Reptile & Amphibian Forums

Need advice on how to make my newt tank more natural..
I have had a breeding pair of paddletails for
about 2 years now.. all is going great.. I have even had spawning going on. But Their tank is so plain and boring. I want to create a NATURAL looking setting.. I have NO idea where they come from in the wild, But am sure it would make them happier..not just having it look good for ME..

Right now they are in a 20 gal tall. With about 15 gals of water, a large plastic shelf, and a few fake plants.. I had LOTS of live plants but ALL of the plants have not
only died, but desolved in the water..not good.

ANyone have a clue as to where I can start?? How do I
get the plants to LIVE?? Is there a trick to it??

Any and all advice is greatly welcomed.

Thanks
Harpy

the pic is of my female..

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Have You Hugged Your Herp Today?

to get your plants to live you have to be sure that you match up the light in your tank with the light requirements of the plants. or rather, since the newts are more important than the plants, you have to find plants with the same light requirement as your newts. i have fb newts, which have no extra artificial light because it would raise the temp of the tank. for this reason it's been very difficult for me to keep even low light plants, however, i have been very successful with java moss, a plant that can be damaged by too much light. i also have a java fern and the last time i checked it was still doing well. if you search the web you can find pages that will list the growing needs of various water plants. sometimes it is a little harder to find any of them, but i went to my local aquarium store with a list of possibilities and asked them which ones they had. they didn't have many of the ones i wanted, but they did have a few. good luck.

Hi there.

I'm by nature an aquarist who loves to biotype my aquariums, so I tried to do the same with my paddle tailed newt.

So, what I have done is this:

Substrate: Fine to medium sized gravel of various shades, shape, and rock....this mimics a typical riverbed. ( They are said to be from flowing, well oxygenated streams. )

Backing: Since the tank is dimly lit, and the gravel & boulders within are mostly darker, I used crinkled brown paper to add contrast. But it also serves as a representation of a sandy colored river bank, adds depth, and allows me to see the newt.

Decor: Nothing but rocks....since they tend to be reclusive, and I didn't plan on lighting or plants, boulders worked well. In one corner of the tank there is a series of smaller rocks built up to hide the filter ( listed below ) and on the other end there are larger ones that hold up a flatter piece....which allows him to get out of the water. All rocks are of the same kind, generally rigid and scarred ( as oppossed to rounded river rock. ) The middle is open, while the sides are covered to make him feel secure.

Filter: Duetto, hidden by rocks. This spills water onto the water surface creating a pleasant noise as well as oxygenation. As an extra bonus, the small air bubbles splashing into the water mimic the flow of a stream.

Lighting: A DIY project. At first I wanted to use a spotlighting method to create a window of light....but the project took it's own course. Basically, it is a nightlight with the sensor blocked off....it is set into a "lamp" made a disposable mealworm container. Then it's set ontop of the lid!
Simple....but the effect is quite nice.

All in all, I say it produces a very natural and biotypically correct home for him.

( My firebelly newts, in comparison, have sand with live plants...)