Species suggestions

[clearview]

I recently pulled a 55 gallon tank out of retirement, to be fused with one of those tacky old Tetra Viquarium kits. Some look at the plastic in disgust, but I kind of like it. Right now it is empty with the exception of a few guppies and freshwater plants. Any suggestions as to what might flourish in such a set-up would be greatly appreciated. The land area is about 18" from left to right ant 12" from front to back with a stream running from the back corner waterfall to the water side of the aquarium. The water area is about 30" from left to right, 12" from front to back, and 5.5" deep. I could reduce the land by about 3", thus adding 3"x12"x5.5" of water volume if that would be better for the salamanders. Along with species suggestions, what kind of plants and other inanimate objects should I add? Also, the air space in the tank seems quite wasteful (about 2/3 of the tank is empty except for a couple of branches sticking up). All I have to show you right now is a crappy little 1mp picture. More detailed and better quality pics are on their way. Thanks for any help & suggestions. -David

 

[Jennewt]

I would say that any of the Triturus species would do well there. I particularly recommend T. cristatus or karelinii, as they are especially hardy and good eaters. They are likely to use the land in summer and the water in winter. The shallow depth of the water and the size of these newts will limit the number of animals you could fit - I think 2 or 3 of them would be fine.

What's the water temperature? If it's too warm for newts in summer, you could consider fire-bellied toads.

 

[clearview]

Rethinking the setup.

I was trying to anchor a fake tree on the land side for some vines to take over yesterday. In the process, I compromised the integrity of the waterfall/river system. It can be fixed, it's just going to take some time for silicone to cure. While trying to divert my frustration over the fact that I had to tear everything apart, I realized that I could very easily raise the land, therefor expanding the water volume. In doing this, will the list of possible inhabitants change?

In regards to the temp, I'm not sure at the moment, but I live in Ohio where It doesn't get to ridiculously hot or cold. Even if it did, I have central heating and cooling with a pretty accurate thermostat. We like to keep it around 66F in the winter, and 68-70F the rest of the year.

Thanks for your quick response.