrate and also water. and moss is great as a ground cover to. in my Ambystoma set up i've got pothos and pteris ferns, dracanea, eunomyus and spider plants and creeping fig. (i think i spelt those right

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[carl]

does anybody no if normal garden compost will do

 

[mike]

If you mean soil straight from your garden, then yes thats fine, a good loam type is superior to a soil that comprises mostly of sand or clay.
If you prefer to buy from a garden nursery, then John Innes Compost No.3 is a good alternative.

 

[alan]

Mike, I've always been worried about nitrate/phosphate levels in JI No.3 (which is easy to get hold of) and tried to use JI No.1 (which is hard to get hold of). Does it make a difference?

 

[sergé]

i just use a forest soil, collected in a oak/beeche forest. Change it every two-three months.

 

[carl]

can i not buy a bag of any garden compost or does it have to be a certain one?

 

[mike]

Alan - I have used JI No.1 in the past, but now use No.3 exclusively, keeping Salamandra and Triturus from metamorphs through to adult. I use it for over-wintering Triturus too, with no ill-effects.
Carl - both Serge' and myself have told you what works for us, and I have explained to you in another post why I personally use a soil-based compost, but will try again here.
Most multi-purpose composts are used for: sowing seeds, cuttings, potting, and filling tubs and hanging baskets. They are comprised of mainly sphagnum moss bog peat, which makes them lightweight with good water-retentive properties. Being peat-based, it is also very acidic.
Go for a soil-based compost, it is sold in smaller bags, as it is far heavier in weight.

 

[carl]

ok thanks for that

 

[chwan]

I also need some help for the substrate problem, which i used in the tank. I place some wet moss as the substrate, but i remember that the pet store told me that don't let the substrate too wet for my fire salamander, is he right??? (I don't think the pet store is 100% correct for providing the information ) and also what humidity level is suit for the fire salamander??? Thank You!

 

[mike]

Do you use mounds of live moss, or a sphagnum moss? (often used in horticulture) and which can be very acidic.
I personally do not entertain sphagnum as a substrate. A more natural floor covering would be damp forest soil, partly moss covered, with clay flower pot hides. Pieces of cork bark, which is lightweight and can be placed one on top of another, so that your Salamandra can choose it's own humidity preference is a good idea.
Spraying the vivarium regularly with aged water, combined with a little ventilation will provide the high humidity levels required.

 

[chwan]

I used the sphagnum moss, because i can bought that in the supermarket, I wish to use the live moss, but i can't found any (on sold in shops), I decided to found live moss from the wild.