Minimum Tank Size for C Orientalis Fire Belly?

C

connor

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Whats the minimum tank size for fire bellied newts? My friend would like 2 and was wondering what the min was. I said i thought it all depended on the amount of water in there. If you have like 2 gals of water and some land(floating log or something then it should be alright...right?
I need to tell him by tomorrow as he going to his shop then
Thanks
 
The problem with small tanks (or medium tanks with shallow water) is that it's hard to maintain decent water quality when there are only a couple of gallons. I recommend 10 gallons (~38 liters) as a minimum tank size for ANY aquatic animals. (I also admit that I keep a couple of 5-gallon tanks with newts; however, they have full-depth water, and I am very careful and knowledgable about cleanup and water quality issues.)

I don't know about prices in the UK, but here we can get a 10-gallon very cheaply; it doesn't save much money to buy a smaller one.
 
I would agree with Jennifer, larger tanks are a win-win situation for all of those involved. In the US, 5.5 and 2.5 gallons tanks are generally more expensive than a 10 gallon.

Then the animals also get more space which is more room for decor and stimulation. You can make a tank that looks better. Also, as Jennifer says more water will dilute waste products and mean that their is more lee way with the buildup of toxic waste products. It is very easy to have the water quality go bad on you quickly and fatally if you are not careful.

There should be no reason to ask how small of a tank you can get away with, the question should be how big you can get.
 
Well i kepp mine in a 4 gal. There will be 2 in there. Jenifer,what sort of filtration do u use in your 5 gals? And how many water changes do you do a week?
 
I think the most important is the biological filter, the nitrogen cycle. Have lot of plants and gravels with weekly water change of half the water is usually what I do for all my newt tanks.
 
Can you use sand or pebbels that i found in my garden. If i boil them in boiling water from the kettle,then scrub them real good,then boild them again,then put them in dechlorinated water?
They look like ones you find in their natural habitats.
 
Ian's right about the biological filter. I'd go with either a sponge filter or a box filter as neither of these have a motor that will heat up the tank. With such a small volume of water, this is a real concern. They also have considerable space in a small volume for the growth of nitrifying bacteria.

Also, with two newts you will probably want to do a 25-50% water change twice a week to make sure that waste products don't build up. That or you could monitor the tank everyday to remove newt droppings and take great care in feeding to not leave behind food items. This is especially important if frozen food like bloodworms are fed. You definitely do not want to go more than a week without doing a water change.

Also it may be beneficial if you do not use any substrate as this will make the aquarium far easier to clean, facilitating removal of waste. Surface area for the nitrifying bacteria can come from the sponge filter or the box filter.

I would highly recommend upgrading to a larger sized aquarium, though.
 
Can you use sand or pebbels that i found in my garden. If i boil them in boiling water from the kettle,then scrub them real good,then boild them again,then put them in dechlorinated water?
They look like ones you find in their natural habitats.
 
With your size tank I would recommend against having anything on the bottom. If you don't have a substrate, it will be much easier to maintain good water quality.

You may use locally obtained gravel or sand but I would add a vigorous rinsing step to the ones you outlined above to remove all the organic waste (i.e. rotting debris). You should be able to run water over them and have it run clear.

There is always the risk of the addition of some harmful pathogen. Some can survive boiling temperatures for some time and others are even activated by that kind of heat. The chances of this are low, but it is still a possibility.
 
I use a small "box filter" in my 5-gallon tanks. It runs from an air pump. See 3rd photo here:
http://www.caudata.org/cc/articles/filters.shtml

You can use rocks from outdoors after boiling them. Just be sure they are HARD kinds of rocks, not limestone or other soft rocks that can affect your water chemistry.
 
I got my new ones today! I think ones a male and ones a female! The shop gave me a filter that they used to use in their tank but not any more so they gave me it! I just need to buy a plug to attach ti the lead and im good to go!
Can you say about thwe substrate as i dont really like it bare so i might use the pebbels i foung in the garden after boilong them etc
 
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