# Planted Tanks > Vivariums >  1.5ft Vivarium for Fire-Bellied Newts

## Merviso

Hi,


Just managed to setup this simple vivarium for 4 Fire-Bellied Newts.  :Smug: 

The outcome of this vivarium is very much different from what I initially had in mind. The most difficult part is to keep the small river sand and aqual soil on the land part from dropping into the water. I choose not to put up a divider between the land and water so that I can change the design easily in the future.  :Razz: 

Here are some information for this vivarium:

Tank Size: Length 1.5ft x Width 1ft x Height 1.5ft (custom ordered)
SubStrate: Water - Fine river sand, 
Land - Gex Soil for Plant (Land), Perlite as base
Lighting: 18W PL Light
Filter: Eden 501
Ferts: None
flora: Spiky Moss, Java Fern, Crypt and one unknown plant. 
fauna: 4 Fire-Bellied Newts, 4 Goby 


Front View:




Side View



Water Feature: An emerge Spiky Moss Wall with water output from Eden 501 filter, combined with some used Ceramic Ring and wrap together using plastic mesh net. Hopefully this can work as a new type of drip down biogical filter.  :Grin: 




I will be looking out for more plants to add into the tank. Any advice and suggestion is most welcomed!  :Angel:

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## illumnae

very beautiful setup =) are you intending to put any fish into the water area?

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## Merviso

Hi illumnae, thanks, I had 4 Goby inside that I saved from feeder pack. Think is the common type found in Singapore's water.  :Smile: 

Was thinking of adding a pair of smaller Killies but not sure what would be suitable to put inside!  :Embarassed:

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## Don90

OMG! You are a master at this!!

So nice! Anyway, do you have a lid on this to prevent escape?

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## Merviso

Hi Don90, thanks  :Wink: 

I'm just learning to setup a vivarium and this is my second attempt. I have pick up most of the know how from this forum, especially from the fantastic example shown in the post of Wild Ginger, he is the true master!  :Kiss: 

I only managed to put up the lid on the second night. One of my newts already had its first breakout just after 3 hours in the tank on the first day.  :Razz:  He was already on the top of the tank looking around when I saw him, really make me worried for the next whole day when the lid is not in place yet. Actually, I'm still not very happy on my current DIY cover. Maybe I'll take a picture tonight and post it to gather some advice.  :Confused: 

I still need to add in more plants thou. If you take a look at Wild Ginger's Vivarium post, it is always so green and vibrant with all those interesting plants. I have yet to figure out what plants is suitable to add into my tank.  :Sad:

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## BuTLeR

nicee.... do keep us update bro

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## Rupert

Impressive… inspirational. Might want to try some cherry shrimp and some nerite snails?

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## Merviso

Hi BuTleR, thanks! I will continue to update the development of this vivarium and hopefully something good will come out of it.  :Grin: 

Hi Rupert, thanks! Actually I'm the one being inspired so much that I wanted to try it out on my own. I actually have an old ramhorn snail in this tank; he had already survived a few of my tanks and I take this as his old folk home.  :Smug:  

I had also just put in 17 baby cherry shrimps that I had saved from the canister filter of my 2ft tank. Hope that they can survived the water condition as well as the 4 nasty goby!  :Opps:  I did put in a bundle of pelia so that they can take cover better.  :Roll Eyes:  Added also are 5 small clown killies that have been surviving well since last thursday. I will update with new picture once the new plants have stabilized.

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## plausible

wow,looks very natural!

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## Merviso

Hi Bros,


As promised, here is the latest update of this vivarium.



Development since last posted:

- I have just added another 2 smaller newts into the community yesterday, making it a total of 6.  :Grin: 
- Removed the 4 Goby into another tank and added 8 Clown Killies in 2 batches. Left with 3 now.  :Sad: 
- Added more plants, moss and pelia into the tank.
- More than 10 Cherry Shrimplets growing into semi adults. Guess the water condition can't be too bad.  :Razz: 

Any comments and suggestions are most welcomed!  :Wink:

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## yeoyl87

nice! really very impressive. Nothing planted on the wall?

