What is your set-up preference for T. marmoratus?

[jbherpin]

I keep my T. Marmoratus in a terrestrial set-up...

http://www.caudata.org/forum/album.php?albumid=472&pictureid=5106

All the books, and online reference sites suggest this. However, I see that the majority of keepers on this site choose either island aquaria, or at the most, a 50/50 type set-up. Why is that? My only guess is ease of feeding while aquatic.

My T. Marmoratus is still very young.

http://www.caudata.org/forum/album.php?albumid=472&pictureid=5109

How long until he/she would venture into water post morph? Right now I am having an internal debate as to which direction I should go (terra vs aquatic), and any insight would be greatly appreciated.

-jbherpin-

 

[jbherpin]

Re: What is your set-up preference?

I am really considering a primarily aquatic set-up. My individual is approx. 3.5 - 4", is that of sufficient growth to go aquatic? I don't want a drowning scenario! I want my mamoratus to eat/grow/thrive-(not to confuse anyone, my individual is feeding fine on worms, but is a little slow and is hit or miss with crickets)-, and I would appreciate any feedback. Thanks!

-jbherpin-

 

[Azhael]

Re: What is your set-up preference?

The age at which they can go aquatic varies greatly between individuals. However i´d say since 8-9cm most individuals can be persuaded.
If you transition the newt properly in a very shallow water tank full of plants, the risk of drowning should be minimum, and it most likely will go aquatic.
If your animal eats particularly well on land i wouldn´t bother making it aquatic...specially because marmoratus does need dietetic suplements and they are far more easily administrated on land.

 

[aramcheck]

Re: What is your set-up preference?

specially because marmoratus does need dietetic suplements and they are far more easily administrated on land.

What do you mean here? I am curious as the species entry in CC reads:

Feeding usually takes place at night. When terrestrial, these newts will take crickets, waxworms, earthworms (not the red-ringed species though), white worms, fruitflies, etc. I advise you to gutload crickets with flaked fish food prior to feeding. Mineral supplements are not required, particularly when employing gut-loaded crickets or a varied diet. When kept aquatically, these newts will also eat frozen bloodworms, blackworms, Daphnia and the usual fare.

 

[Azhael]

Re: What is your set-up preference?

Well, i suposse if the diet is particularly rich, no problem. But the species seems to be particularly prone to metabolic deseases, and that´s why i recomend you suplement their diet with the apropriate stuff. They seem to have problems concerning calcium absorvence.

 

[arise]

Re: What is your set-up preference?

I keep my T. Marmoratus in a terrestrial set-up...

http://www.caudata.org/forum/album.php?albumid=472&pictureid=5106

All the books, and online reference sites suggest this. However, I see that the majority of keepers on this site choose either island aquaria, or at the most, a 50/50 type set-up. Why is that? My only guess is ease of feeding while aquatic.

My T. Marmoratus is still very young.


-jbherpin-

my experience:
I had 4 t.m.m., like your, and I decide to put two in a semi-acquatic setup and two in a terrestrial setup....

the result:
the two in a semi-acquatic died
the terrestrial are alive

I think the cause was the increase of the temperature....

I advise you to keep them, in the summer, in terrestrial setup

bye

 

[JM29]

Hi,

T. marmoratus ready to go in the water are usually rather dark, instead of the bright geen of the animals which are living on land. So I think the color could be an information.

 

[kenya_1977]

I raised a group from eggs. Of 14 individuals, 13 decided to morph and go terrestrial, one stayed aquatic for the entire winter. He got huge, whereas the growth rate on the others was much slower. By spring he morphed and was 2X bigger than the others. I think it's fairly random. It looked like he was starting to absorb his gills, and just stopped, possibly due to weather cooling.

 

[merk199]

I was in the process of transitioning my T marms to a fully aquatic setup. But now I am having second thoughts. In the wild they won't be sexually mature till they are 4-7 yrs of age. The water is needed for breeding correct. If that is the case then my 1 yr olds really don't need water for 2-3 yrs. I might just keep a small pool on the other end of their tank at 1'' deep or so. What is the group concensus?

 

[Azhael]

Juveniles can be kept aquatic, it´s not absolutely necessary to wait even for sexual maturity, so you could keep them aquatic if you choose so. In the wild they don´t take that long to reach adulthood anyway (3 years would be a better stimate).

 

[tmarmoratus]

I keep mine terrestrial for most the year, say 9 or 10 months, from approximately mid spring through mid winter. Nothing fancy, just coconut fiber substrate, a couple plants, a water dish and a few hiding spots.

 

[evut]

Hi everybody. I also have a young Triturus marmoratus so this is a very interesting debate for me.
I wonder if - regarding the possible nutritional deficiencies, would feeding earthworms even in the aquatic set up help, considering they are supposed to be calcium rich?

Oh, and the links don't work...is it just me? I'd like to see the pictures!

 

[arise]

Juveniles can be kept aquatic, it´s not absolutely necessary to wait even for sexual maturity, so you could keep them aquatic if you choose so. In the wild they don´t take that long to reach adulthood anyway (3 years would be a better stimate).

Hi,
(my experience is that my juvenile marmoratus don't want to go in the water. I get them acquatic only if I don't put something to go away from the water. I have a semiacquatic set-up (I post some photos of My triturus marmoratus tank: http://www.caudata.org/forum/f1173-...roctus/67295-my-triturus_marmoratus-tank.html). The juveniles never enter in the water; they like to stay on the surface of the water. And so if I want to get them acquatic I have to eliminate any object that go out the water.
bye

 

[fabian]

Hi,
I think temperature is playing a role too, if it's getting wormer thy tend to leave the water. Most of my juvies enter the water at the age of one year. They live in an basement and temperature is never above 22°C. They only leave the water for short periods after they have entered it once, although they always have the chance to do.

Fabian

 

[arise]

Hi,
I think temperature is playing a role too, if it's getting wormer thy tend to leave the water. Most of my juvies enter the water at the age of one year. They live in an basement and temperature is never above 22°C. They only leave the water for short periods after they have entered it once, although they always have the chance to do.

Fabian

hi fabian
the temperature of my tank is, in this period, between 14-18 °C.