Orientalis/ensicauda 54 l

[Yahilles]

This is my tank for 6 Cynops orientalis and 2 little C. ensicauda ensicauda. Full of water and plants, newts are doing very well - they have ENOUGH room.
Internal filter with sponge on inflow and outflow, lots of plants. Garden soil under the gravel, 12 W fluorescent tube. Sorry for the quality.

 

[Otterwoman]

That is one magnificent tank! Are all those plants real?

 

[Azhael]

Very nice, a like heavily planted tanks. A bit crowded though...8 animals for 54l....

 

[Yahilles]

All plants are real and GROWN.
I keep animals in this "crowded tank" for over 4 months with no problems. They have enough hiding places and they're doing very well. When ensicaudas get bigger i will move them to their own tank. Now they're smaller than orientalis.
If you fill tank with size like mine, half with water and put there flower pots, big stones, wood etc. then you can talk about crowding with this number of animals.

Older pics.

 

[micstarz]

The tank is really beautiful!
But don't your newts sometimes do damage to your aquascaping and uproot plants?

 

[Yahilles]

How you think they can damage the plants? Sometimes when plant is newly-potted, then newt can take it out by coming on it.

 

[Holding2k9]

Sorry to point this out but cynops orientallis do require land also instead of 100% water have you thought of this?

 

[Azhael]

That´s not necessarily true...
Although providing some sort of terrestrial surface is recomended, it´s not uncommon for stablished, healthy C.orientalis to be 100% aquatic. I´ve never seen my adults venture on land by themselves, not even for a quick rest.
I personally find that the decission of wether to provide land or not can be determined after understanding the individual personalities of your animals....some animals will use a land area, some won´t....ever.

 

[Yahilles]

I have only small island of cork bark but it is used only by ensicaudas and orientalis juvenile. Instead if it i have small sponge at the end of filter outflow and it is positioned right under the water surface and sometimes newts are using it.
Now orientalis has bred and 3 larvae grown very well in the same tank with adults. Here you have actual pics of tank:
Small size

nearly-original
http://i236.photobucket.com/albums/ff210/Yahilles/Akwarium/akwa54kk.jpg