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## Merviso

Hi yeoyl87, thanks !  :Wink:  

At the moment, the only terrestial plant on the wall is tied to the bamboo pole. Due to limited knowledge on terrestrial plants, I'm not really sure what is suitable on the foam wall..  :Embarassed: 

I do have a vertical drip-down spiky moss wall; however, it is growing real slow and only a few is sticky out of the net.  :Sad: 

It will be good if someone can recommend me some suitable plants that I can add into this vivarium. Thanks a lot!  :Roll Eyes:

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## fuse

just the perfect thread for me, i am looking at doing up a FBT tank. by the way, how do u feed your newts in this tank?

your eden 501 is behind the background? thanks

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## Merviso

hi fuse, welcome to the club...  :Grin:  

Setting up a vivarium is really a very addictive hobby...  :Laughing:  I'm actually very tempted to setup another vivarium; especially after seeing those much bigger size Paddle Tail Newts, which is at least 3 times bigger than my biggest fire bellied, when I got the other 2 newts the other day.  :Roll Eyes: 

I fed the newts with just moulded meal worm and also tubiflex worm. A big headache is when they will sometime go hunger strike for more than a few days.  :Exasperated: 

Yes, my Eden is setup high behind the back of my tank. I actually find my current vertical Ceramic Ring Moss Wall quite useful as an additional filter and also increasing the oxygenation of the water and will work on it more on my next design..  :Cool:

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## EvolutionZ

hi merviso! you are really tempting me to make my 1ft cube a vivarium.. does your vivarium have any algae issue? and where you get your back ground?

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## stillife

Hi Merviso! 

What an interesting setup you've got! Something different. Will it get smelly? I mean will it have some sort of those reptile smell? How you go about water change? Not much to change for this sort of tank huh?

Will the newt jump out of tank? (notice you cover my glass/plastic)

Interesting.....will consider if I have more time.  :Smile:

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## Merviso

hahaha... EvolutionZ, how's your tanks coming along? Still remember I told you before that I'm planning to setup a vivarium when I got the newts from you, well, this is already the second version and it's sure a lot of fun to do it up...  :Smug:  Background foam quite easy to get at C328 or Aquastar.

One thing I feel is that for a vivarium tank, the height must be taller so that the plant can grow up vertically can not so restrictive also... Got to cover up the tank to preserve higher humidilty also... btw, surprisingly, their are no algae problem. I'm actually hopping that they will grow on the wood and rocks. There are however some moldy stuff on my bamboo pole...  :Roll Eyes: 

hi stillife, thanks, read more into the old post here and you will be as inspired as me to try it out...  :Wink: 

So far no smell for me... but I do open up the cover to air it every night to change some fresh air.  :Razz: 

The newts can and will climb out! They are great escape artist. The cover is also to preserve higher humidilty so that the plants and moss will not dry up... also important for the newts to make sure their skin don't dry up.  :Smile:

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## EvolutionZ

arrrggghhhh... you are really tempting me.. i will pm you about something.. need some questions then i might build a Vivarium :Opps:  :Grin:

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## Merviso

hahaha... I have already replied you. Have fun!  :Grin:

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## stormhawk

A little late, but those shrimps and fishes might become snacks for the Newts. My newt used to eat baby guppies, that is, when he is able to get close to one. He was very lazy and slow, but one by one the babies disappeared.

The shrimps might seem like a tasty treat to the Newts too. Especially if the shrimp is freshly moulted. That said, nice layout to the tank. Now all you need are some plants to cover the side walls and you're set.  :Wink:

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## Merviso

Hi stormhawk, thanks... it's never too late for good advice!  :Grin: 

Actually, I will be very happy to see the newts becoming a good hunter!  :Kiss:  However, seems to me that they really can't be bothered... and in fact only 2 out of 6 will go into the water anyway. The cherry shrimps are actually multiplying in the tank and they don't seem to be intimidated by the newts.

I don't seem to have good luck with guppies in this tank. The guppies usually dies very soon, especially when they try to nib the newts. Guess they dies from poisoning.

