Size Aquarium, different Cynops?

[KOvet]

Can I house a Cynops orientalis with a Cynops pyrrhogaster OR a Cynops orientalis with a Cynops ensicauda? Also, what size aquarium do I need for 2 Fire-bellies?

 

[Azhael]

Mixing species is really not recomendable.
There are a number of issues and risks that are much better off avoided (you can find quite a lot of information on this around the forum).

The bare minimum for a comfortable tank for a pair of these newts is 10 gallons. All water, you don´t need land.

I would also like to seriously recommend that you try to get your newts from a breeder. All pet-shop Cynops are wild-caught, which is terrible. Those newts that survive the process and the pet-shops are very stressed, often ill or starving.
By getting them from a breeder, you will know they are captive-bred, healthy and already acostumed to captivity.

 

[Yahilles]

I used to recommend people using 40x25x25 (10 gallon) for Cynops orientalis and Cynops cyanurus and 60x30x30 (15 gallon) for Cynops pyrrhogaster and Cynops ensicauda as they're bigger species.

 

[merk199]

I have my group of orientalis in a 10 gallon. My group of cyranus are in a ten gallon. They have grown so much I am going to split them into another 10 gallon tank.

 

[KOvet]

Where's a good place online to buy Cynops pyrrhogaster, Cynops ensicauda, or Pachytriton brevipes? The shipping is way too expensive!!!!!!

 

[froggy]

As Azhael says, look for CB animals. You can post an ad on the Wanted section of this forum and look out for people breeding them on the Cynops forum itself. Its Spring now for most of the people on the site, so there should be some larvae swimming around soon. Pachytriton is a completely different kettle of fish from Cynops and requires very different care (larger, cooler aquarium with much cleaner water, as well as being aggressive to tankmates). Furthermore, no-one is really breeding this species (its very difficult) so only WC animals are available. As Azhael noted, captve-bred animals are better from both an ethical and practical point of view.

As an aside, buying animals online from a shop that you don't know can land you with very sick animals as you can't check them out before you get them - to reiterate, its best to get them from a breeder who you know looks after their animals!

Chris