Pachytriton brevipes

[TJ]

I've been keeping a pair of these for a couple of months and they're now among my favorites (though I'll admit at first I had relatively little interest in them). Glad to note they haven't shown much aggression toward each other. My 2 other Pachys (B & labiatus) I keep only as individuals because of all the horror stories I've heard.

 

[chris]

HI Tim,
I have two male pachytriton Labiatus in a 3ft tank. They are perfectly healthy and show no aggression to one another. Would this change if I added a female?
Chris

 

[TJ]

Sorry Chris but I didn't notice your post until now. Not sure the answer to your question. I keep my labiatus in solitary confinement due to their reputation for aggression. Haven't experimented with cohabitation yet. Did you add a female? What happened?

 

[chris]

Hi Tim
It al suddenly changed... Thank God I didn't get a female. After almost 6 months of cohabitation, they flipped. Noone was seriously hurt, but one has a chunk out of his tail. I think that they came into breeding condition. It seems that the 3ft of territory was enough for them boith untill they came into condition...

"This tank ain't big enough for the both of us..."

Now I need to find a home for a pachytriton AND a paramesotriton (also suddenly turned on tank mate in a 3ft tank...)
Chris

 

[aaron]

do you have lots of rocks and such in there to break up the landscape and keep them out of eyesite?

~Aaron

 

[andrea]

my P. hongkongensis is also missing a chunk from his tail (thus his name) And was like that when I bought him. He was in a 10 gallon tank with about 7 other hongkongensis. Might have happened the same way. They must like to go for the tail in a fight!

 

[chris]

Aaron, there was tons of rocks, pipes, weeds and ornaments there. The more aggressive one (suprisingly the smaller one) went in search of a fight, hunting the other one down, then snapping at tail, legs and cloaca. The same happened with my paramesotriton. How come evryone elses paras get along so well? ITS NOT FAIR!!!