Taricha acting weird

So about a month ago I bought two 'California Newts' (Pretty sure they're granulosa) from my pet store. I've been keeping them in a five gallon (horrible of me I know, but it's all I have until the end of April). It's well planted, about 4 inches of water for them (of which they spend 90% of their time) and about half the tank is well planted and terrestrial.

The past couple of days my smaller taricha has been on the move non stop, at one point it looked like it was trying to escape (glass climbing), but mostly it's just been roaming. The newts are active, but usually not so continuously and intensely active as this.

Today when I peeked into their tank the smaller newt was sort of hanging over the edge of the water dish, like he was in the process of trying to climb out. I came back an hour later and he was still like that, except it's body looked...flat? My first thought, with how unusual and unnatural it looked, was that he was dead. After reaching into the tank for him and seeing that he moved I left him alone.

Checking on him hours later though I found that he hadn't moved, still in the same position. I picked him up, and it was scary. His eyes were half open, and when I set him in my hand, he didn't do anything. I mean...this is hard to describe...his limbs were sort of bent...in whatever direction they touched my hand, it was as though he was just letting things happen to him.

After a short period of holding him...maybe 3 minutes, he began slowly moving. I put him back in the tank...set him on a moist rock from which he hasn't moved. It kind of seems as though he has the hiccups. His skin is fine, I don't think he's shedding, and he has no sign of injury.

I'm not sure about his eating as he hasn't been in the water for a couple days, I've just been letting him feign for himself for loose crickets in the tank.

I took some photos (extremely poor quality). (And one of my firebelly set up just for fun.)

If you have any ideas of what's going on I'd appreciate the help. Thanks.





My C.o. (mostly terrestrial)

So, I went to feed the newts tonight, frozen bloodworms, a favorite, so I dropped the cube in, and nudged the beached newt into the water. My boyfriend described the newt at being top skinny and bottom heavy. Is he bloated? How bad is this? How can I fix it? He couldn't fully submerge himself in the water as he was partial floating. Someone help! I'm tearing my hair out!

Again...with the tearing the hair out!!!!!!!!!!
ARGH!

His skin is kind of splotchy too now, blackish spots.

You need some experts here (I'm not). But have you checked the water quality lately? A five gal tank, w/4" of water can go "toxic" rather quickly. Do you do regular water changes? Test for ammonia, and nitrites. Good luck.

4 inches of water in a 5 gallon tank for two grown (and large) newts is indeed an interesting situation. Unless you are doing massive daily water changes, have some sort of mechanical and biological filter running, the water quality can go foul amazingly fast.

You can try taking it to a good herp vet to see if your newt is suffering a bacterial infection.

If there's no vet, I would suggest isolating the sick newt into another tank which is lined with wet paper towels (unbleached being the safest)--and watch him for a week or so. Best not risk whatever is causing those black spots/lethargy being transmitted to your other Taricha.

A couple of general questions would help eliminate potential problems:
*What temperature is the tank
*Have you tested the pH
*Have you seen signs of aggression from the other newt
*What have you been feeding them

The tank is around 70 degrees give or take

I haven't tested the pH

They'll bite eachother occassionally but only when food is in the water.

I've been feeding them crickets and frozen bloodworms.

I pretty much completely change their water every other day.

Do you think that it could be constipation? I was reading the bloat article and saw that constipation is sometimes mistaken for bloat.

I think I'll go with isolating the little guy for now, any vets around here will be closed over the weekend.

Thanks for the input, anymore help is definitely welcome!

I've quarantined the sick newt. *sigh* I've been reading for a while some of the archived posts here, and it seems that the black spots aren't usually something to worry about? Often associated with shedding? That's a relief. The newt is in a small tank lined with paper towels as suggested. There was a small little smudge of what I'm assuming is feces. I'm hoping if he's constipated that this is a sign he's starting to clear his system.

Another question. If he is constipated, I've been reading that the best way to speed along flushing his system is to just feed him. I've put a couple small crickets in his tank and he hasn't seemed interested at all today, and he hasn't eaten for quite some time. Any tips on what else I can feed him in the terrestrial environment? Should I try and set up a dish of frozen bloodworms or blackworms? I've never used earthworms before, but would they be good for this situation?

I got him to eat! I put a really shallow container of water in there (lid from a thing of frosting) which he immediately went too.

He hasn't seemed as lathargic since I put him in the new tank yesterday, but I think he's just trying to get out.

Before bed this morning I was able to get him to chomp down some frozen bloodworms.

*relief*

(Message edited by fruitylips_one on February 20, 2005)

Hey Kellee, that's good to hear. You might want to remove the crickets, for a sick newt, they can stress the newt and sometimes attack the newts (crickets are vicious evil things).

Try continuing the feedings with the frozen bloodworms, if you can get earthworms (not redworms...) try chopping them and feeding it to your little guy as well.