10g paludarium construction log (pics)

im thinking as far as stocking candidates this:

CFBN
panda cories (pygmys seem to small and are hard to find)
RCS (im hoping that if a newt eats them they will reproduce fast enough to replace the eaten?)
killies
dwarf puffer
blind cave fish?????
??????????????

this is truly difficult, i want to make sure my species are compatible but the newt just wont agree, advice please?
 
(sorry if it's a bit preachy... but I like your tank and would love to see it teaming with life.)

from wikipedia:
Mixing other amphibians, fish, or other animals with C. orientalis is to be discouraged. Other animals may be aggressive, carry foreign diseases, have different housing requirements, and may eat or be eaten by the newts. Firebelly toads (Bombina orientalis), Paddletail newts (Pachytriton spp.), fiddler crabs, and various fish are often inappropriately kept together at pet stores. Firebelly toads require different temperatures and have been known to eat or wound newts, while paddletail newts are known for a high degree of aggression. Many species of fish (especially goldfish) excrete ammonia at levels toxic to most amphibians, destroying the water quality. Additionally, toxins from various newts may be fatal to other species. Firebelly newts should never be kept with dwarf or clawed frogs, as these animals are known carriers of chytrid, a skin fungus that is generally fatal to most amphibian species. A few species of small, cold water fish such as white cloud minnows are generally considered acceptable as tankmates for C. orientalis, however they may still carry disease, parasites, or be eaten by hungry newts.
Captive newts may eat pellets or freeze-dried foods, though some animals may refuse this. Live food items that are readily taken may include bloodworms which are the larvae of Chironomidae, earthworms, water fleas such as Daphnia, adult brine shrimp, blackworms, tubifex, or mosquito larvae. Large worms may need to be chopped to suitable size. Newts may also eat tadpoles or small fish, but these food items present a higher risk of parasite and disease transmission and should be avoided if possible.




It would be a great tank for crabs. :)
 
arnt crabs brackish or salt water? my plants wouldnt survive that. i see where everyone is coming from in regards to newts, the thing is i want to make use of the land that i wouldnt normally have in an aquarium and every frog loves to croak which is a big negative, newts are the only option that i see...
 
The little red crabs you see in big pet stores are brackish water crabs. There are some types of FW plants that can survive brackish conditions.
 
but are there terrestrial plants that can? my land portion is not completly sealed from the water...
 
You can spread Java moss on the floor of the land side, let it "stick" and then it will bend upwards like a little grass. Other than that, I'm not sure of other terrestrial plants that can survive Brackish water.
 
you can have plants with brackish water. there was a thread about a nice tank not too long ago. and with crabs, you could fill your land area with sand, and they'd dig burrows. mangroves would do well in your tank, and I imagine you'd have luck with certain sags, cambomba and mosses. I was going to do something rather similar with my 15, but it ended up freshwater in the end, when the crabs escaped. all I have now are shrimp, hatchets and cherry barbs in the tank. well, MTS too.
 
ive already got plants growing though, including HC, backyard moss, java moss, and soon a fern. assuming crabs could be kept wouldnt they mess with the plants and hardscape? this is really hard for me because im not really interested in anything :(
 
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