newts and mudskippers - Aquarium Advice

mbjrc · 12-11-2004, 04:00 PM

Does anyone know if it is possible to keep a newt or a mudskipper in a fully aquatic tank with no land? I thought that mudskippers needed land to go on, but I emailed an aquarium store in my area, one of the largest, and they said i could put newts or mudskippers possibly.

vertex · 12-11-2004, 04:41 PM

newts don't have to have any land but it is recommended. I've had one for 23 yrs (That is correct, 23 yrs!!) and he spends about 99% of its time underwater. It has land to come onto but never does, he just comes up for air every 1/2 hr or so. When you have more water, they will swim around more but will sometimes get aggitated trying to swim up for air. it is best to have some rocks near the edges or glass so the newt can stand on its hnd legs and tail and reach the surface. If they have that to breath they will be VERY happy!!

Hope that helps.. Sorry, don't know anything about the mudskippers...

vertex · 12-11-2004, 04:43 PM

That same newt actually disappeared for about 8 days about 10 yrs ago and we thought it was dead or got out of the tank. We then cleaned the tank and found him under the UNDERGRAVEL filter!! Not sure if they can "hibernate" or something but he had little to no air for days!!! Anyone heard of this happening??

Billsgate · 12-11-2004, 04:52 PM

23 years??????????
*Bows down in reverence*
That's amazing, all i can say..........

Pufferpunk · 12-11-2004, 05:03 PM

What kind of newt?

petunia100 · 12-11-2004, 05:08 PM

I would imagine that they do hibernate. Frogs will burrow into the mud under the water and stay there all winter. Salamanders will hibernate in decaying logs. They can also absorb some oxygen through their skin, even if they're not hibernating. Kudos to you for keeping him (or her?) happy and healthy for so long!

jacktheknife · 12-11-2004, 08:17 PM

are these those things the kinda look like salamanders? they had something like that a while back in a pet shoppe and refered to it as a mud puppy. haven't seen one since

Toirtis · 12-11-2004, 09:37 PM

Newts and mudskippers would not make good tank companions for a couple of reasons, not the least of which is that the mudskippers are barckish fish, and salt in the water would kill the newts.

vertex · 12-13-2004, 08:47 PM

yup, 23 years and he is still alive!! I found out the guiness book of world records oldest newt is 23 or 24 years. Too bad I can't really proove it, either way, I'll keep my pride for having him so long... I got him when I was 4 years old and I'm 27 now... It was ful grown when we got it also so I imagine it was at least 6 months old then!!

Pufferpunk: It is a good old (literally!) firebelly next...

Mudfrog · 12-13-2004, 09:52 PM

I would like to get an aquarium just for a Mud Skipper. I have been doing some research on them lately and I don't think they would live long as a full time water fish. I read in several places that they actually spend about 95% of the time out of the water. Many sites claimed you actually don't need much water for the Mud Skipper, but you need more land, logs, etc.

Yes they are also reffered to as Mud Puppy's.

Anyone know how big they can get? I wonder if a 29 gallon tank would be suffice room for one or two of these things.

12-11-2004, 04:00 PM	#1
mbjrc Aquarium Advice Apprentice Join Date: Aug 2004 Location: NJ Posts: 43	newts and mudskippers Does anyone know if it is possible to keep a newt or a mudskipper in a fully aquatic tank with no land? I thought that mudskippers needed land to go on, but I emailed an aquarium store in my area, one of the largest, and they said i could put newts or mudskippers possibly.

