Spotted Salamander Larvae Help

[Amphibinator7]

So i'm getting spotted salamander (A. maculatum) eggs soon and i wanted to make sure I've got everything right. I have a 5 1/2 gallon tank set up with gravel and a blubber for them, and a daphnia culture for food. Any other suggestions?

 

[Amphibinator7]

I also wanted to say that I recently purchased black worms for them when they get older. I heard this was a good food source.

 

[TheNewtGuy]

My personal opinion, I wouldn't use gravel as a substrate. It holds waste and makes cleanup a bit more tedious. For larvae, I usually go bare bottom with a cluster of java moss for them to hide in. If you keep up with water changes, I wouldn't even use a bubbler or air stone. Too much current can be bad for them. In the wild, spotted salamanders migrate to vernal pools to breed and the larvae hatch in these pools. Vernal pools are still bodies of water that form from rain and melted snow.

Daphnia is great. Baby brine shrimp is good too, but you'll need to keep up with more water changes since they'll die in fresh water.
Black worms are ways great as well.

 

[Amphibinator7]

Thank you for the help! I've gotten rid of the gravel and the bubbler and added a small amount of java moss. I am aware that vernal ponds are still water but didn't know if the larvae would need more oxygen. Also, what is your thought on other live plants. I'm considering adding some to help it be more natural (probably duckweed). I'll post pictures of the growing larvae on a different thread when I get them.