# Newt vivarium/paludarium construction.



## Guest (Mar 3, 2009)

Hello.

Today my vivarium material finaly recived so i can start too build my vivarium tomorrow. But i have a question about how too do whit the false bottom, this will be my first vivarium cnstruction and i dont want anything too go wrong as you probably understand.

I have a sketch so you can see my thoughts, it will be a water area and the rest falsebottom, i shall also build a background wich i will explain more about later. Under the false bottom im thinking about too drill a hole and attach a tap to the plyfa so i easily just can empty the remaining water into a bucket or so. But i wonder if the stationary water area under the false bottom can become a probleme for bacteria? i will have a circulation pump i the pound of curse.










Best Regards.


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## slowfoot (Sep 23, 2008)

Hi Nile,

What kind of newt are you planning in keeping in there? I'm just asking because the size of the water area looks a little small for most species. I would also be worried about using a false bottom with newts: you mentioned stagnant water, and that can be a big problem.


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## bobberly1 (Jul 16, 2008)

Nice, something I'm not a total novice in. Yeah, what species? For most, a little more water area would be nice. They never really walk on land and they're fairly active in the water, so you don't need too much dry area. Again, this is most species, not all.


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## Otis (Apr 16, 2006)

slowfoot said:


> Hi Nile,
> 
> What kind of newt are you planning in keeping in there? I'm just asking because the size of the water area looks a little small for most species. I would also be worried about using a false bottom with newts: you mentioned stagnant water, and that can be a big problem.


I use no filters, air stones, or water pumps in any of my newt tanks and I've never had a problem with stagnant water. If you have live plants you should be fine. For newt tanks java fern, java moss, and anibius nana work well and can tolerate the cooler temps. 

I would not be so much worried about the area of the land, but the depth of the water, most species do well having access to land and some deeper (5 in+) water. It really depends on the species though.


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## bobberly1 (Jul 16, 2008)

I use a sponge filter, but since I have notos it's all water with a mini turtle dock. For more terrestrial species, you dont need oxygenation.


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## slowfoot (Sep 23, 2008)

otis07 said:


> I use no filters, air stones, or water pumps in any of my newt tanks and I've never had a problem with stagnant water.


I think that would be fine if you didn't have a false bottom, but I would be worried about food and waste getting trapped and rotting.


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## Guest (Mar 4, 2009)

Hello guys.

To answer the questions.

The newt is 2.3.4 Triturus marmoratus at age 1 year and 7 month and the biggest messure 12,5cm(i have had them over a year now). They do great in both land and in semi aquatic setups, so thats a good cage for them i think. My group is now going terrestrial and do only have access to a small water area so i thougth i would build a larger,, its most during the breeding seson they go aquatic in the wild, but between too of curse what i know. This is not a small cage, inside dimesion messure 120x82x60cm lxwxh, so that is plenty off room for both water and land area! I shall also build a radiator systeme off a freezer that is a perfect way to controll the temp, i want 16-18degrees in my cage and that is what i allways have. 

The false bottom is only fore the land area, i construct the pound in styrofoam and cement, too secure the water/cement i have something called tapcrete that many zoo use in their tanks.

So i dont have to worried about the water under the false bottom? just empy the remaining water 1-2 times a week as i mentioned.

Sorry for my english, i still hope you understand hehe.

Here is some photos from todays work, i cant continue before my epotex aquarium seling arrives and the glass/water front.














































The front is not done if you wonder.

Best regards.


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## Guest (Mar 4, 2009)

This is how the finished tank will look.


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## Fishman (Jan 16, 2007)

looking good, but I want to see a photo of the vivarium in the background of the first picture!


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## Guest (Mar 5, 2009)

Fishman said:


> looking good, but I want to see a photo of the vivarium in the background of the first picture!


Hehe its just my Varanus tristis orientalis cage, here you have a link to my home page so that you can take a look.

Terrariedjur - grius's zoon - Bilder, Filmer, Artiklar, Blogg, Annonser - Zoonen.com - Allt om djur och lite till

Regards.


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## bobberly1 (Jul 16, 2008)

Yeah, that's a good setup for that species. Beatuful woodwork, by the way! A guide on how you did the front would be cool.


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## Guest (Mar 5, 2009)

bobberly1 said:


> Yeah, that's a good setup for that species. Beatuful woodwork, by the way! A guide on how you did the front would be cool.


Thanks! yes he/she likes the cage what i can see. Excuse me if i am slow here but what exactly do you mean with front?


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## Guest (Mar 10, 2009)

Hi.
Not much for uppdate but here we go.

