The Siren Care Cheat-Sheet
Bognookhonest amphibian care · bognook.com
Siren — Care Cheat-SheetAdvancedAn eel-like aquatic salamander with only front legs — a hardy oddball for the dedicated keeper.
📋 At a glance
- Tank
- Aquatic 40 gal+ (1), planted, tight lid
- Temp
- 65–78°F
- Floor
- Sand (they burrow) + hides — no gravel
- Food
- Worms, invertebrates, small fish
- Lifespan
- 15–25 years
✅ Surprisingly hardy and more heat-tolerant than a mudpuppy — a long-lived aquatic curiosity.
🛒 Before you buy
- A large planted aquatic tank with a TIGHT lid (they escape)
- A soft sand substrate to burrow into
- Strong filtration + hides
- Target feeding (they have poor eyesight)
A healthy one: Eel-like body, front legs, feathery gills · well-fleshed · clear skin · active at night.
🚨 See a vet / act now if…
- Gills receding
- Not eating
- Fungus or lesions
- Gasping at the surface
Cool them down, reduce stress, and contact an exotics vet — most issues are reversible if caught early.
⛔ Never
- Gravel (impaction)
- An open-topped tank
- Small tankmates it will eat
🌿 Golden rules (all amphibians)
- Cycle the tank BEFORE the animal (ammonia = 0).
- Always dechlorinate tap water.
- Cool beats warm — most amphibians are cool/cold species.
- Look, don’t handle — their skin absorbs oils & soaps.
- Buy captive-bred, never wild-caught. Quarantine new arrivals.
- Never release a pet into the wild (it spreads disease).
- A real setup costs more than the animal — budget for it.
- When in doubt, ask — no shame in learning. 💚
