Storage tank converted to an outdoor viv

[outdoorvivaria]

I took an old water storage tank from the attic. I got caps from the DIY store to seal off the openings where the pipes exited the tank.

I added an 8" wooden over hand to prevent anything climbing out.

I took a deep waterproof container and placed it in the middle of the tank. I added rocks, wood and peat moss to create an island. There are underground tunnels and caves so the newts can burrow deep to avoid cold weather. I took some live moss from my driveway and covered the surface of the island.

I then filled the tank with water. I took a scraping from the bottom of my other pond which consists of leaves and mud and of course the pond life. This will not only provide the newts with food but also a medium to burrow into if they choose to over winter in the water.

Plants I took from my existing ponds and aquaria. Elodea and and duckweed as well as some other that I am not sure the name of.

There is no filtration so it is important that there are lots of aquatic plants to deal with the nitrates.

I am going to add alpine newts to this set up although it is built in the greenhouse so may get too hot. I will monitor the situation closely.

Here are some pics....

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[dean james]

How did it do during the summer? If you don't mind a few tips, I would keep an eye on the iris plant as it grows, as newts can climb up the leave which then bend forward and bingo they can slide out of the enclosure.
If you are worried about temps, may be you could dig the bottom half into the ground, to keep it cooler in the summer or paint the out side of the house with white greenhouse paint to reflect the heat, or cover with shade netting. Also if possible take a few upper panes of glass out of the sides of the greenhouse to allow a flow of air through, this allows you to keep the door closed to stop cats etc gaining access to the set up.

 

[outdoorvivaria]

It did very well, I decided against the alpines newts as I was worried about the heat. instead I put a little group of Bombina orientalis in it. They appeared to relish the heat and were calling all summer. they stayed in this enclosure until late October when I moved them inside again. I will put them out again in the next few weeks. I need a few more females I think to hopefully get them to breed this year.