The two layers with epotex aquarium seling is finished and the false bottom is in place, So tomorrow i will start to build the pound and more if i have time.


















Holes for one of the pipes that goes down to the freezer, and the oter is the tapp.










Regards.


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## Guest (Mar 11, 2009)

Hi.

My aquarium seling arrived today so i just put the first of three layers, i also saw the holes for tapp and the large one is one of the the pipes that shall be placed into my freezer under the vivarium. 

But Ii will let the sealing dry too monday, after that i get to work whit the false bottom and the pound/water area.













































Here you can se how i shaped the froglit to make use for more land area(cocos, moss and leafs) 









And also here a litle land area.










The water depth shall be around 12-15cm.
I hope that it turns out just as i have imagine 
Regards.


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## Guest (Mar 11, 2009)

Hello, now things going as i should, the preparation for the water area and the land transition is almost done. But much more to do both whit some rock parts and the background.

Something got wrong with the text, hmm strange.


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## Guest (Mar 26, 2009)

Hello.

Well what can i say hehe, i have rebuild this waterpart and so some times now and i just wont get satesfied with the results. But today i did build a new and i got more deep in my tank as i wanted. I will have substrate aswell and thats what the small hole parts is fore, i belive i shall saw out the holes for false bottom and just use some simple tapps on 2-3places.

Well here is the new water and stone slope.








Im not entirely done with it but almost.



















So next stepp is cemnt and after carve cracks and so.

Here is the test build that i made before this i got finished today. But no deep there neither.

















Regards/Tomas


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## quickfinger (May 14, 2009)

That looks really cool....did you ever finish the project? any pics?


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## Guest (May 14, 2009)

Hello.

Well it have become many changes, but here you have som uppdate, many pictures, i hope thats okey.

For the fist i made i completly new cage for both my species, marmoratus and A.mavortium. 
























The hole cage inner dimension 220x85x58cm lxwxh with a partition in the middle. So the right side is for the tiger salamander(120cm length) and the left for marms (100cm length)

























Bench for the terrarium.









Final look.









The beginning for my freezer systeme, I shall explain later when the hole thing is done.









Pipes for exchange of the warmer air.









Pipes where the coold air will flow.









Looks like this on both sides the freezer.

















Glass for marmoratus waterpart on place.

Well this is how far i have gone, but next week you will see the more finished result, i promise.









This is how i want the water/ston part to look when im done.

Regards.


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## ClintonJ (May 11, 2009)

Dude, this is an awesome setup! Thanks for all the pics. Keep em coming!


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## scream-aim-fire (Mar 1, 2008)

you using the freezer system to promote breeding?


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## quickfinger (May 14, 2009)

Sweet mercy, that's awesome!


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## Guest (May 15, 2009)

Thanks guys.

"scream-aim-fire"

Well i hope i can maintain such low temperatures to get them in breeding mode, and it would be specialy nice for Ambystoma mavortium. Otherwize i use this freezer to get good day and night gradient, marmoratus do good between 16-18degress, and i dont want a temp over 20degrees in the tiger tank. The room i have this vivarium in will be hot now to the summer, so what can be better then a cooling systeme that have total control over temperatures


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## quickfinger (May 14, 2009)

Very cool. What do you use to cover the foam rock?


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## Guest (May 15, 2009)

quickfinger said:


> Very cool. What do you use to cover the foam rock?


I use standard cement that i paint with tapecrete/powder pigment. 
Astek Composites Inc. - TAPECRETE

























One of my latest background but nothing i have use for, i had too try some paint methods.

This stones will have a mor dark grey colour.


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## quickfinger (May 14, 2009)

That is amazing. I'm thinking of doing something like that for a turtle tank. Is it waterproof?


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## Guest (May 16, 2009)

quickfinger said:


> That is amazing. I'm thinking of doing something like that for a turtle tank. Is it waterproof?


Yes when coated with tapecrete it will be waterprof, some zooz among others use this in their cages. i Bought my tapecrete from a swedish faux rock firm.


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## boogsawaste (Jun 28, 2008)

Excellent work. I especially like how you are using a refrigerator for temperature control!


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## Guest (May 16, 2009)

boogsawaste said:


> Excellent work. I especially like how you are using a refrigerator for temperature control!


Thanks.
I have rebuild a freezer some year ago and i worket perfect! i have photos on the hole thing, but it looks like "hi come and help me hehe. It was not supose to look good i only wanted the effectiveness so.


