The starting size for an adult tiger salamander
One adult tiger salamander needs an enclosure of roughly twenty gallons in a long, low format as a sensible minimum, and larger is welcome if the floor stays easy to keep damp and clean. Tiger salamanders are stout, ground-dwelling amphibians that walk, burrow, and wait for food at soil level, so a tall narrow tank wastes its volume in air the animal never uses. A long footprint lets the salamander move between a burrow, a hiding place, and its water dish without crossing the whole cage every time.
Burrowing depth shapes how big the tank feels
A tiger salamander judges its home by the soil, not the glass. Fill the enclosure with several inches of chemical-free topsoil or a similar moisture-holding substrate, deep enough that the salamander can bury itself completely with soil covering its back. In shallow substrate the animal stays exposed and restless, and a twenty-gallon tank can effectively shrink to the size of the one corner where the digging is deepest. Keep the whole floor diggable rather than concentrating depth under a single hide.
Cool, damp, and low to the ground
Tiger salamanders are creatures of cool burrows and damp meadows, so the enclosure belongs in the coolest steady spot in the room, away from heat vents and direct sun that could warm the glass. The substrate should feel damp throughout without pooling water, and the water dish should be shallow with a gentle slope or rough edge so the salamander can climb in and out without struggling. A hide such as a piece of cork bark gives the animal a surface shelter for the hours it spends above ground, usually in the evening when it watches for food.
Feeding space is part of the floor plan
An adult tiger salamander hunts by lunging at movement on the surface, so it needs a patch of open soil where it can see and strike at earthworms and other foods without bumping into furniture. Feed in the same general area and the salamander will learn to surface there, which turns enclosure size into something you can judge by behavior: an animal that emerges readily, eats, and reburrows calmly is using its space well. One that refuses food for an extended stretch, develops skin changes, or stays soaked in its dish constantly should be discussed with a veterinarian familiar with amphibians.
The lid and the edges matter too
Even a minimum-size tiger salamander enclosure needs a snug lid, because these strong little burrowers push upward when they climb the glass at night and can lift a loose screen corner. Check that décor does not stack into a ramp toward the top rim, and keep the water dish away from corners where a climbing salamander could brace and shove. Rinse hands before and wash after any handling, since salamander skin absorbs substances readily and human skin oils are no kindness to it.
When to go bigger than the minimum
Move up from the minimum tiger salamander footprint if you add a second salamander, notice constant glass-climbing, or find the soil drying unevenly because the dish and hides crowd the floor. More length is the upgrade that counts for this species, never more height. Keep the current tank dimensions and substrate routine written down in KinsLe, and Family Sharing means a family member setting up the salamander's next home can match the layout the animal already knows.