Fire Belly Newt planning

Hello,

I'm new to the forum and I need some advices from the people in the forum. :happy:

My recent 15 gallon tank just broke and I might get a replacement or repair it, also thinking of selling the fish from it. A few months ago I was checking a new LFS (Local Fish Store) on what they have in stock, Fire Belly Newts! I was very interested but I wasn't reckless the money wasn't spent and there was no newts that was bought. After that I was reading some basic things about them.

So I have some questions,

a.) How many Fire Belly Newts would a 15g be able to house?
b.) Can they climb glass? I don't have a lid in my 15g.
c.) I've heard they are not 100% aquatic can a floating styro board be enough as a basking area for them?
d.) The 15g comes with a powerhead filter that pumps water to the overhead sump, undergoes mechanical and biological filtering then falls down. Would strong water movement be a threat to the newts? I can change into getting some sponge filter but I really love overfiltration in my tanks.
e.) Will they need specific things in their land area? Would a empty styro board be enough? I see people putting moss and things in their land area I can get sphagnum and thats about it.
f.) Do the land area need to be moist? They have water available next to it does it have to be wet and moist?

Thanks in advance, I might add more questions.

I'll answer some of your questions, and before I do, I STRONGLY plead with you not to get them. Chinese fire-bellies are infamous for being mass exported from China, and most of which, if they do survive, have a host of health problems. Most pet-stores keep them in less than optimal conditions, and end up dying either at the pet-store, or in the hands of the keeper. Save yourself from getting the newts, and try to look for something captive bred, which will be much healthier. Here is the care-sheet for the Fire-bellies if you weigh the pros and cons and decide to get them: Caudata Culture Species Entry - Cynops orientalis - Chinese firebelly

And the answers to your questions:

1. A 15 gallon tank should be able to hold 2-3 newts, depending on how I calculate gallons as an American
2. Yes, newts can climb up glass, so look for a lid, or something to put over it. This should help: Caudata Culture Articles - Preventing Escape
3. Under the right conditions, they should be 100% aquatic, but will probably every once in a while use the land, especially if they are freshly imported. Goes without saying, that they need air, unlike fish, so make sure that the tank isn't filled to the brim, 70%-80% full should be a good amount of water in their tank
4. Water filters should be avoided, at least high powered ones. This species of newt inhabits lakes and ponds, and does not like a strong current. Plants are a better choice
5. For the land area, coconut fiber (Eco earth) or topsoil (Either from a safe, pesticide free area, or from a store, just make sure it's not toxic) should work fine. Fake plants would be able to work there, as well as live plants, for cover if they use it, or for decoration
6. You should make sure that the land area gets some water, mist it once every two days or so, so if there are any on the land, they don't dry out. Newts that are freshly imported may take a while to go back into water, so they may not go into the water once you get them, so you should keep it moist just incase. Also, make sure that it's easy for them to get in and out of the water, so they can get in easy, and out of the water easy.

And thanks for getting into the hobby, it's a great one if you start out right!

I was planning to keep 5 Bronze Cory and 1 Electric Blue Ram with 3 newts. So a water filter is needed I'll try to buffer it as much as I can. I've seen videos of people able to house them with fish and hopefully I can do the same. a.) Would my stock be too much though?

I bought a a glass lid for the tank, a styro board, cut it and use hot glue to attach sphagnum moss and some coco peat. b.) How do I prevent this things from getting to the water? I think it would be messy.

What food will they accept though? My lfs just have fish pellets and flakes of all sort, turtle pellets and live mealworms. c.) Will they accept these?

d.) I will be adding some leaf litter in the aquarium will the ph affect them?

