Reptile & Amphibian Forums

Do you think a half land half water 20g needs a filter, or just some plants?

both is the best option. if you do not use a filter then frequent water changes, at least three times per week, would be recommended. the pic below is of a 29 gal. long i had fbt and fbn in, but would work well from rough skined newts and others as well. the filter is a whisper 40i internal filter, which works in 2-3" of water or more.

Here is my current habitat. I tried to make it look as close to the wild newt's habitat in my area that I have seen.

And here are the newts.

Another question I had was can I use tap water..

Now, I know tap water has things like chlorine in it, but doesn't chlorine dissipate if you let water sit for 24-48 hours? So, could I just fill up a jug of water and let it sit in my room for a day before doing my water changes?

some places use other chemicals besides chlorine that do not disapate over time. using dechlorinated water, distilled water, spring water, and so on has been the recommendation for decades, but it is not always necessary. if you are in an area that uses large amounts of chemicals or harsher chemicals then you should avoid tap water. i am in western NY and use tap water from all my tanks, including koi pond and tropical fish tank, as well as my fbt/fbn setup and have never had a problem, which is to say that your results could be different, it depends on the chemicals and quantities used. letting water sit for 48 hrs will not hurt your newts povided you have safe water, but if your water is safe, then you can use a dechlorination chemical and use it almost immeadiatly.

Gotcha, thanks. I guess i'll call the water company and see whats up.

i would just go with plants. i have a california newt and i used to have a filter for him, but then i took it out and there was no difference in the water quality. i honestly haven't changed the water in about a year, occasionally i fill it up with more water. jave ferns work really well cause they can live in cold water and they don' t need a lof of light. don't buy any plants that are red because they die in cold water. some of the grasses work well, or arrowhead plants like the ones you would find in a swamp. javamoss spreads over wet gravel adn can be used in water or on really wet land. so good luck and i hope this helps.