Pimp my tank

[sam72]

Okay, hi everyone. I hope I'm in the right area for this post.I started out with a reasonable sized tank (I think it is). 1200 x 400 x 450mm. After reading a lot of posts I split the tank up. I added a divider, so now I have 800 x 400 x 250, this is the water side and 400 x 400 x 250 is the land side. I don't think divider is high enough at only 250mm, so now I can see my dilemma straight away (I think). This is okay as my little newts morph and are small but is probably not going to be big enough as they get older. I have 11 little guys (had 12 but sadly one morphed and went wandering, I had a lid but very stupidly did not think of the consequences of an unfinished land side).

 

[sam72]

My photo's are not very flash - sorry about that. Under the soil with the plants, is about an inch and a half of tank stones for drainage (I read to do that). Can people just let me know if I should change, adjust or alter anything. By the way the water at the moment is only a couple of inches deep, again I read that once morphing begins to lower the water level in order to help the little guys out. I made a ramp out of decent sized rocks out of the water towards the land area and again in one corner of the land area back up towards the water side.

The soil has come from a garden that has not had fertilisers or pesticides on it for as long as we have lived here, which is five years. I sifted out the lumps and twigs and other bits.

The little nosey parker had a quick look at the rock hill/ramp and then turned his back on it.

 

[Adogowo]

Looks like a great start. Have you considered some aquatic liverworts or mosses for them to hide in and climb on. Perhaps some creeping jenny plant trailing over the divider or Dollar weed. Lighting may have to be increased for the jenny and dollar, but if you can keep duckweed alive then you can probably grow the others too. First pic is of Creeping Jenny (Lysimachia nummularia) second is Dollar weed (Hydrocotyle umbellata). Both can be semi-aquatic sending down rootlets into the water, more climbing! Good Luck.