Question: Siren Lacertina

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Melanie

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I have the possibility of aquiring 1-3 Greater Sirens (Siren Lacertina) in about a months time. They are currently about 2 feet long. I was wondering what tank size to put them in. Tank sizes for 1 or all three would be helpful. I have checked the Caudata care sheets on the Greater and Lesser Siren but it only states tank sizes for the Lesser varieties.
Thanks for the advice!
-Melanie
 
I would say at least a 55 gallon for all three of them.
 
Somehow I was thinking that it would need to be much bigger than that. Like 90 or 120gallon.
 
Melanie

Please ignore the above comment.

I would recommend purchasing the largest aquarium you can afford. In my opinion, a 120 gallon aquarium would be a minimum for one individual.
 
That's kind of what I figured. I have a 50 gallon for some freshwater fish and looking at the size of a siren and looking at my 50 gallon it just looks way too small. I'm moving from an apartment to a house with a basement so a larger tank will now be a possibility.

Thanks!
 
Thanks for the video! I wont be putting mine with fish though. Too risky I think. If everything works out as planned I'll have to post images for all of you.

Thanks!
 
Melanie

I agree. Housing the Greater Siren in a aquarium of his own is a much better option. Fish will produce more waste and contribute to water quality issues.

I'm looking forward to the photographs!

Take care
 
Thanks for posting that video. It is a beautiful animal, great tank, and wow, it's huge!!
 
I have found a used tank of 180 gallons. So I suppose my new question would be, would it be advisable to stick with only one siren in this tank size or can I put in two comfortably?

Thanks, as always, for the help!
-Melanie
 
I'd say 180 is fine for one, and a bit of a stretch for two, it's possible but I wouldn't call it "comfortable."
 
You have to be really careful with sirens, especially large ones. They're pretty fond of killing each other. If you want to try keeping two together, you're going to need a lot of hides, heavy plant cover, and other objects to create barriers. And even then, you can't guarantee anything; they might get along for 10 years and then you wake up and find one dead and the other covered in bite marks. Keeping lessers together might be easier, but it's the same scenario.

If you want to try it, your best bet is with a large swimming pool or pond, or else keep them all separate.
 
Thanks for the great advice. I had assumed that it would have to be separate but thought that asking about it couldn't hurt. Separate it is.
When I first recieved my axolotls (juveniles) one of them nearly bit the others arm off, it subsequently had to be removed. I don't want to see that again. Somehow in my research before getting them I missed that they are super agressive when they are that age. I've been meaning to post the images of the success story of the regeneration of that limb, thanks none other to the great advice from this site.
I'll post again once I have it all set up.
 
So, I've gotten the tank into the basement. I've been trying to find information on the temperature to house the siren in. The place that they have been in is set for 84F. Which I thought was too high for this species. I've found info that they should be cool, like room temperature but then I also looked at a site that had average temperatures for water in Florida and the highest that it has is 87F during peak summer. Any opinions out there as to the best temperature to house greater sirens in?

Thanks!
Melanie
 
Cooler is better, and 84 all year round could stress the siren. Mid to high 60s in the winter to a mid 70range in the summer would probably be appropriate. Others may have other opinions. Keep in mind though, that greater sirens are found all the way up to Virginia where they would be living in much cooler temps than ones from Florida. Is the one you're getting caught in Florida?
 
Sorry for taking my time to answer you. The siren that I have was said to be from Florida so I assume that it is but then again, you never know....
The poor guy has had a pretty rough start of it. I had set up the tank and matched the water temperature from the store at first to avoid temperature shock and have been lowering it slowly to give a gradual decrease. It has developed a fungal infection on both arms and has some other skin discoloration now. I have been doing salt baths which helped shed the skin of the white fluffy fungus but has left open skin and the fungus keeps growing back on dispite my water changes every two days. It is still eating and is active enough. I had fed it a combination of live earthworms and frozen bloodworm since getting it. I have stopped giving the live earthworm in the thoughts that perhaps it was transferring fungus (eventhough I rinsed the worms prior to feeding).
Has anyone else had fungal issues with greater sirens?
Are there any other methods that I should be doing? The guy that I got it from said to use primafix which is made by the same manufacturer as melafix but is intended for fungus in fish. I have used this to treat my freshwater fish with no success so I am leary of trying it. I'm afaid that the fridge probably doesn't give much space so I haven't done that yet but the temperature is greatly lowered now from my adjustments and from being in my basement.

Thanks for all your help!
Mel
 
Another thought just crossed my mind. Has anyone had success with using a UV sterilizer attached to thier filter to combat fungus?

Thanks
Mel
 
Where are the pics!!?? These guys fascinate me but I don't have the space to house one soooooo... I gotta make do with other peoples pictures!
 
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