Fishguy2727
11-02-2008, 12:05 AM
One of my other setups is my 55 gallon viquarium. It is a 55 gallon tank with a Tetra/SecondNature Water's Edge Viquarium kit. They do not make these anymore. It cost about $80 when I got mine about ten years ago. It is basically a plastic waterfall with pump, creek, and rock wall. You fill the land area with gravel. This provides the land area. The pump in the waterfall pulls water through the gravel, which functions like a filter. There is a compartment that holds a Whisper Biobag (Medium) where the water comes into the land area. Here is a whole tank shot:
http://i28.photobucket.com/albums/c207/reptileguy2727/IMG_0548.jpg
The current inhabitants are: 4 firebelly toads, 2 firebelly newts, 2 eastern newts, a ton of guppies, and a bunch of snails. All of the plants are live. The plants include: water wisteria (now growing out in the air too), anacharis (note high tightly it is growing), crystalwort, java moss, pothos, lucky bamboo, sandrianna, english ivy, water hyacinth, and two unknown assorted houseplants. The plants in the land area have their roots in the gravel, with the constant water supply it is like hydropaunics. The lucky bamboo is pressing against the screen and one of the english ivy plants has now grown THROUGH the screen. Lighting is one 4' fluorescent Reef Sun (50/50) and one 30" fluorescent (I think that one is a Reef Sun as well).
Eastern newt:
http://i28.photobucket.com/albums/c207/reptileguy2727/easternnewt.jpg
Toad and newt getting along very peacefully:
http://i28.photobucket.com/albums/c207/reptileguy2727/newtbytoad.jpg
The english ivy growing THROUGH the screen:
http://i28.photobucket.com/albums/c207/reptileguy2727/IMG_0541.jpg
Many people have the idea that firebelly newts and toads are simply incompatible. They cite reasons like their toxins killing each other and aggression. The toxins are not constantly leaked, they are kept in the skin until the animal is agitated, then it is released on to the skin. And apparently the toxins are not a problem anyways (at least not the newts' poison to the toads) or else every time a toad bit a newt, it would die. I have never seen anything that suggests this is a real problem I have never seen any articles, or heard of any experiences, that truly support or even suggest this. The only support for this is lots of articles and sites saying that it is a problem(without any bit of support), simply regurgitating it over and over. The other issue is aggression. This is a much more real issue. Anyone who goes in to a LFS and finds them housed together will most likely find at least one newt missing a leg or have some other type of injury. However, the issue does not seem to be them simply being together. The real issue has to do with overstocking, underfeeding, and having an improperly setup tank. Most LFSs have a very simple setup, usually open water and a baren land area, maybe some fake plants in the water or land. They also tend to be very overstocked. In addition, since the tank is not setup properly. With minimal land area, and no real decor, it is a pretty sterile and boring environment. In addition to all of this the animals are usually underfed. This makes them more aggressive about eating when food is offered. Most injuries to newts tend to happen at feeding time when a cricket is near or even on a newt and the newt is grabbed when a toad tries to eat that cricket. Setups containing both species need to be lightly stocked, well fed, and properly decorated. I have had these species together before. Back then it was about like this setup only in smaller tanks (20long and 29). That setup was moved from tank to tank once or twice, but was setup for probably about four years. I never once had a single incident that showed that these species living together is inherently a problem. This current setup has been setup for about six months. Again, not a single incident or shred of evidence that these species are inherently incompatible. I don't know of any species that when crowded, underfed, and in an improperly setup enclosure WON'T cause some sort of problems for each other, why place such a reputation on these species without ever testing or even questioning it? This combination is not inherently wrong. When truly done properly it can be a very successful setup.
http://i28.photobucket.com/albums/c207/reptileguy2727/IMG_0548.jpg
The current inhabitants are: 4 firebelly toads, 2 firebelly newts, 2 eastern newts, a ton of guppies, and a bunch of snails. All of the plants are live. The plants include: water wisteria (now growing out in the air too), anacharis (note high tightly it is growing), crystalwort, java moss, pothos, lucky bamboo, sandrianna, english ivy, water hyacinth, and two unknown assorted houseplants. The plants in the land area have their roots in the gravel, with the constant water supply it is like hydropaunics. The lucky bamboo is pressing against the screen and one of the english ivy plants has now grown THROUGH the screen. Lighting is one 4' fluorescent Reef Sun (50/50) and one 30" fluorescent (I think that one is a Reef Sun as well).
Eastern newt:
http://i28.photobucket.com/albums/c207/reptileguy2727/easternnewt.jpg
Toad and newt getting along very peacefully:
http://i28.photobucket.com/albums/c207/reptileguy2727/newtbytoad.jpg
The english ivy growing THROUGH the screen:
http://i28.photobucket.com/albums/c207/reptileguy2727/IMG_0541.jpg
Many people have the idea that firebelly newts and toads are simply incompatible. They cite reasons like their toxins killing each other and aggression. The toxins are not constantly leaked, they are kept in the skin until the animal is agitated, then it is released on to the skin. And apparently the toxins are not a problem anyways (at least not the newts' poison to the toads) or else every time a toad bit a newt, it would die. I have never seen anything that suggests this is a real problem I have never seen any articles, or heard of any experiences, that truly support or even suggest this. The only support for this is lots of articles and sites saying that it is a problem(without any bit of support), simply regurgitating it over and over. The other issue is aggression. This is a much more real issue. Anyone who goes in to a LFS and finds them housed together will most likely find at least one newt missing a leg or have some other type of injury. However, the issue does not seem to be them simply being together. The real issue has to do with overstocking, underfeeding, and having an improperly setup tank. Most LFSs have a very simple setup, usually open water and a baren land area, maybe some fake plants in the water or land. They also tend to be very overstocked. In addition, since the tank is not setup properly. With minimal land area, and no real decor, it is a pretty sterile and boring environment. In addition to all of this the animals are usually underfed. This makes them more aggressive about eating when food is offered. Most injuries to newts tend to happen at feeding time when a cricket is near or even on a newt and the newt is grabbed when a toad tries to eat that cricket. Setups containing both species need to be lightly stocked, well fed, and properly decorated. I have had these species together before. Back then it was about like this setup only in smaller tanks (20long and 29). That setup was moved from tank to tank once or twice, but was setup for probably about four years. I never once had a single incident that showed that these species living together is inherently a problem. This current setup has been setup for about six months. Again, not a single incident or shred of evidence that these species are inherently incompatible. I don't know of any species that when crowded, underfed, and in an improperly setup enclosure WON'T cause some sort of problems for each other, why place such a reputation on these species without ever testing or even questioning it? This combination is not inherently wrong. When truly done properly it can be a very successful setup.