In depth questions about Pachytriton.

[Graptemys]

I've had the urge to buy a pair of these wonderful newts and I have a basic background information of these animals. I know that they are highly territorial, aggressive, stream dwelling newts that should be kept at a lower temperature.

I plan on buying a 40 gallon tank for just two newts to keep in my basement all year long. I guess I should plan on getting a powerful filter to produce a current. I haven't bought a tank this big and have no idea what kind of filter to buy so here starts my chain of questions.

What kind of filter/tanks do you house your pachytriton groups in?
What substrate do you use? I thought of using sand, but would that be a problem with filters of larger magnitude?
Is 40 gallons enough to mitigate aggression between individuals?
Any interesting facts about keeping pachytriton that aren't in the caresheets?

I must note that I will probably get labiatus, which is what the pet store usually gets.

 

[Greatwtehunter]

Mine are housed as pairs in 20 gallon long tanks.

I do not use a filter, but instead use a powerhead to give them the needed current. I've tried different types of filters but they never really produced the amount of current I was looking for or thought the newts needed.

Their substrate consists of a fine sand/gravel mixture with lots of large stones creating lots of little nooks and crannies for them to hide in. As long as they have plenty of hides you really shouldn't notice any aggression.

 

[Azhael]

I know you want Pachytriton labiatus, but i can´t help it...i have to say it.....wouldn´t you prefer another species that is available CB???
P.labiatus is indeed a fascinating species, but they are all WC, and many many animals suffer infections, starvation, and other problems. Plus buying them only promotes further poaching of the species....

 

[Greatwtehunter]

Ok, I have to voice my opinion here. Azhael how do you suppose we get CB of a species that is very rarely bred? If this was some other newt like waltl or apuanus that can be readily found CB then I could see the arguments sake. This guy has obviously done some research and is willing to do more on this species so I am sure he is well aware of the risks.

Let's face it, this is a newt we still know very little about in regards to what they require to breed. The more competent people we get that are willing to work with this newt then the quicker we can figure out just what they need to breed and therefore establish a reliable CB source. The newts are already here in the market, I would rather he get them than some kid on a whim that decides his tropical fish tank at home needs a new addition.

Nobody wants to see WC newts in the market but that's what it takes sometimes to get CB established.

 

[Azhael]

I was merely suggesting that perhaps an easier species, one of the commonly available as CB, would be a much better option (i think my post makes it very clear). I wasn´t suggesting that he´d try to find CB Pachytriton. I ignore the amount of experience Graptemys has, and so, since he is a newcomer to the site, i think it´s understandable that i suspect he is new to the hobby (maybe i´m wrong). If that´s the case, he will most certainly benefit from acquiring an easier species. My suggestion was in his best interest.

 

[Graptemys]

Well, I am not entirely a beginner. I've been keeping turtles for the past three years and I've had various amphibians my entire life, but those were usually temporary pets. I don't think starting out with a paddletail would be too hard for me.

The petshop that I frequent gets paddletails in regularly and from what I've seen they aren't as bad as they could be. They are kept in a proper environment and most are active and free of mites. Since I can fulfill the requirements of this species I thought I might as well give it a shot. Also, I didn't know they were that hard of a species to maintain. I thought the only problem in their captivity was their aggression, which could be solved by keeping them in a large tank or only buying one. They are hardy newts once accommodated, aren't they?

 

[Greatwtehunter]

Provided you get one that is in decent shape they aren't hard to maintain at all.