# Paludarium



## flaredevil4 (Sep 9, 2006)

Hi everyone, I'm going to be getting my first amphibian today. It'll be a fire-bellied newt and he/she will live in a 10G paludarium (half land, half water). I have quite a few questons about this because I'm afraid I might mess up at something







Hopefully nothing bad will happen and I will be a successfull newt keeper (I've been deaming of owning one for about 3 years before I bought my fish). Hopefully you could answer these questions









1. How would you plan a paludarium?
2. What type of substrate would be ideal for fire bellied newts?
3. What would be the best plants to grow in a paludarium (low-moderate lighting)?
4. Which plants do fire-bellied newts enjoy the most, grow well in a 10G paludarium, and looks appealing.
5. What plants would be the easiest to take care of (I'm beginning this, so I need something easier to take care of so I can spend some time with my newt







)
6.Are there any plants which are somewhat small (don't require trimming often)and grow under and above water (like those plants which has a stem under water and the leaves above water)?
7. Chances are, I'm not going to be puttng any plants in the water secton of the paludarium, so what would you suggest I use to decorate it (if at all)

I hope I'm not bugging you with so many questions. I really want to know a lot about amphibians so I can be a good keeper.

Thanks in advance
~QT


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## DiscusMel (Jul 21, 2004)

Firebellys are cool and the first amphibian we bought.Now
they breed like flies







Anyways i don't use half land
and half water as such, i set it up like a tank with large gravel
with a little plant substrate under the gravel.Then fill to about
2in bigger than the newt.I use bogwood as the land and as long
as some of the bogwood sticks out the water they will be fine.
For plants use bog plants, they are usually sold at your lfs, use 
plants like dracenia and peace lilys.Plants them around the 
bogwood and you'll find the newt will climb on the leaves.
You can also use floating plants like duckweed or lettuce.

For food mine survive mainly on bloodworm and if you can
get it live they will love it.The bloodworms hides in the gravel
and comes out at night and its funny watching them hunting it.
Small crickets on occasion, white worm and daphnia go down
well too.

Remember they are to be kept cool as possible with no heating.

This tank has been running for about a year


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## flaredevil4 (Sep 9, 2006)

Wow, thanks so much Mel







I think I'll try that bog set-up and see how it works out. ANother question, in a bog set-up, how do you drain the water. Do yyou do it like a fish tank and use a siphon or do you drill a hole in the bottom and let it drain. Also, what do you mean by plant substrate? Do you mean soil?

Do you happen to have a side view of that tank (which I must say looks nicely planted







)?

Oh, and if anyone else has any ideas to add to the bog set-up or their own set-up and stuff, then please post









Thanks again









edit: I forgot to ask a couple of questions









How deep is you substrate?
If the worms burrow, won't they die and foul the tank?
Is there any sphagnum moss in this tank?
Is there a difference between bog wood and driftwood?
Are bog plants the plants which grow in the water and emerge above it?

Sorry if I'm bugging you


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## Red Eyes (Nov 25, 2003)

Here's a site with some caresheets
and on the same site there are these articles.


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## flaredevil4 (Sep 9, 2006)

Thanks for the articles, the care sheets aren't for fire bellied newts though. The articles are definitely helpful









Are there any other suggestions? If not, I'm going to be going with the bog idea


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## DiscusMel (Jul 21, 2004)

I've never found a dead bloodworm, they seem to live
for ever under the gravel.The substrate is about 2-3in
deep, plant substrate i mean laterite, eco-complete
and the likes.For wc's i just use a normal syphon
gravel cleaner, albeit a small one.

I'll try and get some front on pics for you later.

Oh and the reason the plants work so well imo
is with the tank kept cold the tank lights heat
it up a little and you get the proverbial rainforest
effect.I forgot to say that java fern works great too.

Edit: and heres a pic taken just a sec ago


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## flaredevil4 (Sep 9, 2006)

Wow! Nice set-up! When I set it up, I'll post it up for everyone to see







. Thanks very much for the idea, I'll definitely follow up once the set-up is done. Luckily the plants my mom has are pretty grown









edit: one last question: where do you find out which plants grow well in the paludarium climate? Is there a site which you learn, or is it just something you know? I've been looking for a good site, but it is quite hard to find


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## CrocKeeper (Dec 26, 2003)

Great coverage mel.

thank you!


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