New DIY Forest Vivarium for Amphibians

[@TheScolopendraMetuendaMan]

Beautiful as always, I constantly get inspiration watching your scapes, keep it up! criminally under rated

[@slitheringsalamanderscapes6887]

Thank you!!

[@FarizSudrajat]

This is cool

[@giovannidonavan6564]

Hello love your work I have a pseudotriton ruber and I got him two weeks ago but have yet to see him eat I put him in a starter set up with dwarf white isopod threw dusted crickets in there for those two weeks but never saw him eat noticed some crickets weren’t around but idk. Just moved him to his permanent 20 gallon paludarium but he’s hiding it’s been 3 days

[@slitheringsalamanderscapes6887]

Thanks! It may take it a while to de-stress and get used to its new environment. It will likely begin to hunt the food if it hasn’t already. You can try tong feeding with the live food as well. I wouldn’t worry too much at this point. They get stressed out when they are out into a new environment and good to leave them alone and let them acclimate.

[@theoneandonlymrme]

Great DIY! I am currently building a 75 gallon tank for my two blotched tigers. I didn’t want to buy a premade substrate since with a big tank it would be more expensive for a good quality mix. What’s a good substrate mixture you would recommend for them that I could mix myself?

[@slitheringsalamanderscapes6887]

Thanks! I would look for some organic topsoil (no chemicals), some sphagnum moss, small amount of sand some shredded orchid or repti bark, and some coco fiber. I typically will buy reptisoil in lieu of topsoil on occasion.

[@slitheringsalamanderscapes6887]

Nice, congrats! I don’t really put any fish in with any amphibians. I did have some native darters in with my greater sirens, but they all gotten eaten. .

[@theoneandonlymrme]

Thanks! I added a few mosquito fish. So far they have been doing great. Should I also add some type of shrimp to add to the clean up crew?

[@slitheringsalamanderscapes6887]

Sure. I use amano or ghost shrimp

[@lizards.n.sht.]

The pine has never caused you any problems in those environments? It always makes me nervous. I love the look of it, and most animals have it in their habitats, but obviously, our vivs aren't the outdoors lol

[@slitheringsalamanderscapes6887]

Thanks! Never had any issues. That said, I understand the concern with oils and acidity. I just haven’t had issues before. I put it in sparingly and always make sure there is a lot of other deciduous leaf litter as well.

[@bruhman571]

What breeders do you buy from. I've been struggling to find some besides Indoor.

[@slitheringsalamanderscapes6887]

Indoor is my main go to. Sometimes hobbyists rehome some of their collections and that is also an avenue. I know there are also multiple breeders on Caudata.org

[@cosmocamron7732]

pretty cool. i used to have a couple of barred tigers for a number of years. They were great. are you planning to breed these salamanders?

[@slitheringsalamanderscapes6887]

Thanks! I don’t intentionally try to breed them, but it definitely could happen.

[@theoneandonlymrme]

Hello again! I’ve finished my 75 gallon paludarium for my two tiger salamanders. I was wondering if I would be able to add mosquito fish in the water section. Do you have any experience with keeping fish with salamanders?

[@alexmic3577]

i’ve kept some tetras and some danios with my barred tigers and really not had any issues. the tigers are far too fat and slow to catch anything that’s not a cory catfish. i think the trick is a good thought out design where you give the tigers all the land they need for hibernation/brumation as well as give the fish all the things they need, adequate space, proper substrate (dirt with sand cap), tropical plants, good filtration/aeration, heater, etc. i’ve found the tigers prefer water around 75 so getting fish that are tough enough for that temp is important. but you can make some cool palludariums keeping them together because you have to get real creative with supports, really good waterproofing, stuff like that. takes some practice for sure

[@1e2453]

I was always curios where do u get ur salamanders

[@slitheringsalamanderscapes6887]

Mostly from captive breeders. Have some wild caught that were re-homed to me as well

[@martincrazereptiles8477]

Just finish my bioactive in aquarium for African bullfrog I covered both sides whole back ground middle level ok wild

[@geckoman2195]

When the price is right