I had tried earlier with Clown Killie too! They are doing better than the Guppies, but the lack of water volume also means that there are not enough hiding place from the alpha male.. Except for the alpha male, the rest die from stress and sickness one by one. For my next vivarium, I will make sure that there are more water volume, at least one third height of my tank.

Goby is another fish that has done well in this tank. But when I introduce the Clown Killie, the goby got interested in them and I end up transferring the Goby to another tank.

I'm still having no good idea what plants to put on the wall... I'm not good with plants. Maybe you can suggest some suitable plant for me..  :Razz:  Cheers!

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## stormhawk

Bromeliads I guess, those airplant you can get from local sites like tillandsia.com.sg

They use some sort of hot glue to attach the baby plants to different surfaces. Problem arises when the part of the plant that is attached to the surface via the glue starts to rot, then the attaching factor is gone. Should be pretty easy for you. Other option is to use those hanging fern and attach them to the artificial background. Still, if you prefer the current look, it works too. Less work to clean..  :Grin: 

I figure Wild Ginger, or one of the vivarium folks will have better suggestions.

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## Merviso

I remembered reading somewhere that airplants may not be able to take the high humidity inside Vivarium, maybe I should research more.  :Huh?: 

Wild Ginger is the master of vivarium plants here, too bad he has been too busy recently.  :Sad: 

I will be doing a walk around to collect plants for my Emmersed Plants Tank later, hopefully I can find something suitable to put up there.. Thanks again..  :Grin:

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## Twigster

Merv, 

For this vivarium did you have underwater filtration? 
And how do you feed them the mealworms and tubifex worms? just drop in the water? placing at a specific position? currently hand feeding mine. 
You're like my shifu!
Thanks!

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## Merviso

Hi Chris, wow, this thread is really very very long ago...  :Surprised: 

I'm using Eden 501 filter for this setup too.... The bamboo pole was there to hide the inlet tube, while the outlet tube was position to spray water onto the Egg Crate with Ceramic rings to create a fountain effect... Was trying to create a moss wall then, but not very successful...  :Sad: 

I use pincers to grab the mealworms and tubiflex worms, and bring them right in front of the Newts so that they can smell the food... When they are in the water, I just drop somewhere near them and they will do the rest....  :Grin:

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## cdckjn

Perhaps a updated of your tank will be great. Also I am interested to know if your "fauna" is paddeltail or the Japanese type. I have reasons for asking this question. Thanks.

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## Merviso

Hey cdckjn, this is actually my 2nd Vivarium setup... I'm now already in the 5th version... So this setup has been long decommissioned...  :Razz: 

and this my old photo then of my newts:



 :Wink:

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## eddy planer

Wow Merviso!!

So happy to see another palu masetro arise!!! 

This will encourage and poison more newbies to take up viva/palu hobby! We can even learn whatever new idea ,new concept and new drive to inject this vivarium section AND will becoming more sexy! Yipee!

Merviso ..I must say "MORE! MORE! MORE!"

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## Twigster

Merviso, pic's of your 5th gen vivarium please!

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## cdckjn

are you still having the newt? I have only one, and looking for some to keep it accompany. If yours is still around, I can sell you mine as it is so lonely.

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## Merviso

haha...Eddy, no lah... It's been a long while since I last setup a tank, and it's all for small compared to your masterpiece...  :Smile: 

Twigster, my 5th gen is just like a normal fish tank setup, nothing much to show leh... only left 2, and they are both full aquatic ... IMHO, full aquatic newts fares better than those staying on the land, maybe because of our climate...  :Razz: 

haha, cdckjn, I'm still waiting for your story.... I'm left with 2 now... 100% Aquatic... Din bother me much... =)

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## issacyeo

very nice setup. any updated photos of ur 5th gen vivarium to share? btw, where can i get these newts?

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## Merviso

issacyeo, my 5th Gen very simple setup.... really nothing much to show..... You actually need some luck to be at the right place and at the right time, have not seen them for quite a while...

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## cdckjn

if you really want the paddletail newts, go visit some LFS during the weekends, they do sell them, a pair of only $8. I will not tell you which one, but I know they almost bring in several bags of these every weekend. Good Luck hunting.

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## AhVy

Oh my... I think i'm getting poisoned....arghh

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