Triturus marmoratus setup/tips

[Lilib]

Hi everyone!
I am new to the newts world and was fortunate enough to find someone rehoming their 3 young triturus marmoratus next week. I am wondering if a 15 gallon is sufficient for 3 of these guys, I will get them once my set up is ready to go. I keep puffer fish & wondering if I can transfer sponge filter media to help speed up my aquarium cycle. Please share any tips that you have about caring for this species. I am so excited for them! Thank you all in advance

 

[JM29]

Hi,
If the newts are still young, they're probably still terrestrial.

 

[Lilib]

Hi,
If the newts are still young, they're probably still terrestrial.

They are not older than 4 months old. I can keep them terrestial in a bin until they are older. Do you know at what age they could be switched to 50/50 water/land set up?

 

[MnGuy]

Mine is a few years (3?) old and is completely terrestrial. The popular opinion is that they should be kept terrestrial with moist substrate and a bowl of water, and not aquatic because they only enter the water when breeding.

That's the feedback I've received, and I plan to keep doing that. Mine occasionally uses its water bowl, but prefers land.

 

[Lilib]

Mine is a few years (3?) old and is completely terrestrial. The popular opinion is that they should be kept terrestrial with moist substrate and a bowl of water, and not aquatic because they only enter the water when breeding.

That's the feedback I've received, and I plan to keep doing that. Mine occasionally uses its water bowl, but prefers land.

Thanks for that information I am going to replan the habitat set up. Do you think you could post yours it would be helpful to me

 

[JM29]

MnGuy is right for the moist terrestrial substrate but I'd keep a drier place somewhere.
If the moisture is high in the setup, terrestrial newts like to spend some time in a dry place (they must have the choice)

 

[Lilib]

MnGuy is right for the moist terrestrial substrate but I'd keep a drier place somewhere.
If the moisture is high in the setup, terrestrial newts like to spend some time in a dry place (they must have the choice)

Do you incorporate a drainage layer to keep soil from getting water logged? I was thinking of setting up a terrestial enclosure with a small bowl of water or incorporating a very small pool of water into the enclosure. I am used to building dart frog set ups so not sure about the drainage layer. It's hard finding terrestial set up example pictures for these guys.

 

[JM29]

No
Only piles of bark (3, 4 or more) on the moist substrate, at one corner.
The newts chose to stay at the level they prefer, depending on the air moisture.

 

[MnGuy]

Do you incorporate a drainage layer to keep soil from getting water logged? I was thinking of setting up a terrestial enclosure with a small bowl of water or incorporating a very small pool of water into the enclosure. I am used to building dart frog set ups so not sure about the drainage layer. It's hard finding terrestial set up example pictures for these guys.

I use a drainage layer in mine and for all of my bioactive tanks. (I also keep snakes.) Drainage layers are really for the health of the plants and soil so they don't get too wet. You can't to wrong with including it.

If you've made dart frog enclosures then you're fine here. It's the same thing, but just don't let it get as wet and you don't need a mister for marbled newts. Or if you do use a mister, use it sparingly. I hand mist my tank once a week or twice a week depending on the moisture in the air. Like someone else said, keep an area drier and give the newt options.