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Skinny Fire Belly Newt
- Thread starter joe
- Start date
J
jennifer
Guest
Was the thin one eating previously? Or are these relatively newly-acquired?
If the newt refuses to go into the water, you could try setting up a shallow dish of the live worms. Or try hand-feeding with a tweezers (chopped earthworm) or an eyedropper (live blackworms). I would guess that what your pet store calls live bloodworms are actually blackworms, by the way.
If the newt refuses to go into the water, you could try setting up a shallow dish of the live worms. Or try hand-feeding with a tweezers (chopped earthworm) or an eyedropper (live blackworms). I would guess that what your pet store calls live bloodworms are actually blackworms, by the way.
They are all relativley new, 2 months I've had them. He was previously eating actually he/she was more water bound than the other two, and even hunted ghost shrimp. Since he/she decide not to swim around anymore is when it started not to eat and lose weight. My other two newts very Rarely go in the water themsekve. I do hand feed all three. How can I tell the difference between blackworms and bloodworms?
J
jameswei
Guest
Black worms are black colored worms, and blood worms are crimson centipede like insects.
A
alexandra
Guest
witch newt is the skinny one?
A
alexandra
Guest
hey i was really looking at the picture and i saw the card deck lol i love seeing those things!!
J
joan
Guest
Alexandra, try to stick to the topic at hand.
Bloodworms are rarely available live in the US. They're usually BRIGHT red, and usually available frozen. These are frozen insect larvae (they don't have legs). Blackworms are usually a dark red color. If your pet store is offering them in mass quantities, I'd almost guarantee they're blackworms.
Have you tried other foods, like waxworms, chopped nightcrawlers, etc? If it was eating in the past, and you haven't changed the setup, you might be able to get it to eat again.
Bloodworms are rarely available live in the US. They're usually BRIGHT red, and usually available frozen. These are frozen insect larvae (they don't have legs). Blackworms are usually a dark red color. If your pet store is offering them in mass quantities, I'd almost guarantee they're blackworms.
Have you tried other foods, like waxworms, chopped nightcrawlers, etc? If it was eating in the past, and you haven't changed the setup, you might be able to get it to eat again.
J
jennifer
Guest
Photos of blackworms versus bloodworms can be seen here:
http://www.caudata.org/cc/articles/worms.shtml
It's a common problem that when newts become land-bound, they are more difficult to feed. For some strange reason, some prefer to starve than to go back in the water. So there are really two other questions, in addition to the feeding question... why did they become land-bound, and how to get them back in the water? These questions are in the Health & Behavior FAQ:
http://www.caudata.org/cc/faq/faq.shtml
In addition to a shallow dish of blackworms, you could also try a few very small crickets or other small insects. It might help to separate the non-eater from the other two newts, as the others may intimidate it and make the non-eating worse.
http://www.caudata.org/cc/articles/worms.shtml
It's a common problem that when newts become land-bound, they are more difficult to feed. For some strange reason, some prefer to starve than to go back in the water. So there are really two other questions, in addition to the feeding question... why did they become land-bound, and how to get them back in the water? These questions are in the Health & Behavior FAQ:
http://www.caudata.org/cc/faq/faq.shtml
In addition to a shallow dish of blackworms, you could also try a few very small crickets or other small insects. It might help to separate the non-eater from the other two newts, as the others may intimidate it and make the non-eating worse.
I'm going to go to my Local Pet Store that I bought and pick up some waxworms and Blackworms first thing in the morning. I will also try and get a plastic critter keeper, since they come with a lid and are relativley inexpensive to QT him until he recovers a bit. I don't understand what caused him to stop eating, I didn't change ANYTHING in the tank. Is there any tests I can have the vet I work for do? Or Meds that maybe can be given if it were a bacterial infection?
I'll be following the advise in the FAQ to hopefully try to get him to eat and more water bound again. As for the other two as long as they eat, even if I hand feed them, they can stay on land.
I'm sure I'll be posting again in the near future with any problems or successes.
(Message edited by joerags3 on August 27, 2006)
I'll be following the advise in the FAQ to hopefully try to get him to eat and more water bound again. As for the other two as long as they eat, even if I hand feed them, they can stay on land.
I'm sure I'll be posting again in the near future with any problems or successes.
(Message edited by joerags3 on August 27, 2006)
K
karen
Guest
Hi Joe,
One of my nvv newts stopped eating, became land-bound and very lethargic and got very skinny at the beginning of the summer. I don't know how much luck you will have with a vet, since most of them have limited experience with newts or salamanders. However, the second vet I took my newt to prescribed a calcium supplement (used in a 10 ml water bath) as well as a medicine called baytril. I don't know if either of them really helped, but my newt pulled through, after not eating for about a month. He's still skinny, but his appetite has increased alot and he's back to spending most of his time in the water. You may want to inquire about those options. Hope he gets better!
One of my nvv newts stopped eating, became land-bound and very lethargic and got very skinny at the beginning of the summer. I don't know how much luck you will have with a vet, since most of them have limited experience with newts or salamanders. However, the second vet I took my newt to prescribed a calcium supplement (used in a 10 ml water bath) as well as a medicine called baytril. I don't know if either of them really helped, but my newt pulled through, after not eating for about a month. He's still skinny, but his appetite has increased alot and he's back to spending most of his time in the water. You may want to inquire about those options. Hope he gets better!
Well I seperated him out from everyone this morning in a 2.5 Gallon tank with a little bit over an inch of water and a "land" gravel portion that is still semi-submerged. He did eat a SINGLE black worm when I tried feeding him, though he wasn't goin straight up to devour it. I tried wax worms yesterday in the other tank and he didnt want any. The other two newts still look fat today, not bloat fat, just chunky. Taking it day by day, maybe this skinny one will be better on his own rather than with the other two in the long run.
K
karen
Guest
I always feed my 2 newts separately because one is a very hearty, aggressive eater and one is more of a "hunter"- takes his time, not as quick. This way, I know exactly how much they're both eating and theres no fighting over the worms or intimidation.
I have good news to report I got my CFB to start eating again, last night was a huge success! On first attempt to feed he took a big mouthful of blackworms, he ate about 1/2ml of worms before he refused anymore. Now a new question has sprung up, is a 2.5 gallon setup too small for one CFB? I have to find or make a screen top for this tank I learned that he can easily climb out of the propped open glass lid.
J
joan
Guest
I think that if you can maintain water quality in a 2.5, then it's not too small. But again, you'll have to test the water pretty regularly.
Glad to hear he ate. Small step for Joe, HUGE step for CFB!
Glad to hear he ate. Small step for Joe, HUGE step for CFB!
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