Need an answer fast? Read this first!

[Abrahm]

Welcome to Caudata.org! If you are looking to have your question answered please make sure that you utilize our vast resources before posting. More times than not your question has already been answered.

Try looking at the Caudata Culture care articles, the Newt and Salamander FAQ and try using the search function before posting your question. You can get detailed information almost as fast as you can read!

Below I've included a few of the questions that are asked most frequently with links to appropriate articles and possibly a few lines of advice. This is not an extensive list! It is provided to show you the range and depth or our articles and previous posts.

Can newts/salamanders escape from an aquarium without a lid?
Yes, they can escape quite easily. See this article for more details.

How should I setup my aquarium for my newt/salamander?
First determine if your newt/salamander is terrestrial, aquatic or semi-aquatic by finding the appropriate care sheet. Then check out other setup ideas here.

What is cycling? How do I cycle an aquarium? What can I do to maintain my water quality?
Find out all about the nuts and bolts of cycling here. For important tips on cycling and how to maintain your water check here.

Is pH important? How do I change it?
Generally no. Most tap pHs are just fine for captive newts and salamanders. If your pH is below 6.5 it may be to your benefit to harden the water and raise the pH by adding bird grit, coral sand or some other calcium carbonate source to the filter. High pH is generally much harder to change and should be left alone.

How do I keep my newt or salamander cool?
This is a constant dilemma. Check out this article on cooling.

Can I keep my newt/salamander with any reptiles/amphibians/fish/invertebrates/mammals/avians/other animal?
The simple answer is no. Generally care requirements vary too much for the animals to cohabitate or at least one animal is predatory and may eat the other. Read the species mixing disaster article for an idea of the problems that can arise.

Is my newt/salamander a boy or a girl?
Sexing your new newt or salamander can be quite difficult depending upon its age and if it is in breeding condition or not. Check out this article for some general help on sexing and the care sheets for additional help on your species. Feel free to post in focus pictures of the area under the base of your newt/salamander's tail both in profile and from above to have a member help you identify sex.

I have nasty gross bugs/worms/things in my tank, how do I get rid of them?
Generally these little guys are perfectly harmless. Trying to get rid of them will cause more headaches and possible heartaches than just leaving them be. The easiest way to lower their numbers is to make sure you clean up uneaten food quickly, dying leaves and other organic matter. Increasing the frequency of your water changes will also help keep the critters numbers down. Try reading this article for more information.

I have algae! How do I get rid of it?
Don't use any products from your pet store! They don't really help and they just waste your money. Killing the algae won't solve the problem if you don't get rid of the underlying cause. Algae blooms happen when there is too much food in the tank. Reduce light to the tank, clean up uneaten food and change your tank water more often. This article explains algae in greater detail.

There are lots of bubbles/a film on the surface of my tank's water. What do I do?
These are usually caused by protein buildups. Try feeding less, cleaning up more rigorously and more frequent water changes. You can also remove the film/bubbles by laying paper towels or newsprint on the water's surface briefly and then lifting it up and throwing it away to remove the protein.

Do I need a filter? What kind should I get?
Filters are usually a good idea. Read this article for details on filter types and what you should use.

 

[SludgeMunkey]

Need an answer fast? Try these:

Hello!

Often here on Caudata.org we see posts with titles like "HELP OMG PLZ is he sick?" or "NEED FAST ANSWER". The following can get you this information very, very fast.


1. Read the stickies! Like almost every other forum on the web for the last decade, the moderators and administrators make these permanent posts throughout the forums. Sometimes a user's amazing post is changed to a sticky! You should read these. Many common questions are answered in a single mouse click!

2. The Search Function is your FRIEND! Often the answer one is looking for can be found by simply typing in a keyword. Just like using Google, Yahoo, or another search engine, sometimes you may need to try a few different words or combinations of words to find what you need. Odds are, on a well established forum like this one, your question has been asked and answered ten times over. Try it! (The search function can be found in the right side of the green tool bar at the top of the page.)

3. Caudata.org is more than just forums! If you look at the dead center of the of the black tool bar you will see a drop down menu for Caudata.org Sites. This is the third best resource on site, surpassed only by stickies and searches. Here is what you find there:
Caudata Culture Home Page - This site is a vast resource of information on just about every species commonly kept in the hobby, and many not commonly kept in the hobby. This site contains information written by Caudata.org members with years of experience from herpetologists and zoo keepers to hobbyists and breeders. Need Care Sheet data? Try here!

Axolotls: The Fascinating Mexican Axolotl and the Tiger Salamander Just about everything you never wanted to know about keeping axolotls and their terrestrial relatives, tiger Salamanders. This is THE definitive Axolotl source on the web, oft cited by journalists! Own an axie! you better read the whole site. Odds are if you post in the forums about an axolotl, at least one member will refer you to this site.

Axolotl Sanctuary This gem of a site has even more useful axolotl information, especially for Aussies! A list of Australian veterinarians that can treat your critter down under, THE guide to fridging your axolotl when he is ill, and a very useful database of axolotl illness photos make this site a must see companion to the other sites mentioned here! (There is even more there, but you have to check it out for yourself. There are some real goodies there!)

United States Caudate Registry Wondering who breeds what? Think of this site as a collective stud book. A great reference for breeders of uncommon species to trade notes/ genetic stock with other breeders. To quote the site "The USCR is not to be used as a way to make contact with the purpose of buying, selling, or trading wild-caught animals; anyone that we find to be using the site for this purpose will be banned."

Cryptobranchid Interest Group The name pretty much says it all. If you are interested in the largest caudates in the world, check this site out!

