Cynops Orientalis enclosure set up please help

[meowmags]

Hello all, me again!

So upon doing more research, I am becoming more and more confused and scared on how to set up my tank for my Cynops Orientalis and Neurergus Crocatus.

Some people have found that they drowned in their water dishes after morphing??? How could this have happened? Are they that terribly bad at climbing out? How terrestial do their enclosures need to be? I'm thinking of doing a full moss set up for both of them and some shallow water at the bottom? (Until they become fully aquatic and i can set up their proper enclosures) But now I'm super scared about setting them up as I really don't want them to drown
I don't have many newts to play around with, I only have 1 Cynops Orientalis of around 3 months old, then 2 eggs of his kind.
2 Neurergus Crocatus larvae of around 1month + old.

I'm attaching a picture of the tank I would like to set up eventually for them but really when they're fully aquatic. I would like the top part where the wood is to be mossy and then they could swim all the way at the bottom and underneath

 

[stanleyc]

I just want to confirm, you’re planning on that wood part to be the only terrestrial section, and the entire bottom would be aquatic, albeit very shallow water?

 

[meowmags]

I just want to confirm, you’re planning on that wood part to be the only terrestrial section, and the entire bottom would be aquatic, albeit very shallow water?

Yes so my plan is, for the wood to have a shelf like moss flooring on it with rocks and "caves" underneath and the whole floor be aquatic with lots of plants and some rocks

Though now thinking about it, once they morph, I might do a 5G tank for them fully terrestial with some water and then once they grow bigger, I will transfer them into this big tank with the wood in it

 

[stanleyc]

Yeah I think that will be a better idea. In the setup you have pictured above, it looks like the only way the newt can access the terrestrial portion would be to climb that rock holding up the piece of wood? I could be mistaken. But if that's the case, then it's a pretty steep climb. Don't get me wrong, newts can scale even the completely vertical glass walls of your tank, but if their life is depending on it, it's probably not great. You want a larger area from which they can access land and a gradual climb. This could be some flatter rocks or driftwood, substrate, etc.

You could definitely keep them fully terrestrial if you're worried about them drowning, just make sure you have a moisture gradient and/or a water dish. I am not very experienced in keeping newts terrestrially so I shouldn't say too much.