Putting fish with newts is a very bad idea, most fish need different temperatures or different environmental needs. These articles should help you: Caudata Culture Articles - Species Mixing Disasters Caudata Culture Articles - Fish with Caudates

You could add leaves, I think it increases water hardness, but I've never put leaves into water, so I have no clue about that

For feeding, chopped or whole Canadian night-crawlers are best, they are very nutritious, and easy to feed. This article should be really helpful: Caudata Culture Articles - Food Items for Captive Caudates

It's difficult to make sure substrate doesn't get into water, you should just accept it, It'll get into the water eventually, especially if a wet newt goes onto land, and back into water

Large land areas with messy substrate are simply not needed with any of the newts sold as "firebellies". When healthy and settled they will almost always spend 100% of their time in the water, so anything more than a small turtle dock or cork float is a waste of space that would be better used as water volume.
Xavier is correct regarding fish, almost all species available are either tropical (Firebellies are strictly cold water species), or grow far too big. Corydoras specifically along with most other catfish are a hazard because their pectoral and dorsal spines are lethal if the newts try to swallow them. White cloud minnows can often work in newt tanks, but they may slowly disappear one by one as the newts pick them off for lunch.

Dang, I was hoping that it would work. I wasn't worried about the fish getting eaten, but when I saw what Chinadog said I think I'm gonna rehome or sell them.

The food I'm going to provide is going to be a variety of what I said (fish pellets and flakes, turtle pellets and mealworm) probably some tubifex, bloodworm and B. lateralis. I don't have any access to Canadian Night-crawlers in my area I might search for one. Will this be fine?

This is going to be my plants for my land area. Its going to be a floating styro board with sphagnum moss hot glued on it.



I strongly like the design on a.) but is it enough land area?

Here is the picture of the tank.

That's enough land area, just enough for them to climb out on and rest should be fine. Are the bloodworms live or frozen? Live ones are a much more nutritious option, I'd also ask if they could order salmon pellets like these: http://www.caudata.org/forum/f49-ad...414-salmon-pellets-discount-axolotl-food.html

Also, red-wigglers (E.foetida) make a great food source too, in fact, you can breed them to get smaller sizes, but the only thing wrong with them, is that if you cut them up, they secrete a foul-smelling yellow fluid that makes them un-edible for all but the most hungry or determined captives. All in all, if your newts can be convinced to eat them, these little guys make a great food source: http://www.caudata.org/forum/f1173-...rawlers-etc/91427-culturing-red-wigglers.html

I can get live and frozen ones. Problem is, it is only occassionally available. I hope those pellets would be able in the LFS If not I will order online.

I'll try to get them and breed them. Cutted mealworms also secretes a foul odor, I'm used to it.

Also, just so you know, meal-worms aren't very good for amphibians, they're really hard to digest

Yes, the exoskeleton is very hard to digest base on what I read. Its going to small amounts though.

What do you think about this feeding schedule? If I get bloodworms, tubifex, b. lateralis, earthworm, nightcrawlers or red-wigglers this will replace the mealworm and fish/turtle pellets. Then If I ran out of it I will go back.

Sunday - fasting
Monday - Mealworm
Tuesday - fasting
Wednesday - fasting
Thursday - Pellets
Friday - fasting
Thursday - might be a fasting day or pellets

Seems okay, I'd also make a feeding dish to put in there, to make less of a mess, and to also train them to eat anything that's there

I can put a petri dish in it or a shrimp dish (Used by shrimp keepers, both are very similar.)

How do I train them to eat what is available?

Also is my staple food (mealworms and Fish/turtle pellets) good enough?

Depends on what brand of pellets you plan on using. Could you describe/take photos of what food items your lfs sells?

Also, are you sure the newts you're describing are H/C Orientalis? Pet-stores are infamous for selling different species as Fire-bellies, like the Paddle-tails and Warty newts. This one may actually help, just to make sure that your newts are actually H/C Orientalis: Caudata Culture Articles - Firebelly

They have Hikari pellets, Tetramin, Raja, Reptomin, Flowerhorn pellet (Ever red and Humpy head.) and probably many more.

They definitely don't have a rough and warty skin. I can't remember by the tail though.

I'll take pictures of the newts If I'm not exactly sure though. If I do get other type of newt would the care be almost similar?

If they are different species, they will have slightly different care and habits, for example, of they're paddle-tails, (My favorite Asian newts) they like streams with flowing water and rock coverage. This article should help with feeding, but I'd just google the brands and read what the ingredients are, and see if they're harmful or unedible: Caudata Culture Articles - Food Items for Captive Caudates