tell me about newts !

[candyraver]

Fire-bellied to be exact,
How many can live in a 10gallon? I want to eventually get newts,but I had a bunch of sites saved & my favorites are wiped off of my computer [fun,I get to look all over again,kills time at least].
I want to know everything,if they need an heater,can they be housed with fish? A good diet...etc etc!!

[Sasami]

I would say a pair would be great in that size tank . I've never kept them but was going to so I know a ton about them. See, I got the tank all ready for them but suddenly there was like a shortage and I couldn't find them anywhere!

So I ended up getting paddletail newts...which are cuter .

Anyways, the petstore here feeds blackworms but they freak me out so I always fed frozen bloodworms.

And no, newts don't need a heater. Actually they prefer cool temperatures. Don't house them with fish unless you want the fish to be eaten .

[candyraver]

Awesomeness!! I never saw pics of paddletail newts...I like the name tho hehe Also they will have a planted tank =P
So newts dont need any special lighting after all

[Sasami]

Quote: Originally Posted by candyraver Awesomeness!! I never saw pics of paddletail newts...I like the name tho hehe Also they will have a planted tank =P So newts dont need any special lighting after all

Nope, just regular lighting is fine. I would avoid incandescent since it'll heat the water and bother them.

My newts had live plants too and loved them . They each had their own special plant they would sleep in, hehe.

With firebellies remember to have a small land area. When I was setting up the tank for them I got a huge piece of driftwood that stuck out of the water. Paddletails are completely aquatic so when I got them I just raised the water level.

I loved my newts...they became really friendly and would eat out of my hand. In fact, if I left my hand in the water they would sit in it and let me pet them! They were some of my favorite pets ever.

After dinner I'll post pictures of my set up if you'd like .

[luvnature]

tell u about newts?

well, i know they are very cute!!

LOL..i had one a few years back and his name was Herman (firebelly)...when we were moving out of our apartment into our first house i had to leave him there in the apartment overnight.Some one mean knew we werent there and broke in and stole him...tank and all ...i was very sad and very .
I only had him for about a month

When you get one or two or three....hehe...be sure to share pics!

[candyraver]

Sasami - I would love to see your set up! So definately post pics

& I was going to get one of those small turtle docks for a land area for them

luvnature - yup I definately will.But it won't be really soon,after christmas being the earliest! I'm just researching first

[Sasami]

Firstly, I'll post pictures of the newts themselves so you can see what they looked like ^_^.











The set up:







I had two...a male and a female named Rusty and Junior. I adored them .

By the way, remember to cycle the aquarium just like with fish before getting the newts. They can't handle even small amounts of ammonia. Also dechlorinate the water as they are even more sensitive to chlorine then fish! And make sure the water isn't too oxygenated...don't use airstones or anything. Apperently it can cause Gas Bubble Disease which is what I think Rusty might've died from . I still feel awful about it.

[candyraver]

http://exoticpets.about.com/cs/salam...elliednewt.htm

There's some info on that link,just saved that one.I might get a bigger aquarium,these seem easy to keep.
And they're cute little buggers

Your newts were cute & I love your setup !! Thanks for posting .

*Looks at poster* Naruto I love that show !!!

[Sasami]

Quote: Originally Posted by candyraver http://exoticpets.about.com/cs/salam...elliednewt.htm Some info on that link,just saved that one.I might get a bigger aquariums,these seem easy to keep. And they're cute little buggers

Bigger tanks are indeed easier to care for but honestly I don't feel a 10-gallon is that hard.

Oh, and don't use regular gravel because they might swallow a piece by accident and choke. Use larger stones like I had in my tank .

[candyraver]

10 gallon is a good sized tank.A decent amount of room to add decoration & not a "big & clumsy" size so easy to clean as well.

Thank you for the tip I'll buy some of those "river stones" for them

[candyraver]

Yes,I edit my posts a lot...I just noticed in a lot of threads on the bottom I have "Last edited by candyraver ...."

[Vanilla_Rat]

I love newts!I had some firebelly newts when I was younger.I had maybe 5 or 6...I cannot remember.I loved the little guys.

ONE tip however...they can be escape artists...learned the hard way...make sure there is a good lid on the tank.They can actually climb up the side of the glass,by sticking themselves in the corners and I have lost 3 of them and found them a couple days later when it was too late...

Stephanie already bet me to the basics... but I agree...use river stones,because they may try eating anything smaller and choke or become impacted.

They have sensitive skin too and so you should wash your hands before handling them,because chemicals from your hands can enter their skin through the pores.Also wash your hands after handling due to the risk of salmonella.

They will eat small feeder guppies,plus you can get commercial newt pellets.They also eat worms and things.

They shed every now and then and in many case will eat their own skin that they shed.If they don't eat it,you can just remove it.

They are really fun pets and I would like some more in the future.Maybe some paddletail newts next time.

[candyraver]

I think i'm going to invest in a 20gal.I would want more than two.They are so adorable

I had newts as a kid too,but I remember nothing on them really .
But wanted some for quite awhile now =D

I'm hoping I can purchase an aquarium that does not have such a big opening for a filter..
the last aquarium I bought came with a filter [not good one,it died fast& the lights were horrid I buy different lights now] But there was a big gap in the back for the filter & It didn't matter because of the fish I had in it before,but it's why I didn't put my hermit crab in that aquarium.They would just climb on out :S

[Skratikans]

do you think a little crab thats maybe an inch long would be ok to add with salamanders?

[fishtoes]

I kept my firebelly newts in a tank with fish. They all got along in harmony. I also had one Emperor Newt (he was beautiful) and a Mudpuppy that all lived together. They weren't big enough to eat the fish but I was pretty young so it's possible I just got lucky.