Hi we are new here and got some questions

[Dreamtheory]

ok so first off, my name is Dylan and my GF name is Evie. We bought our salamander (Wall-E) from a reptile place a blocks over about 6 months ago. We feed him about 30 (small) crickets every week. We dump them all into his aquarium? and he eats them at the pace he wants, typically about 4-5 days to eat them all. He has definitely doubled in size and has added more of his yellow dots to his body.

But we don't know what type of salamander he is.

This is a pic of him after we first bought him.


Here is his aquarium we have for him.


We bought some amphibian coconut husk base that we have in there and some real moss that we have draped over his little housing. The is a small thing for water that i make sure has water every other day, and we try to keep the coconut husk wet. we pore water in almost everyday.

We typically keep some books laying over the top (covering about 80%) of the opening up top. Just our guess to keeping the humidity in as much as possible.

I noticed the temp inside normally stays around 75-80 degree's.

Are we doing things right? is there an easier way to keep it moist inside there?

We would love to here some tips and pointers to make Wall-E's life great.

We also considering buying another and a larger aquarium, and go all out, with waterfall, etc etc...

thanks in advance to all those that reply, Please show pic's of your set-up as well if its not to much trouble =)

[Dreamtheory]

Can you mix different species of salamanders together? ive seen posts about not mixing with Tiger Salamanders, but just not sure.

Anyone do this? and how big if a living space should 2-3 Salamanders have?

My GF and I are looking to buy more in SoCal

[Kyle The Toad]

Hmm... I had a nice reply typed up but I was somehow logged out and my post didn't save. That is really annoying. Since I don't feel like re-typing it, I'll just recap on what I put down before.

- Your salamander looks cool.
- From what I've read, Humidifiers and misting systems work well.
- Spray bottles also work.
- Plants raise humidity levels.
- Buy pothos for your current tank because they're easy to care for, meaning that it takes a lot to kill them.
- The waterfall in your next tank will also increase humidity levels.

[Kyle The Toad]

For the most part, people will advise against keeping different kinds of animals together as they may stress each other out. But if you plan on housing three of the same type of salamander shown in your other thread together, I would recommend no less than a forty-five gallon tank. But wait a while because the one you have may grow larger and three of them might be too much for a forty-five.

[beckdg]

i admit i didn't read every word but this looks like a decent guide... The Spotted Salamander, Ambystoma maculatum, ? Care in Captivity – Part 1 | That Reptile Blog

check this out too, interesting stuff... I've bred Ambystoma maculatum again. - Caudata.org Newt and Salamander Forum ... and justin surely would be a good source of info as well our admin froggsong would be.

i think a nice moist, swampy soil like a sand/peat/cocofiber mix would be great.
add in some leaf litter, brush (sticks, twigs, etc.) and a nice little hide tucked under some soil if it's too tuff to dig into and i think you have a winner for the most part.

one thing i definitely would do is cover that top with some glass so the humidity doesn't escape. should make life a lot easier than fighting humidity drops all the time.

[beckdg]

i think this is relevant and can be covered in your other thread so, i'm merging them.

[findi]

Hello,

You have a spotted salamander, Ambystoma maculatum...they make fine pets and can live in excess of 20 years, but I would suggest a few changes in the care you provide.

Covering the top to increase humidity can lead to fungal infections and other problems in time (poor ventilation). Spraying moss and providing a water bowl is sufficient. Be sure to use an instant water de-chlorinator (drops, sold for use with tropical fish) in water bowl and spray bottle.

75-80 F is above the recommended temp for this species - they will live for a time, but immune system weakens and leaves them open to bacterial/fungal infections and disease. Move to a cool basement if available or chill moss with a small freezer pac and replace daily. 60-68 ideal, or even lower if possible.

You'll need to vary the diet quite a bit - earthworms are far superior to crickes as the base of the diet, supplements important if unless diet is very varied (please see article below). Cut down on food as the animal approaches full size and is kept cooler - 1 small earthworm or 6 1/2 inch crickets weekly suffice for adults at 65 F.

Be sure to rinse and replace moss regularly..ammonia builds up quickly but is colorless and odorless - animal will absorb through its skin and be poisoned over time.

Please check out my article on Spotted Salamander care at The Spotted Salamander, Ambystoma maculatum, ? Care in Captivity – Part 1 | That Reptile Blog for further info and feel free to write back.

Good luck and enjoy, Frank

[beckdg]

thanks for posting here, frank. btw, your article is the one i quoted, ironically. it's good to hear from the source.

welcome to the forum. we're happy to have you.