Taricha Granulosa setup question

[mduros]

Hi all,
Long time no post which is good news. Some of you folks that have been around here awhile may remember me and remember that I had a tough situation going on where an oregon newt would get sick and die shortly after each summer. This happened to a total of 3 newts before I figured out what was going on. A piece of driftwood, bought at an aquarium store, too, was harboring a harmful bacteria. When the aquarium got warmer over the summer months, one newt would stake claim to a hole in this driftwood, probably because it kept them cooler I imagine, and would get sick and die usually before Christmas. I had invested in a vet visit for newt #2 and that's how I put 2 & 2 together when newt number 3 parished. Newt number 2 was diagnosed with a bacterial illness that is prevalent in wild cavernous areas which left the vet and me stumped because I had this guy about a year before he fell sick and died. I finally realized with the third newt that maybe I should remove this piece of driftwood with the cave. I have now had McGogo for 3 or 4 years.

So y'all this has nothing to do with anything, but to remind the old-timers of who I am... Anyhow, McGogo seems to be getting more terrestrial. I have her set up in a 20 gallon long and have tried to make sure that there is at least 8 inches of water in there at all times. But she has just started trying to climb out further on driftwood, or climb up onto the water lettuce and I am wondering if I need to start thinking about setting her up with something more vivarium like. Honestly, even though I was around here religiously for quite awhile and have done alot of research on t.granulosa, I am still unsure as to whether they really need any dry areas, or whether it's just a personal preference they have or develop and if I need to try to alter her setup such that she has dry areas available to her.

I have been doing the easiest thing by adding more driftwood decor to the tank but the angles seem to be too steep for her to climb out onto. Can I lower the amount of water in the tank? I seem to recall people here saying that t.granulosa really need 8" or so to remain happy and healthy. Any suggestions are appreciated. Thanks!
Take care,
Mary.

 

[mduros]

Alright let me rephrase into a direct question... Will my oregon newt be okay if I put less than 8 inches of water in the tank?
Take care,
Mary.

 

[Mac Myers]

Hi Mary,
I don't know. I just wanted to let you know that someone was listening. I would recommend the care sheets.

Caudata Culture Species Entry - Taricha granulosa
Caudata Culture Caresheets

Good Luck! :happy:

 

[Azhael]

As long as you are offering a sufficient volume of water, the depth is not really important. If reducing the depth leaves you with a small volume, then that will have consequences on your ability to maintain proper conditions (which can lead to the water being unsuitable and the animal leaving it entirely).

 

[mduros]

Thanks guys. For some reason I got it into my head that they really needed a good depth of water to swim in. While waiting for a response I went to bethnewt's personal page and some others and figured out that I can probably, fairly easily set something up with less water for my little guy.

I am still very doubtful that she will ever use the "land" portion, but I want to give her the option since she has been hanging out at the surface more these days with half her body out and half her body in the water.
Take care,
Mary.

 

[Azhael]

Bare in mind that that kind of behaviour can also be triggered by unsuitable water conditions, and if that´s the cause of the situation, decreasing the volume of water will only accentuate it.

 

[mduros]

Understood. The weather's getting warmer here and being in a top floor apartment under a black-top roof, provides for a very warm apartment. I have already put the personal desk fans on top of the screen top to help cool it down a little for the summer. Otherwise, I also keep fish and do check water parameters, etc, in my tanks. My real gauge for McGogo's tank is the blackworm colony though. Her tank has a colony of blackworms that normally thrives in it (has developed over time from feeding live blackworms) and usually the first indicator that the water is off is that the blackworm colony dies down.
Thanks,
Mary.

 

[eldaldo]

I have noticed with my newts that they tend to leave the water when it gets too warm for them. My guess is that they hang out with half their body above water so that they can use evaporation to cool them down. That might be the problem. I have experience with living in hot apartments, and have currently moved my guys into the basement for the summer. maybe you can find a similar solution.

On the other hand, he might just be going more terrestrial naturally, lots of newt species live in water some of the year, and out of it the rest of the year, I don't know if T. granulosa's are like that. I also know that when you want to simulate this natural transition the protocol is to lower the water level in the tank. So, if you do lower the water level he may go terrestrial anyway.

 

[mduros]

Well I revamped McGogo's setup over the weekend. I don't have the time to do the whole plexi-glass divider, etc. So, I simply pushed all of the substrate to one end. Braced it up with some slate buttressed with some petrified wood, have a turtle dock and another manmade structure in there and driftwood on the other end. And lowered the water level by about 4 inches. I added a very small filter for light current and to help add to the bacteria colony since I was eliminating so much water and I'm not sure how much the bacteria in the substrate will help the overall tank now. I have some tiny pots that I'm going to put some terrarium plants in and see how they work. The plants currently in there are fake.
Take care,
Mary.

 

[Mac Myers]

Looks very nice Mary. Seems like a workable setup for sure. Awesome Profile Picture too.

 

[mduros]

Oh thanks! And the profile picture is McGogo shimmied into and hovering within the water lettuce. Sadly, I took all of that out. It grows great in this tank, but with lowering the water level so much I felt that it would be best to take the water lettuce out.
Take care,
Mary.

 

[Azhael]

The thing is that gravel slopes are not a very good idea.
Debris, uneaten foods, etc, get trapped in the gravel...since it´s deep, water flow is greatly decreased which in return means that oxygen levels drop inside the deeper parts. As a result, pockets of anaerobic conditions may appear, or simply the debris will rot and cause water quality issues. It may seem like a very practical solution...but it has its risks, which personally, i think are much better off avoided.

Actually, gravel in general is a rather poor substrate choice. Sand is far superior. Consider making further changes, you definitely won´t regret it and the newt will "thank you" greatly.

 

[mduros]

Thank you Azhael. I appreciate your feedback and will abide by your expertise hopefully soon. My newt set up seems to change every year. I am adaptable like that since I try to meet the changing needs of the animal. Luckily I'll have a week off each month this summer and might be able to buy another tank and actually go through the process of plexi dividers, etc. I have been trying to find someone that I can pay to do this locally because I am really strapped for time of late, but haven't come up with anyone. I'm sure if I do find someone it will cost and arm and a leg. The gravel actually is a combination of medium size gravel, eco-complete and sand. It used to be a higher sand/eco mixture but over time the light particulates have been siphoned out and it's been quite awhile since I've added anything to the substrate. I do have a bag of tahitian moon sand on hand that has been waiting to go into the tank though.

I dug up a picture from one of my former tank iterations that I knew was in an article on here somewhere. I really liked this setup, but had to change it because a piece of driftwood in the tank seemed to be harboring a bacteria that was causing the newts to get ill.
Take care,
Mary.