Question: I need help and i need it fast!!!!! please!!!

[danieltb]

So my girlfriend brought home two Cynops Orientalis the other day, they are about an inch big. Well she did not get alot of stuff for them (probably thinking I would buy most of it for her, since I buy her a lot of stuff). Well she left for 10 days and asked me to take care of them so I am, and I'm a new person to having newts and so is she. Right now they are in a kritter keeper with gravel and a fake plant. The water has aquatize water conditioner in it and I change it out everyday with water that has sat out overnight. There is also a 10 gallon tank with a reptofilter and a submersible pump. It has 10 lbs of gravel in it I think? and a bunch of different sized smooth decor rocks. the top i am using is a glass top, and early i noticed that with the top on the water gets warmer. And I really wanted to do this for my girlfriend.
so now it's time for the questions.

Their temporary Habitat, Is this ok? if no, then why not?

What do you recommend i do for a top? or whats the best way to make my own?

What kind of plants are best with no special lights? How do you plant them? Do you need soil or not? and if so what kind?

How should i make the land portion of it? I don't know of any place to get glass for a divider. What kind of substrate should i use for the land? and is gravel ok for my underwater substrate?

Anything else you think I need? please tell me!!!

 

[Otterwoman]

I don't think you need to change the water every day, just keep them in the ten-gallon with the filter.

Also a screen top would be better, let air circulate and not keep the heat in.

The best plant would be java moss.

For their land, all you need is a floating cork or a decoration that sticks out of the water.

You can do a search on this site for all your questions, and see also: these articles will answer all your questions.

http://www.caudata.org/cc/articles/articles.shtml

http://www.caudata.org/cc/articles/escape.shtml

http://www.caudata.org/cc/species/Cynops/C_orientalis.shtml

Good luck!

 

[Jennewt]

Do you really mean "reptofilter and a submersible pump" as two separate items? Anything electrical will produce heat, so using both of these is overkill and will heat up the water (not good). Be sure to read the Escape article carefully, as this is very very important. Small newts are Houdinis. A screen lid is better than a glass top, as it will help keep the water cooler. Also, these newts don't like a current, so you might actually do just as well with the 10gal tank and no filter at all. Since the newts are so small, they may prefer a shallow tank, and there are very few filters that will work in very shallow water.

People often try to design a tank with a big gravel slope to make the land area. But this design is a nightmare to clean, as food and waste get lost in the gravel. As Dawn said, think about islands made from a large rock, brick, or floating bark. Look at the Setups article for more ideas.

 

[Azhael]

One inch is the size of a smallish freshly metamorphosed juvenile. I doubt so much that any pet-shop in the world is selling those that i personally don´t even consider the idea.
I think you meassured them wrong...
If by some cosmic reason they are actually that size, then they have to be kept fully terrestrial, as they are extremely hydrophobic and can easily drown.

If you have the time, please post a pic of both the animals and the tank, it will allow us to help you further.

 

[danieltb]

well i'm going to take out the submersible pump today, and thanks for the help.

Turns out i'm a bad guesser, they are actually pretty close to two inches.

I will be posting some pictures on here later.

 

[danieltb]

and also i have the tetra reptofilter: http://www.petsmart.com/product/index.jsp?productId=2752353
is there any way i can reduce the current or outflow of it?

 

[KJ_29]

Hey Daniel,
A little while back, I was also asking around on this forum for help establishing the best set-up for my 3 Cynops Orientalis. Initially, my 10-gallon set-up was composed of gravel, a few plants, a submersible filter, and tree roots and rocks breaking the surface of the water.
Gradually, with guidance from members on the forum, I've came to use sand as a substrate, no filter, and plenty of oxygenating plants, such as Elodea and Cabomba; and also Java Fern. I'd also removed the rocks and wood that provided 'land' areas, and raised the water level.
The removal of the filter elimanted the current and heat issues, and was substituted by the addition of lots of live plants. The use of sand means less waste, if any at all, is trapped in the substrate, maintaining better water quality; which is further cause to avoid the use of a filter. I've noticed the newts are able to move about much, much easier across sand rather than gravel. Planting is easier with sand too; Elodea and Cabomba stems can simply be prodded into the sand; Java Fern can be attached to rocks or wood with fishing line, or some such, whilst the roots establish themselves.
My animals certainly seem much more content in this set-up.
Of course, these are only suggestions, but I've found this set-up seems to work very well indeed.
On another note, I'm sure you and your girlfriend will enjoy keeping this species; you'll thank her for bringing them home

 

[Jennewt]

You can decrease the current from the reptofilter by putting a brick or a bunch of rocks right under the outflow. However, you may also want to consider Karl's good suggestions.