12-11-2004, 04:41 PM	#2
vertex Aquarium Advice Activist Join Date: Sep 2004 Location: Calgary Canada Posts: 143 Images: 11	newts don't have to have any land but it is recommended. I've had one for 23 yrs (That is correct, 23 yrs!!) and he spends about 99% of its time underwater. It has land to come onto but never does, he just comes up for air every 1/2 hr or so. When you have more water, they will swim around more but will sometimes get aggitated trying to swim up for air. it is best to have some rocks near the edges or glass so the newt can stand on its hnd legs and tail and reach the surface. If they have that to breath they will be VERY happy!! Hope that helps.. Sorry, don't know anything about the mudskippers... __________________ Equipment: 33G [acronym:140c8ae565="Saltwater"]SW[/acronym:140c8ae565] Reef tank (pic), 192W Coralife [acronym:140c8ae565="Power compact fluorescent"]PC[/acronym:140c8ae565] lighting, [acronym:140c8ae565="power heads"]PHs[/acronym:140c8ae565] for H2O circulation, Red Sea Berlin Classic Skimmer Aquascaping: 3" [acronym:140c8ae565="Deep Sand Bed"]DSB[/acronym:140c8ae565], 50lb live rock (~35 lbs home made Cement Base Rock) Clean Up Crew: Blue Leg hermits, Cerith snails, Astrea Snails, Stomatella snails, Brittlestar, banded brittles. Critters: Hawaiian feather duster, Coral Banded Shrimp, Emerald Crab Corals: Open Brain Coral, Cabbage coral, 4 RBTAs, Melon mushrooms, green Zoos, yellow polyps, finger Leather, orange Zoos, Brown Zoos, Chocolate Zoos, Xenia, GSP, Kenya Tree Coral, 2 acropora [acronym:140c8ae565="Small Polyped Stoney"]SPS[/acronym:140c8ae565], blue sponge, candy cane Fish/Inverts: Maroon Clownfish, Scooter Blenny, Coral Beauty dwarf angel, Sea Hare

12-11-2004, 04:43 PM	#3
vertex Aquarium Advice Activist Join Date: Sep 2004 Location: Calgary Canada Posts: 143 Images: 11	That same newt actually disappeared for about 8 days about 10 yrs ago and we thought it was dead or got out of the tank. We then cleaned the tank and found him under the UNDERGRAVEL filter!! Not sure if they can "hibernate" or something but he had little to no air for days!!! Anyone heard of this happening?? __________________ Equipment: 33G [acronym:140c8ae565="Saltwater"]SW[/acronym:140c8ae565] Reef tank (pic), 192W Coralife [acronym:140c8ae565="Power compact fluorescent"]PC[/acronym:140c8ae565] lighting, [acronym:140c8ae565="power heads"]PHs[/acronym:140c8ae565] for H2O circulation, Red Sea Berlin Classic Skimmer Aquascaping: 3" [acronym:140c8ae565="Deep Sand Bed"]DSB[/acronym:140c8ae565], 50lb live rock (~35 lbs home made Cement Base Rock) Clean Up Crew: Blue Leg hermits, Cerith snails, Astrea Snails, Stomatella snails, Brittlestar, banded brittles. Critters: Hawaiian feather duster, Coral Banded Shrimp, Emerald Crab Corals: Open Brain Coral, Cabbage coral, 4 RBTAs, Melon mushrooms, green Zoos, yellow polyps, finger Leather, orange Zoos, Brown Zoos, Chocolate Zoos, Xenia, GSP, Kenya Tree Coral, 2 acropora [acronym:140c8ae565="Small Polyped Stoney"]SPS[/acronym:140c8ae565], blue sponge, candy cane Fish/Inverts: Maroon Clownfish, Scooter Blenny, Coral Beauty dwarf angel, Sea Hare

12-11-2004, 05:03 PM	#5
Pufferpunk Aquarium Advice FINatic Join Date: Feb 2003 Location: Chicago Posts: 641 Images: 11	What kind of newt? __________________ The Puffer Forum http://www.thepufferforum.org/ Pufferpunk's Tanks http://wetwebfotos.com/Home?actionRe...ew&userID=1918

12-11-2004, 08:17 PM	#7
jacktheknife Aquarium Advice Freak Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: North Central Iowa Posts: 229 Images: 1	are these those things the kinda look like salamanders? they had something like that a while back in a pet shoppe and refered to it as a mud puppy. haven't seen one since __________________ "You ask me why I dwell in the green mountain; I smile and make no reply for my heart is free of care. As the peach blossom which flows downstream and is gone into the unknown, I have a world apart that is not among men." -Li Po

12-11-2004, 04:52 PM	#4
Billsgate Aquarium Advice Addict Join Date: Apr 2004 Location: Belgium Posts: 1,604 Images: 8	23 years?????????? Bows down in reverence That's amazing, all i can say..........

