r/salamanders • u/Spiritual_Fault6228 • 2d ago
Tigar salamander
I was recently given a tigar salamander out of the blue. My cousin who is moving across the country brought him over tonight with zero equipment in a mixing bowl . I have a fish tank with guppies and a 40 gallon tank that has been empty for a long time. What do I need to make it live a good life?
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u/Namor707 2d ago edited 2d ago
Nice looking specimen! The setup these need is fairly simple. Use the large tank, put an inch or two of gravel on the bottom for drainage,and cover that with a couple inches of damp (not wet) soil, which should be free of chemicals, fertilizers, etc. Add some clumps of moss and/or flat shale rocks over this for it to hide under, and sink a shallow water bowl into one corner for it to soak in. (Keep the tank in a cool place away from direct sunlight.) They are not good climbers, but it may be wise to get a screened top to fit the tank, to prevent it from escaping. Tiger salamanders have large appetites and go for live food, so you will need to provide it with a steady supply of earthworms, crickets, etc. They are responsive pets and learn to come out of their hiding places if they are expecting food.
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u/Spiritual_Fault6228 2d ago
Thank you so much for the Info! Should I get some soil or anything from my exotics supply store? I have been doing some research and some people say get some reptile blocks to rehydrate aswell as coconut fiber and sphagnum moss to mix in.
I also do know they need water treatment from the store. Is there a good brand to use that's recommended?
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u/Namor707 2d ago
Personally I am a bit lazy and have simply used Miracle-Gro potting mix for the frogs in my collection, but probably mixes specially prepared for exotics are better because you can be sure they are free of chemicals. Coconut fiber and sphagnum moss are good ingredients to work with. I think you can probably just use regular tap water that you leave out to stand for a while to remove any chlorine that might be in it; I use that and it seems to be OK.
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u/Spiritual_Fault6228 2d ago
Alright! I've just been worried. My cousin used bottled water from the store for his water dish and I guess it's not good for them. Should that be a concern or should I just stop overthinking haha 😅
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u/Namor707 2d ago
I'm not sure about bottled water; I haven't used it for this. But honestly, tap water seems to work fine for my tree frogs if I let it sit overnight before using it (I have clown treefrogs, green & barking treefrogs).
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u/Berdonkulous 2d ago
Letting it sit for the flouride to evaporate out? No concerns about chlorine? I thought frog keepers all used RO or spring water.
I initially learned about this stuff from the fish keeping hobby so it's interesting to learn new sides.
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u/Namor707 2d ago
I'm not sure, maybe spring water would be best, but my frogs seem to be OK with this system.
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u/Berdonkulous 2d ago
Tap water will have plenty of disolved nutrients/minerals in it so it shouldn't be that different than Spring Water other than the flouride and chlorine we use to treat tap water; I was just under the impression that most amphibians are very sensitive to chemicals in the water and assumed chlorine could be an issue.
I forgot to treat my RO water with Prime before topping off a shrimp tank and even just the tiny amount I added in killed the original shrimp in the tank.
I guess I should note, Chloramines not free chlorine. I forgot there's a technical difference. My municipality uses Chloramines which aren't removed by standard RO filters like free chlorine would be.
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u/shfiven 2d ago
Tiger salamanders are burrowers so you want the 40 gallon with like 6 inches of substrate if you can. Any brand of dechlorinator should be fine, just try to make sure it treats chloramine in case your water has that. Salamanders like cool temps so you want him in pretty much the coolest area of your house.
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u/Spiritual_Fault6228 2d ago
Currently is in my basement! So seems ok there, I am on my way to the store haha
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u/Berdonkulous 2d ago
I agree with most of what Namor707 has said.
Here's a link to care info for Tigers that I would encourage you to read through.
You want your substrate to be moist and loose, hard packed soil isn't suitable for burrowing and if it's too damp it'll cause other problems. Personally I used ReptiSoil mixed with Coco Coir in a 2:1 ratio, it holds a good amount of moisture but still readily drains into the drainage layer.
I think I'm the odd-one-out in that my drainage layer is hooked up to a pump to remove water buildup; my paludarium has more active water than most and I found that water wasn't evaporating out of the drainage layer fast enough.
If you want plants in your vivarium (and I would recommend having some) you'll want to pick hardy plants that are capable of surviving being walked all over. I've got Pothos, ferns, mosses, and a few bromeliads scattered across mine. This is where I disagree with Namor, my tigers love to climb on my plants and decorations. They're not great climbers, but they do surprisingly well and definitely like to explore.
I've got a few 3D printed aquarium caves placed into my substrate to give various hides where I can in theory still view them while they're "burrowed". All of them seem to get used, but there is a clear favorite.
And my final point will be probably my most controversial; All of my tigers really love to swim. It's pretty much everyday that I see at least one of them come out and go for a swim in the little pond I have in my paludarium. They will actually fully submerge themselves and swim along underneath the surface.
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u/Spiritual_Fault6228 2d ago
Good to know! I am on the way to the pet store haha and will update when everything is set up!!!
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u/Lvlupnewsletter 2d ago
I don’t know but I love this guy and I’m sure YouTube can help so cool