Question: I'm having a new newt tank a little advice needed plx

[sophie]

Righto, i currently have 2 fire belly newts (sub adults) in a 2ftx1ft tank and 2 axies in a 3ftx1ft tank, i am having a double tank stand which gives me the option of upgrading my newt tank and aquiring more newts, my current set up is ok but i think i'd make afew changes. where the newts tank will be moving to is the darkest corner of my house so i need a light! which one? i need one that will help my plants and not heat up the tank too much- see below!
i currently have large smooth gravel, which i was thinking of changing to sand or having half and half? any advice on this would be great.
my land areas are a small rock stack and an ornament that sticks out of the water. i have seen a small island that you can stick on the side of your tank to get rid of the rock stack, but the rocks do give shelter to one of my newts which i think he uses as his 'lair'.
plants: i dont have many because they dont seem to last that long, i dont use lights because the temps creep up too high, i would love to have lots of plants for them to climb all over!
i would also need a new filter was thinking the fluval u1(?). i already use the u2 in my axies tank and seems like a good filter.
i would appreciate any advice thanks in advance!
sophie


p.s in my local pet place thingy they have fire belly newts in with red spotted newts, is this not a good idea because i would love some!

 

[Azhael]

I would use sand, and avoid the large stones. Large stones are nice, they give a natural look and shelter, but they trap a lot of debrish and uneaten food, and so they get in the way of proper maintenance. With the sand, cleaning is extremely easy.
If the tank is suficientely big and contains a decent volume of water, a filter is unnecessary. The newts will apreciate the lack of a current.

A good type of light that produces low amounts of heat is a fluorescent tube. If you have excelent ventilation and keep the light slightly over the lid, the heat produced will be minimal. If the tube is decent, plants will grow very well under it.

About the mixture of species, no, it´s a terrible, dreadful idea. Those two species should never be mixed.
I strongly recomend to keep each species separately. If you are thinking about purchasing red spotted newts(Notophthalmus viridescens), you sould know that pet-shop Notos are WC and usually adapt badly to captivity, having a short life-span. You would be much, much better off with CB animals.

 

[sophie]

okay i picked up my tank and stand that my friend has given me, the tank needs cleaning and re-sealing, what can i use to clean it? i have some cascade cleaning disinfectant that i use for my reptiles, that ok?

 

[SludgeMunkey]

okay i picked up my tank and stand that my friend has given me, the tank needs cleaning and re-sealing, what can i use to clean it? i have some cascade cleaning disinfectant that i use for my reptiles, that ok?

Not at all. Cascade is a guarantee of early death for caudates and reptiles both. There are a few other methods to safely clean a tank for caudate use:

The laboratory method is with a solution of 30% muriatic acid followed by many a rinsing with tap water. This is dangerous and only for the experienced.

A more suitable method is to scrub the tank with a ScotchBrite pad and table salt mixed with a bit of water followed by many good rinses with tap water.

A third method is to scrub the tank out with distilled vinegar and table salt, followed by a rinse with a solution of a quarter cup of baking soda (soda not powder!) and one US gallon of hot water. The tank is then rinsed multiple times until all the baking soda is removed.

If the tank has been treated with a copper-based fish medication in the past All of the silicone should be removed with a razor blade and the tank should be scrubbed, rinsed, resealed, and allowed to cure for at least a week in a warm, humid place. You will know if such a treatment has been used as the old silicone will be a greenish-blue color.

 

[RobM]

Lemon is very good for cleaning tanks with too,
I prefer using lemon rather than vinegar
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