12-11-2004, 05:08 PM	#6
petunia100 Aquarium Advice Activist Join Date: Nov 2004 Location: Pennington, NJ Posts: 155 Images: 22	I would imagine that they do hibernate. Frogs will burrow into the mud under the water and stay there all winter. Salamanders will hibernate in decaying logs. They can also absorb some oxygen through their skin, even if they're not hibernating. Kudos to you for keeping him (or her?) happy and healthy for so long!

12-11-2004, 09:37 PM	#8
Toirtis Aquarium Advice Addict Moderator Emeritus Join Date: Dec 2003 Location: Calgary, Alberta, Canada Posts: 6,768	Newts and mudskippers would not make good tank companions for a couple of reasons, not the least of which is that the mudskippers are barckish fish, and salt in the water would kill the newts. __________________ G. A. Christian Bilou, Zoologist/Writer Founder/Director, Reptile Rescue Alberta Vice-President, Calgary Aquarium Society www.calgaryaquariumsociety.com Polypterid/Primitive Fish/Ctenopoma/Catfish Fanatic 62 Aquariums, 2200+ total gallons, Aquarist since 1971.

12-13-2004, 08:47 PM	#9
vertex Aquarium Advice Activist Join Date: Sep 2004 Location: Calgary Canada Posts: 143 Images: 11	yup, 23 years and he is still alive!! I found out the guiness book of world records oldest newt is 23 or 24 years. Too bad I can't really proove it, either way, I'll keep my pride for having him so long... I got him when I was 4 years old and I'm 27 now... It was ful grown when we got it also so I imagine it was at least 6 months old then!! Pufferpunk: It is a good old (literally!) firebelly next... __________________ Equipment: 33G [acronym:140c8ae565="Saltwater"]SW[/acronym:140c8ae565] Reef tank (pic), 192W Coralife [acronym:140c8ae565="Power compact fluorescent"]PC[/acronym:140c8ae565] lighting, [acronym:140c8ae565="power heads"]PHs[/acronym:140c8ae565] for H2O circulation, Red Sea Berlin Classic Skimmer Aquascaping: 3" [acronym:140c8ae565="Deep Sand Bed"]DSB[/acronym:140c8ae565], 50lb live rock (~35 lbs home made Cement Base Rock) Clean Up Crew: Blue Leg hermits, Cerith snails, Astrea Snails, Stomatella snails, Brittlestar, banded brittles. Critters: Hawaiian feather duster, Coral Banded Shrimp, Emerald Crab Corals: Open Brain Coral, Cabbage coral, 4 RBTAs, Melon mushrooms, green Zoos, yellow polyps, finger Leather, orange Zoos, Brown Zoos, Chocolate Zoos, Xenia, GSP, Kenya Tree Coral, 2 acropora [acronym:140c8ae565="Small Polyped Stoney"]SPS[/acronym:140c8ae565], blue sponge, candy cane Fish/Inverts: Maroon Clownfish, Scooter Blenny, Coral Beauty dwarf angel, Sea Hare

12-13-2004, 09:52 PM	#10
Mudfrog Aquarium Advice Freak Join Date: Oct 2004 Location: VA Posts: 267 Images: 35	I would like to get an aquarium just for a Mud Skipper. I have been doing some research on them lately and I don't think they would live long as a full time water fish. I read in several places that they actually spend about 95% of the time out of the water. Many sites claimed you actually don't need much water for the Mud Skipper, but you need more land, logs, etc. Yes they are also reffered to as Mud Puppy's. Anyone know how big they can get? I wonder if a 29 gallon tank would be suffice room for one or two of these things. __________________ 150g, 120g, 55g, 50g & 50g It's all about the PREDATORS

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