Large tubs in garage for wintering notos?

[jbherpin]

I was wanting to use large volume rubbermaid tubs to winter my notos in the garage. I plan to have a good bubbler in place to prevent freeze overs. Has anyone tried this? Was it a success? Should I include plants? Bare bottomed or what? Any info to help bring my noto year to a breeding year would be GREAT!

-jbherpin-

 

[taherman]

They bred like rabbits for me for the first time this year after I got them down into the upper 30s/low 40s in their normal enclosure with Lilaeopsis, 3" of water, and a small land area with cork bark. This was indoors though. These are weird animals that weren't cycled for the first 8 years of their lives though, some are still terrestrial after 9-10 years in captivity (collected as efts AFAIK).

Garage tub should work, if it gets too frozen you could always add an aquarium heater on a temp controller.

-Tim

 

[horsefieldi]

I have overwintered ribbed newts in an outside tub. Bare bottom. Some java moss left in tub. There were no problems. Ice formed across the top of the tub. I broke it up occasionally. If it gets really cold , just be aware that ice will form on the bottom and sides of the container without you realizing it. The newts may be frozen into the ice on the bottom.

 

[Jennewt]

I use my garage for overwintering, and I recommend it. It never gets as cold as the outdoor temp during the night because it's sheltered by being attached to the house. Just hope that mother nature doesn't have a bad year. I know from personal experience that temperatures in Ohio can (rarely) go down to -20F, which may pose a risk of freezing, even with a bubbler. Watch out for severe weather forecasts and be prepared to bring them inside (perhaps to a refrigerator) for a few days if the cold gets extreme.

Will the tubs get enough light to have plants? I would opt for silk artificial plants.

 

[jbherpin]

Thank you all! I think it is the only way to get temps low enough to stimulate breeding readiness. The plan is to have about 1-2' of water with some sinking mosses, and the bubbler. I hope to have them outside between October and November.

-jbherpin-

 

[jbherpin]

Wintering project is going great! They have been out for 2 weeks now, and are behaving quite normally in the fast dropping temps. The floating hyacinth is still holding strong as well. The water depth ended up being about 16". I put sand on the bottom as substrate, and there is also gobs of duckweed on the surface. Lastly I have some java fern throughout as well.The reason I used so many live plants was to ensure good waste breakdown, as I won't be "servicing" the enclosure frequently at all until they reach the end of the cycle.
The male will occassionaly climb out onto one of the hyacinth pads into the cold air, but never stays out too long. The female I have only seen swimming around, etc.
If anyone has other tips, or thoughts, I welcome and encourage it! Thanks in advance!

-jbherpin-

 

[robertlhill]

This will sound ignorant as I've never tried to cold cycle any newts before, but is food offered during this period?

 

[Jennewt]

This will sound ignorant as I've never tried to cold cycle any newts before, but is food offered during this period?

Yes. Most species continue to eat and behave normally, even when they are not much above freezing.

 

[michael]

Wintering project is going great! The floating hyacinth is still holding strong as well. The water depth ended up being about 16". duckweed on the surface. Lastly I have some java fern throughout as well.The reason I used so many live plants was to ensure good waste breakdown, as I won't be "servicing" the enclosure frequently at all until they reach the end of the cycle.

If anyone has other tips, or thoughts, I welcome and encourage it! Thanks in advance!

-jbherpin-

I'd loose the water hyacinth. Just when you are convinced it will survive it will start to fall apart. If you have a couple plants it's no big deal. If you have a lot of water hyacinth it can make a real mess.