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Fire belly or paddletail?

A

ashley

Guest
I got a newt a month or so ago who was sold as a fire belly. I think he may be a paddle-tail newt, not a fire belly.
I was wondering if there's any definate way to tell, and if the care is basically the same. Is tehre anything i should know about the paddle tail newts, if it is that?
thanks so much!
 
D

d

Guest
my friend recently got a red bellied paddle tailed newt and would like to know instructions on care such as feeding,heat enviroment etc.
 
A

ashley

Guest
I've seen those pictures already, and it definately looks more like the paddle tail, but i wanst sure if there's any way to tell for SURE. any distinct markings or anything.
Also, if i can't tell them apart, is their care any different?
 
N

nate

Guest
Paddletails have smooth, slimy skin like a catfish or an eel. Firebellies (usually meaning Cynops newts) and Warty newts (Paramesotriton) have bumpy, rougher skins. Don't try to go just by markings, because markings are highly variable.

Paddletails come from cold, fast-flowing mountain streams. They seem to be quite hardy to adverse conditions, but one should try to provide them with cool, well-oxygenated water that has a current. They are totally aquatic as well, and do not need a land area other than perhaps a small rock which barely breaks the surface of the water.
 
A

ashley

Guest
so do the fire bellied newts have bumpier skin? My newt does have really smooth skin...
 
N

nate

Guest
Well first, you have to realize that pet stores often label any newt from Asia a firebelly. But to be as accurate as possible, only newts from the genus Cynops are called "firebellies" and they have bumpy skin. Pachytritons (paddletails) on the other hand are downright slimy-smooth.
 
C

chris

Guest
Is 'cool' around 17/18degreescelsius. I have mine about that and they are doing great
froggy
 
N

nate

Guest
Those are good for spring/summer temps, but if you want to breed them you'll likely have to let them drop to around 8-10 for winter.
 
A

ashley

Guest
Ok. so i'm thinking because of the slimy skin and the coloring, he's probably a Paddle tail newt...I can't find ANY info on them whatsoever though. Does anyone know if they need a land area (i never see mine on it...), how big they get, if they eat the same type foods as fire bellied newts...umm...anything really important i should kno? Oh, and is it ok for them to be kept with snails? i have one in there, and i wasnt sure if he's doing ok or not, he SEEMS fine, but i dunno if i should move him...
thanks so much!
 
L

lane

Guest
If you do indeed have paddletails they won't need any land area. Adults sizes average 5 - 7 inches. They'll eat anything really; they are extremely viscious feeders, mine love chopped earthworms. Paddletails are extremely aggressive, so you should watch out for that. The best way to avoid aggression when keeping more than one together is to provide plenty of hiding places and obstructions in the tank. Snails are ok. Paddletails like moving water, so if you provided them with a current, through a powerhead or something, they would like that. Hope that answers any questions you might have. Sorry for the lack of info. I wrote up a caresheet on them for caudata.org, haven't had time to put the fine tuning on it lately though.
 
A

ashley

Guest
That does help. I'm actually only keeping, and only planning on keeping one, but i assume that would be the reason my newt was so beat up when i got him...he's still got a few chunks out of his tail, and he's missing a couple fingers. I'll fill the water more today so he has more swimming room. all i have for a current right now is the bubbler from the airstone in the filter...what IS a powerhead anyway?
thanks so much.
 
T

tony

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I'm glad that someone is writing about paddletails. I too acquired a paddletail wrongly labeled as a FB. Everything that Lane said about them squares with my experience. Unfortunately, that includes the aggressiveness -- the dominant one addled the other so much that he got sick and died shortly after we got them. BUT, the surviving Paddy is great. He eats mainly live blackworms, with redworms and chopped nightcrawlers as available. Being territorial, he likes to prowl the tank a lot and is very inquisitive, even to the point of walking right up to my hand when I am moving things in the tank or observing the gravel vacuum (thankfully from a safe distance -- but he does not run and hide). Also, my newt tanks are chronically too warm due to bad steam heat, but this does not seem to bother him.
 
T

tony

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Oh, a PS, I use a Fluval Plus filter, which does create a nice current, and the gravel vacuum is a must, since my Paddletail is a bit messy -- he likes to root about around the filter (I don't know if this is a species trait or just him -- anyway, it means that I have to monitor the filter carefully and squeeze it out regularly when the flow lessens).
 
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