Tips for t.torsa setup?

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generaltoaster

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generaltoaster
Hello all!
I'm having a try at my first salamander/newt setup and after much research and deliberation, it seems that taricha torsa will likely be what I settle on. I want to achieve a nicely planted vivarium, with natural and mostly local (same locality as the t.torsa) plants, and a small water area for swimming, moisture-addition, and possible breeding.

Any tips? Should I include a false bottom in my build, or start straight with the clay pellets? I have already acquired some sphagnum moss and soil for my mid and upper layers as well as some leaf litter for hiding.
Does anyone have any recommendations for temperate (not tropical) plants that can tolerate the lower temperatures and where to buy them?

Thanks for any and all advice!
-Hannah
 
I would suggest a 50-50 or 60-40 setup in a 40 gallon breeder. My torosa love to explore and check out stuff. They will climb up sticks and look through leaf litter and they also enjoy swimming and hunting in the water. For water plants I use elodea, java fern, java moss, and duckweed but I want to get some frogbit, water sprite, and a few others. On land pothos are not natural but easy to grow and sturdy for climbing. I throw in grass seeds sometimes but my terrestrial side is mostly leaf litter, sticks, pothos, bark, etc. I like lots of leaf litter and bark to keep the isopods, springtails, kenyan roaches, etc. happy and fed.
 
Cool! Thank you. I'm getting my tank later this week and I'm twitching to get it all set up.

I'm still on the fence about doing a false bottom to separate out the soil substrate from the water level or just leaving it with the clay and river rocks... and opinions?
 
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