Dicamptodon help!

[sara]

Hi,
I am a a new member to the forum. I am a graduate student who studies Blanding's turtles. The lab I work in is going to be getting a few Dicamptodons and I have been put in charge of them... anything about their care would be soooo helpful. I have a 55 gallon tank to work with and it has filtration. So what is the best way to keep these guys? They will be larval when I get them, I don't know whether they are a form that is paedomorphic or not. What will they readily eat? Temp? Water quality? Depth? I've had experience with terrestrial tiger salamanders and a really cool bolitoglossid, but really don't know much about the Pacific giants. Any help would be terrific!
thanks,
Sara

 

[joseph]

No personal experience(haven't even found a larvae in habitat)but I would keep them cold, clean, and lots of oxygen/water movement.They'd probably appreciate large flat rocks or similar shelter to hide under.

Hope this helps just a little.

 

[paris]

ive had adults for years, they seem to like a stream like set up best with lots of logs in and out of the water to hide in, they had a bad habit of biting each other, but then one was 1/2 blind (cateract) and they snap easily at anything that they mistake for food (like your finger or their cage mate). i kept them comfortably in the 60-70 range they ate cat food from a spoon, night crawlers (whole) and crickets. they are not as outgoing as tigers but will get used to you.