I currently have a 10g tank with a couple of dozen salmander larvae that hatched from an egg mass found in my creek. I have identified them with fairly good certainty as spotted salamanders (based on speaking with several knowledgeable people who looked at the larvae and egg mass in person) -- but I'm not positive. These little guys are doing well, growing, feeding on little critters present in our creek sand (I get them a new bacth of sand and creek water every so often), as well as brine shrimp and black worms from the pet shop. They are getting big enough now that I am starting to see some noticeable size variation, so I think it's time to reduce my population, releasing all but a few of the largest ones, or else I will have cannibalism...

I am considering keeping a few of these little guys as pets. I have a 29g tank (30"L x 12"D x 19"H) that I can use for them. From the research I have done, it looks like the adults will need a completely terrestrial setup, with a loose substrate of proper pH that they can burrow in. I would like to create a naturalistic vivarium, with a background wall and some native ferns and other plants from my woods. I know they will also need a shallow water dish.

I guess I am looking for advice on how to transition the little fellas from their aquatic larval setup to their terrestrial adult setup. Obviously, they won't be ready to move until their gills are gone, and I guess I will need to start out by offering some terrestrial/very shallow water area in the 10g juvenile tank before moving them to the adult tank. Here are some of my other questions:

How many adults could I keep in the tank I described?

What are the best substrate materials? (Should I get leaf litter and soil from my woods -- their native environment -- or use commercial products?)

How can I best maintain the proper moisture in the terrestrial substrate?

How often will that substrate need to be changed?

Since these animals come from my yard, would they be best fed with wild-caught prey, when it is available?

Will the adults need a cold period to simulate winter?

Is there any chance I could breed them successfully in captivity, and if so, how could I go about providing the proper conditions (I know they will need water for their eggs, and presumably the right environmental triggers to stimulate breeding)?

I'm sure I'll think of other questions...

Thanks!

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Amy

The 29 gallon could house several adults, I would suggest using a substrate of damp unmilled sphagnum moss. With my marbled sallies I leave a few inches and spray it daily. I feed mine earthworms and occasional waxworms. I actually let mine spend the winter outside in the shed. I'll cover the moss with about 6 inches of leaf litter/grass clippings and leave em outside from november to march.

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Ken
" The United States Marine Corps......sure we are a department of the Navy,,,,,,we're the MENS department "

Thanks, Ken. I was wondering about the hibernation thing... Do you occasionally moisten the tank in the wintertime, to simulate snowmelt and winter rains?

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Amy

Are you still looking for advice on a spotted salamander setup? I have kept them for 20 years and can give you the details of my setup.
Jon

I would love to hear/see details of your setup, Jon. My babies have graduated to a terrestrial tank now. They are still tiny (1.5-2 inches), and I have 12 in a 10-g aquarium. I have about 4 inches of mixed soil and leaf mold/litter from my woods (where their parents came from) as substrate, as well as a fern and a groundcover plant, some moss and a half-rotted piece of wood. I have a small dish of water in there that I change daily. I mist daily as well, and water a bit more thoroughly about once a week.

I tried to make sure I got lots of worms, slugs, ants, etc. in there when I dug the soil, and for now, that's all they have to eat. I am thinking of getting some pinhead crickets or flightless fruitflies, and I will see if I can follow your advice and find some termites. I'm sure there must be some out there in a dead tree stump!

They do appear to be getting bigger, and before long I will let all but maybe two of them go in the woods. I have a 29-gal aquarium that I'd like to set up to house 2 or 3 sallies. I'd love your advice before I start that project.

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Amy

I have my adult spotted salamanders in a 20 gallon tank set up as follows:
I had a 4" X 12" piece of glass cut at a local glass shop and I siliconed it into place at the bottom of the tank. It serves as a divider between the water section and the dirt section of the tank. It is angled toward the dirt section. Approximately two thirds of the tank consists of the terrarium on one side of the divider, and one third of the tank consists of the aquarium side on the other side of the divider.
Also, while at the glass shop have a glass top cut for the tank. It should fit inside the molding of the top of the tank. I super glued a nylon handle to the top on my tank for easy removal. A top of the thinnest glass will cost about $7. I had a thick glass top made with the edges sanded for safety. Also, have one of the corners cut off (an inch or less) for ventilation. The glass cover is essential and minimizes evaporation. I spent about $30 on the cover after breaking a few thin ones over the years. I add water to the set up less than once a month and usually by using a spray bottle.
Once then silicone is dry, add a couple small bags of terrarium charcoal. It absords wastes like ammonia. Then add a few inches of quality top soil on top of that. The terrarium side of the tank should be very moist, nearly satuarated. On the water side, I have 1/2" of natural aquarium gravel and 1" of water on top of that.
I then plant the terrarium side with ferns (short species) with several small aquatic plants on the water side. The divider, I cover completely with moss to conceal it.
The lighting is essential. I use a 24" Coral Life brand "Freshwater"light. It has a 65 watt bulb.
I clean the tank out about 4 times a year (replacing charcoal and all). It houses 5 adult spotted salamanders which are fed crickets and an occasional earth worm.
Jon
jonandrews_law@yahoo.com

Thanks for the detailed info, Jon! I really appreciate it. It sounds pretty simple, and should give me an excellent start to get my large tank underway in time for housing the sallies when they get bigger. Meanwhile, i think I'll add some wax paper to the screen top help keep in moisture in the 10g I have them in now...

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Amy