4. Links! Yes, we have them! Try them and see what you find, you may be surprised!
Caudata.org - Links

5. Make a post on the forums in compliance with the Caudata.org - Terms of Service (Rules). What is the fastest way to NOT get an answerer to you questions? make a post that breaks the forum rules. These posts end up in the same place your other sock goes in the laundry.

 

[Linus]

Re: Need an answer fast? Try these:

This should definitely be stickied. Good post.

 

[Jennewt]

Re: Need an answer fast? Try these:

This would worth having as a sticky, but we already have one in the Newt&Sal Help section that is very similar, entitled "Have a question? Read this first."

And then again, if the person is the type who doesn't bother to read info first, they aren't going to read the stickies first anyway

 

[SludgeMunkey]

Re: Need an answer fast? Try these:

This would worth having as a sticky, but we already have one in the Newt&Sal Help section that is very similar, entitled "Have a question? Read this first."

And then again, if the person is the type who doesn't bother to read info first, they aren't going to read the stickies first anyway

Perhaps we need a "New Users Read this First" Type redirect that shows up the first few time folks try to post on the forums?



It just really bothers me that folks will take the time to post a repeat question in the forums, yet wont spend the 435ms it takes to click to a spot that answers exactly what they are asking.

 

[Jennewt]

Re: Need an answer fast? Try these:

I decided to merge these two stickies into one. Hopefully a few will bother to read before posting!

 

[Xuntos]

This was very helpful, I got almost all of my questions answered by following these steps, thank you

 

[ShelbyMadHauke]

Re: Need an answer fast? Try these:

2. The Search Function is your FRIEND! Often the answer one is looking for can be found by simply typing in a keyword. Just like using Google, Yahoo, or another search engine, sometimes you may need to try a few different words or combinations of words to find what you need. Odds are, on a well established forum like this one, your question has been asked and answered ten times over. Try it! (The search function can be found in the right side of the green tool bar at the top of the page.)

On some mobile devices when you click the search button and the search box pops up when you click in the text box the text box goes away, and If you click the search button again and try to type in the text box it does the same thing. My phone does this and it drives me nuts!:wacko:

 

[ChristineB]

Re: Need an answer fast? Try these:

Yes, on my mobile device you have to do an advanced search. But I think that's a browser issue, not specific to this site. I can never type into pull-down menu fields. The only time it affects me on caudata.org (other than one extra click before searching) is that I can't type in specific feedback when adding to folks' reputation.

 

[bhollow]

Welcome to Caudata.org! If you are looking to have your question answered please make sure that you utilize our vast resources before posting. More times than not your question has already been answered.

Try looking at the Caudata Culture care articles, the Newt and Salamander FAQ and try using the search function before posting your question. You can get detailed information almost as fast as you can read!

Below I've included a few of the questions that are asked most frequently with links to appropriate articles and possibly a few lines of advice. This is not an extensive list! It is provided to show you the range and depth or our articles and previous posts.

Can newts/salamanders escape from an aquarium without a lid?
Yes, they can escape quite easily. See this article for more details.

How should I setup my aquarium for my newt/salamander?
First determine if your newt/salamander is terrestrial, aquatic or semi-aquatic by finding the appropriate care sheet. Then check out other setup ideas here.

What is cycling? How do I cycle an aquarium? What can I do to maintain my water quality?
Find out all about the nuts and bolts of cycling here. For important tips on cycling and how to maintain your water check here.

Is pH important? How do I change it?
Generally no. Most tap pHs are just fine for captive newts and salamanders. If your pH is below 6.5 it may be to your benefit to harden the water and raise the pH by adding bird grit, coral sand or some other calcium carbonate source to the filter. High pH is generally much harder to change and should be left alone.

How do I keep my newt or salamander cool?
This is a constant dilemma. Check out this article on cooling.

Can I keep my newt/salamander with any reptiles/amphibians/fish/invertebrates/mammals/avians/other animal?
The simple answer is no. Generally care requirements vary too much for the animals to cohabitate or at least one animal is predatory and may eat the other. Read the species mixing disaster article for an idea of the problems that can arise.

Is my newt/salamander a boy or a girl?
Sexing your new newt or salamander can be quite difficult depending upon its age and if it is in breeding condition or not. Check out this article for some general help on sexing and the care sheets for additional help on your species. Feel free to post in focus pictures of the area under the base of your newt/salamander's tail both in profile and from above to have a member help you identify sex.

I have nasty gross bugs/worms/things in my tank, how do I get rid of them?
Generally these little guys are perfectly harmless. Trying to get rid of them will cause more headaches and possible heartaches than just leaving them be. The easiest way to lower their numbers is to make sure you clean up uneaten food quickly, dying leaves and other organic matter. Increasing the frequency of your water changes will also help keep the critters numbers down. Try reading this article for more information.

I have algae! How do I get rid of it?
Don't use any products from your pet store! They don't really help and they just waste your money. Killing the algae won't solve the problem if you don't get rid of the underlying cause. Algae blooms happen when there is too much food in the tank. Reduce light to the tank, clean up uneaten food and change your tank water more often. This article explains algae in greater detail.

There are lots of bubbles/a film on the surface of my tank's water. What do I do?
These are usually caused by protein buildups. Try feeding less, cleaning up more rigorously and more frequent water changes. You can also remove the film/bubbles by laying paper towels or newsprint on the water's surface briefly and then lifting it up and throwing it away to remove the protein.

Do I need a filter? What kind should I get?
Filters are usually a good idea. Read this article for details on filter types and what you should use.

none of the hyperlinks worked for me.. how do i get to the information?