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## MonkeyFrogMan28 (Feb 3, 2009)

Marbled newts will be fine in a set up like you have, but do not have temps above 70F, these newts like cooler temperatures. Stagnant water will not be a problem because these newts are terrestrial until breeding season. I personally would have a slow current to the water source to help it stay clean and not to smell. When they are ready to breed, your setup will have to change from a terrestrial to a fully aquatic setup. I have alot of experience with newts and salamanders. I would recomend Emperor Newts for your setup, they dont require a different setup for breeding. Black Jungle has 3 Marbled newts which they house with some sort of dart frog which i dont agree with, but they have a awesome setup for them you could maybe ask for pictures from them. I wouldnt mix a newt that requires cool temps with a dart frog tho. I cant remeber what kind it was tho. i think it was tricolors.


EDIT: I guess i was a little late on commenting, I didnt read the whole thread before i posted.


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## Guest (May 16, 2009)

MonkeyFrogMan28 said:


> Marbled newts will be fine in a set up like you have, but do not have temps above 70F, these newts like cooler temperatures. Stagnant water will not be a problem because these newts are terrestrial until breeding season. I personally would have a slow current to the water source to help it stay clean and not to smell. When they are ready to breed, your setup will have to change from a terrestrial to a fully aquatic setup. I have alot of experience with newts and salamanders. I would recomend Emperor Newts for your setup, they dont require a different setup for breeding. Black Jungle has 3 Marbled newts which they house with some sort of dart frog which i dont agree with, but they have a awesome setup for them you could maybe ask for pictures from them. I wouldnt mix a newt that requires cool temps with a dart frog tho. I cant remeber what kind it was tho. i think it was tricolors.
> 
> 
> EDIT: I guess i was a little late on commenting, I didnt read the whole thread before i posted.


Hello.
I quote my self

" marmoratus do good between 16-18degress"

That meens 64,4-60,8F

Thanks for all advice but i have it all under controll, both temps, food, water flow, fully aquatic when breeding( just moving to a aquarium) lighting. Im very strikt with temps when it comes to most newts and salamnders, high temerarures is dangeros for them, i dont want a temp över 66,2F for my tiger either.

"I would recomend Emperor Newts for your setup, they dont require a different setup for breeding"

Thanks for the recomendation but i allready have 2.3.4 marms and 1.0 A.mavortium that will house in my setup. It is a nice newt and great that you mentioned the species, and i read about them not long ago but did not know that with breeding. I dont want a semi aquatic species, marmoratus among others is a good chice because they only need a aquatic setub when breeding time. Like Taricha torosa that also is a good candidate togheter with one of all salamandra.s ssp(landliving i know)

From caudata:

"One way is to keep the animal in the lower 60s and on a fairly dry substrate during the winter. Then during summer, raise their temperature to the upper 70s and increase the humidity. If breeding is to occur, supply the captives with enough water for courtship and for depositing eggs, while still maintaining a nice sized land area."

I dont want to go totally of topic, this is a frog forum. But i just have a question how much water is enought for breeding?

"Black Jungle has 3 Marbled newts which they house with some sort of dart frog which i dont agree with"

I agree with you on that, the animals are not even from the same country or continent so that seems wrong. It also take away impression of both species real habitat.

Which species of salamamanders and newts do you hold? 

Regards.


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## weta (Mar 2, 2008)

wow this it top level DIY! thanks for sharing


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## Guest (May 17, 2009)

weta said:


> wow this it top level DIY! thanks for sharing


Thanks! i will get this finished this week,


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## Guest (May 18, 2009)

A litle update.

I have much left but here are some stones im not completly finished with, i think they look good so far.








































Regards.


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## Guest (Jun 3, 2009)

Time for update. 
Much still to do, but here is a overview as how i looks for the moment.
YouTube - T.marmoratus and A. mavortium vivarium construction.









































Everything is finished and painted.


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## Nora (Jun 10, 2009)

I've been at the computer for several hours now looking at various vivarium build logs, set ups and materials. After a while they all blur together and very few stand out. Your thread here is a stand out. The rock work you do is very impressive, good cuts, shapes and great realistic variations. Nice work - I can't wait to see more.


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## Geckoguy (Dec 10, 2008)

Your rocks look awsome very realistic! I cant wait to see the finished product.


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## Guest (Jun 12, 2009)

Thank you both for those kind words! hehe

Well today i shall silicon the hole "landscape into the marmoratus vivarium side. After that whait three days and start to to begin the filling and water changes. 

I keep you updated!
Regards.


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## Guest (Jun 12, 2009)

YouTube - T.marmoratus and A. mavortium vivarium construction.

Video at the hole thing.


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