Hello

joel · Oct 12, 2003

Hello,

I'm totally new to newts but have experience in fish keeping.

I saw newts for sale at a fish shop and I want to get a few. After checking out about the newts online, I identified them as Chinese Dwarf/Fire Belly Newts (Cynops orientalis) due to their black bodies with red bellies. I have a 45 gallon tank not currently inhabited by any fishes(I'm into fishes so some fish care has some relevance in keeping newts, like water condition and filteration) so I was thinking about keeping newts in there. So comes a few questions:

1. How many Chinese Dwarf Newts can I keep in the tank?
2. Is the newt fully aquatic or will I have to create some dry area for the newts? The shop kept them totally submerged with no land area while another species was provided some land.
3. What should I feed the newts? The shop feeds them live ghost shrimps.

I'll be getting a pair and I have converted a 15 gallon aquarium into a terrarium.

Thanks.

elisabeth · Oct 12, 2003

Hi, your experience in fish keeping should definitly help you. Especially in knowing about water quality.
Here are some answers for you, and the more experienced keepers can either back me up or call me insane.

1. In your 45 gallon, 5 newts will live together very happily. You might be able to fit one or two more, but they do like their space. In a 15 gallon, I wouldn't put more than 2.

2. They're all individuals, but the best rule of thumb is to have half land half water.

3. What the shop is feeding them is ok. You may also want to think about going with worms. I wouldn't suggest blackworms, as I'm having trouble with a small infestation in my tank right now. It seems that frozen, fortified bloodworms are the best to go with.

Here's a site that should answer most of your questions in greater detail:
http://www.caudata.org/caudatecentral/caresheets/C_orientalis.html

Happy newting!

chris · Oct 12, 2003

If you have half land/half water, decrease the number of newts to 2 or 3 as there is less water space which could end up fouled with only a very small water area. If they are mainly aquatic then they will be OK with just floating corkbark. I wouldn't go to the trouble of making a proper land area until you've found out what they like. First give them a sizeable piece of corkbark or large rock breaking the surface with hiding places and leave them to calm down. Once they are settled in they may become more aquatic. If they spend most/all their time on land, make a better land area. Remember to feed the ones on land aswell incase they don't feed in water (on chopped large/whole small earthworms). Also, they may still die due to bad husbandry in the petshop and/or in transport from China to the petshop.
Good luck,
Chris

chris · Oct 12, 2003

Also, the aquatic ones will rellish earthworm - the best food for newts.
Chris

tara · Oct 12, 2003

Joel
Cynops orientalis are mostly aquatic in their adult stage. The ones that do stay on land are rare. My boyfriend's 3 adult Cynops (I am raising the last two cohorts of children so I do not yet have adults) have spent collectively about 2 days out of 365 days in the past year on land. As such it is definately not worth building a half land tank. If you feel the need to give them a comfortable land area and not just some floating cork bark may i suggest finding a rectangular shaped rock, turning it on its side and glueing (with aquarium sealant or equivalent) a large flat rock to one end to make your land. You can then fill the tank with water to a level just below the rock and add access to this 'land' via branches and driftwood. I have attached some pictures, and hopefully you can see the rock turned on its side and the land area atop it.
Tara

brianolney · Oct 13, 2003

my firebellies love frozen bloodworms made by hikari (i think petco caries them) as they are vitamin fortified, and the newts seem to love them

joel · Oct 13, 2003

I bought a pair of them and they are active, running around in their new home. I'll try to feed them some pellet fish food or either frozen bloodworms.

joel · Oct 13, 2003

<blockquote><hr size=0><!-quote-!><font size=1>Tara N Edwards (Edwardst) wrote on Monday, October 13, 2003 - 03:17 :</font>

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I'm planning to create some land using rocks instead of driftwood which stains the water brown. There will be a small island in the middle of the tank...

And another question, should I use 'reptile light' instead of the normal ones?

joeri · Oct 13, 2003

I have to cynops o. in my tank. At first one of them stayed on the landpart as he was still young, but now he's fully aquatic.

In those days I wanted to make a bigger landarea, but some experts here (thank you all once more) adviced me not to expand it. And they were right.

My tank is heavely planted with a few good hiding places and has 1 small landarea created by a piece of wood that I bought at the petshop.

My newts eat mosquitolarves, beefhart and nightcrawlers. Also there are some living cynops in the tank, but as the newts are a not that young anymore, I don't see those as food anymore. Let's just say they are a candy now

BTW in the caresheets on this forum you can find an elaborated script of what to feed your newts. Take a look at it (if you haven't allready) Good luck and enjoy your newts.

PS I'm expecting some digital pics of my newts soon. (and of my pleuros as well)

kaysie · Oct 13, 2003

take the driftwood, and boil it in a large pot of water (if its too big, boil one end, flip it over and boil the other). this will remove the tannin from the wood and keep it from staining

since a good vast majority of newts are nocturnal, you dont need a light...

mark · Oct 13, 2003

do what Kaysie said with drftwood if you are going to get any.and the only thing you will need a light for is plants not newts for which i suggest a fluresant light.

Mark

PS. Tara your setup seems ideal for cynops.

(Message edited by Mark_uk on October 13, 2003)

mark · Oct 13, 2003

i also find the best food for cynops is live blood worm.

Mark

elisabeth · Oct 13, 2003

Joel, absolutly NO pellets or fish food!!! Just feed them frozen bloodworms. Pellets and fish food don't create happy or healthy newts!

joel · Oct 14, 2003

Boiling removes some of the tannin acids which stains the water but the water still turns brown. A few solutions are to let the driftwood be covered with algae or 'slime' while another is to use activated carbon. I just bought a pretty interesting piece of driftwood which has a cave below and a few parts sticking out of the water. I will be using activated carbon until the wood is somehow 'sealed' with algae.

I think my newts ate some frozen bloodworms.

joel · Oct 14, 2003

Help! One of my newts skin peeled off, but the layer of skin is totally transparent and is very thin. It seemed to be shedding te skin on its entire body. Is this something to worry about?

elisabeth · Oct 14, 2003

Oh... hehehe, we forgot to mention that. Newts shed. So don't worry about it, unless they shed constantly. Then there maybe be something wrong with the water, or there maybe be a parasite somewhere.

jennifer · Oct 14, 2003

Joel, sounds like you have not yet read the FAQ here:
http://www.caudata.org/caudatecentral/FAQ.html

If I had read this earlier, I would have suggested getting more than 2 newts. A 15-gal tank is easily large enough for 4-5 of this species, provided you have it at least half full of water. Not to scare you, but pet shop firebellies are notorious for getting ill during the first few weeks. After that, they are very hardy as long as you can keep them cool and clean.

If you want to add more newts later, it will be more complicated, as the new ones must be quarantined for several weeks before adding to the established ones.

Good luck with them!

elisabeth · Oct 14, 2003

Jen, I think the poor guy should just stick with 2 for now. I just started out with two myself, and it's been a handful so far. As a new newt keeper, I think it's best to start out small. After your first few little guys, juggling a bunch should be a breeze!

joel · Oct 15, 2003

I read that newts have toxins, will it harm me in any other way other then eating it

?

elisabeth · Oct 15, 2003

No, the toxins shouldn't harm you. Just be sure to wash your hands, and don't let the newts come into contact with anything you may eat or eat off of later. Just be safe and clean, and there should be no problem. Also, remember, just like anyother reptiles and amphibians, there is a chance of salmonella poisoning. Be careful of that too. Just keep everything clean and wash your hands before and after handling the newts or any of the tank stuff, and you'll be fine.

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