Reptile & Amphibian Forums

im either going to use a 55g aquarium or a rubbermaid container,if there isnt room for the 55g. what kind of substrate and everything else should i use? i think ive got a extra filter laying around from my turtles somewhere. but ive never done this before and need a rundown on how these are kept. thanks so much you guys are always a big help.

I would go the plastic tub route personally that is what I use, for one you can melt air holes on the sides and keep the lid on without holes, this will keep the humidity up, also It keeps less light from entering than glass obviously, and they spend much time underground in the wild so they don't really like bright light. I use worm bedding for substrate, you can buy it in a box at Walmart $2.00 just follow the directions mix with water, in my oppinion this is the perfect sustrate, it stays moist and stick to them and the eyes as much as other substrates. And it's easy to clean a plastic tub out and change the worm bedding frequently. As far as filtering water with a turtle filter, I wouldnt bother , get a 12" plantic plant pot tray, and put that in the tub with 2" of worm bedding, fill the plant pot tray 1.5" deep with water, and change the water every few days when you feed them ( crickets, nightcrawlers, mealworms, F/T pickies on occation) and then every once in a while you can easily clean out the plastic plant tray with 10% bleach to kill bacteria ect. Also keep them in as cool a spot as possible the like it cool not warm, 60s-70s in the basement works well. Hope this helps.
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1.0 pastel ball python
0.1 mojave ball python
0.1 normal ball python
0.2 3-toed box turtles
2.3 eastern box turtles
0.0.5 3-striped mud turtle
1.0 northern diamondback terrapin
2.1 tiger salamander
1.1 red-sided garter
1.0 anerythristic red-sided garter
1.1 Iowa snow plains garter
1.1 Het butter stripe cornsnake
0.1 anerythristic motley cornsnake
1.1 Blue garter (Puget Sound)

helps alot. thanks.

so heres what i got going.
The worm bedding was very dusty until i added ALOT of water, going to add some stuff to hide/burrow under in a moment.
Now as for feeding him, can i feed him in this stuff? is there a problem with salamanders ingesting bedding like there is with snakes?

Sometimes mine get a little, it's just paper pulp, not much different than a little leaves or grass or bark that goes in the mouth with a nightcrawler in the wild, anyway I feed mine with a bamboo tong and they grab whatever I put in front of their faces instantly, so the food usually never even hits the ground anyway. The nice thing is you can change it as often as needed very affordably and thus keep unwanted fungus and bacteria from getting out of hand, especially in a moist environment. Also look at it this way worms and nightcrawlers are very, very sensitive creatures and they eat and trive in this media and Salis in turn eat them.
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1.0 pastel ball python
0.1 mojave ball python
0.1 normal ball python
0.2 3-toed box turtles
2.3 eastern box turtles
0.0.5 3-striped mud turtle
1.0 northern diamondback terrapin
2.1 tiger salamander
1.1 red-sided garter
1.0 anerythristic red-sided garter
1.1 Iowa snow plains garter
1.1 Het butter stripe cornsnake
0.1 anerythristic motley cornsnake
1.1 Blue garter (Puget Sound)

There are many different ways to successfully keep tigers. Mine are in a 40 gallon tank with a couple inches of dirt, plants, rocks and pieces of bark. There's also a water dish (plant saucer) that's about 8 inches in diameter with an inch of water. Although they spend most of their time digging, they do occasionally like to swim.

Tim

Third Eye

2" is the minimum amount of substrate that I would recommend using. regardless of the amount of light the container allows in, sals still like to hide, espically burrowing down into deep substrate. if you have shallow substrate without proper drainage, then bacteria will begin to grow in the substrate and can adversely effect your sals health. if you go this method and keep the soil moist, then you should replace the soil every month, at least, to ensure good health. anything bagged from a retail store is skeptical at best for use with amphibians, since they absorb air and water through their skin, leaving them susceptible to absorbing chemicals and fertilizers that may be found in the soil. worm dirt also commonly has the dead bodies of eathworms in the soil, acting as a natural fertilizer, which will increase the rate of bacterial growth if present. glass aquariums are a good way to keep and display your sals. most salamanders do not need a high humidity enviroment if the soil is kept moist and a water bowl is provided to soak in. the depth of the water bowl is up to you, though anything over six inches is excessive. i have two 10" diameter x 2" deep resin water bowls for my sals. these need to be cleaned everyday to everyother day, regardless of wether they are used or not, again, to prevent bacteria growth in stagnant water. as for a substrate type, i like useing a mix of dendro bedding, coco bedding, and lose tree fern fiber from black jungle terrarium supply. the soil is naturally fertilizer free, contians much less sodium that other brands and holds moisture very well without decomposing quickly. bed-a-beast or forest bed are also good substrate choices.

below are pics of my 75 gal. tiger sal tank. there is 4"-8" of soil throughout the tank, a sturdy rock and wood built cave system, live plants, two water bowls(not pictured), live moss to help hold moisture and hid rocks. this is a simple and effective way of setting up a good tank that only needs to be cleaned every 4-6 months and provides an naturalistic look and feel for your pets.much better than a plastic container on a shelf.

some more pics of the tank

Those are very nice permenamt setups, my setup is a utilitarian temperary setup, in the spring, summer, and fall mine will be outside enjoying a much more natural enclosure.
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1.0 pastel ball python
0.1 mojave ball python
0.1 normal ball python
0.2 3-toed box turtles
2.3 eastern box turtles
0.0.5 3-striped mud turtle
1.0 northern diamondback terrapin
2.1 tiger salamander
1.1 red-sided garter
1.0 anerythristic red-sided garter
1.1 Iowa snow plains garter
1.1 Het butter stripe cornsnake
0.1 anerythristic motley cornsnake
1.1 Blue garter (Puget Sound)

Hi all, new here. Would you talk a bit more about the substrate, please? Do you put gravel under it for drainage? What would you think about PVC pipes in the substrate for drainage? I am planning on getting a Tiger soon, and haven't kept one in my adult life. Looking for any information on a good supplier as well.

Thanks!

Joe