Pseudotriton ruber ruber Setup?

[Viv]

Does anyone know how to keep these? Lile temperature, size of tank, type of tank? Please respond.

 

[josh1990]

There are several different ways to keep these,
1. A plastic shoe box with holes drilled in the top and lined with moist paper towels. This works ok but to me it seems like their prisoners more than pets.
2. Same as above but he bottom layer with moss and leaf litter.
3. A aquatic/semi-aquatic set-up with good clear and cool water with a filter and water pump. Terrestrial spots can consist of just flat slate/river rocks breaking the suface and covered with live moss and liverworts. Substrate should be very fine sand or large and smooth peebles so they do not ingest things like small gravel that could cause impactation or death.
The third option is how I keep my trio, I prefer it and so do most others.

• They are great eaters and will eat just about anything they can get into their mouths; earthworms,redworms,slugs,snails,spiders,maggots,waxworms,crickets,ghost shrimp,scuds,pillbugs,sowbugs,aquatic isopods and leeches. Be careful that the animals are close in size because they are known to be cannibalistic and also eat other species of salamanders.
• Temps. should stay in the mid. 50`s to 60`s F, but never above 70F.
• I would think you could get away with one salamander in a ten gallon long, but a twenty gallon long would be even better. My three are keep in a reg. 55 gallon. Mine move around quite a bit and are quite active.

Good luck with this great species and I hope all goes well.
Josh

 

[Viv]

Could I have like a stream setup?. Where there is a false bottom type thing on both sides of the tank with weed blocker pinned to it and have the land area be moss, hides, leaves, etc. Also would lots of smallish pebbles that are to big for the salamander to swallow in the "stream" area. The water area would have to have a filter and a pump to pump the water back to the top of the tank. Oh, would a temperature of 65 degrees F work?

 

[Kaysie]

All that sounds pretty adequate for P. ruber. Just keep in mind that this species likes it cooler than others. The cooler the better.

 

[Viv]

So if I keep the temperature down and the water clean then I would be able to keep them in a setup like the one I mentioned earlier.

 

[josh1990]

Sorry for the late reply. That set-up should work fine, just make sure they have plenty of hiding spots. The temps. you have are really good as well.

 

[Viv]

Hi. I have a question on the setup. Hopefully you could could help me. How would I get the salamanders from rubbing against the weed bloocker. Should I put flat rocks against the false bottom on both sides so it is easier for the newts to climb out also?