I was talking to Patrick Ouwehand about the semi-aquatic tank in which I breed Neurergus kaiseri and he asked me how I created the land area:
The tank is 60 x 45 cm and the land area is created from a 30 x 30 cm natural sandstone paving slab and a 30 x 15 cm piece of slate (along the back), supported above the water by clay flower pots. There are pieces of corkbark to create hides on the islands. These are covered with Java moss (Vesicularia dubyana) and pothos (Epipremnum aureum). In the water there is Java moss, Java fern (Microsorum pteropus) and hornwort (Ceratophylum demersum).
The kaiseri are only in this tank during the breeding season (1-2 months) which follows the winter cooling period I give them. While it is possible to keep this species permanently in a semi-aquatic setup, this is so far from their natural environment that I personally don't think this is a good idea. Also, I'm not sure what the effects on breeding would be, so for the rest of the year, they live here:
8 comments:
Hello,
I just want to ask where did you buy
that semi aquatic tank?
Is just im looking to buy 2 Fire belly newts but first i want to get the tank.So i need a semi aquatic tank if you know could you tell me some websites where they sell them.
Many thanks.
The best bet is to make your own. Just buy a fish tank, make sure you have an escape-proof lid. Add brick of flower pot supports, some sort of platform, plants, etc.
Hi AJC!
Thanks a lot for this blog! It's very helpful! Here are my questions:
I want to make a semi aquatic tank, but in my case it should be something that works for a wide range of amphibians. The idea is to put in it individuals to young to identify, wait until they grow, identify them and then set them free again in their place of origin. So I'll mostly have tadpoles and juvenile newts. This means I need to have a shallow water zone, but also a deeper water zone. I'd like this transition o be gradual... Any good ideas about how I could do this?
Also, do amphibians need substrate at the bottom of the water zone? What should this be?
Can I have substrate and still keep the water clean with a filter?
Could you recommend me a good site about semi-aquatic tanks?
Sorry for all these questions, but it's my first tank and I'd like my amphibians to be comfortable!
Thanks a lot!
It sounds as though you're going to mix different species together?
Don't, this is a really bad idea: http://www.caudata.org/cc/articles/Mixing_disasters.shtml
For setups, see: http://www.caudata.org/cc/articles/setups.shtml
Pardon me about this but can I place newts and firebellies outside in the yard. I wonder as I'm live in a tropical country where its hot. I'm putting them under a small cool shelter though.
The main problem with keeping newts outdoors is preventing them from escaping - which they are very good at. You also don't tend to see very much of them, which makes it hard to monitor how they are getting on. Firebellied newts like to be cool, so in a tropical country, you're going to have to be very careful.
Hi, nice blog. Can I ask, is the tadpoles being sucked up, or onto, the filter a problem? If so, how do you prevent it.
No, but the filter runs very slowly. It's possible to encase the pump in fine netting if you're worried.
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