Alpine newts question

Hi,


I've some newly acquired adult Alpine newts (nominate form). I have been happily following a care sheet from another amphib Website.

I recently spotted what looked like eggs scattered **on** the polystyrene floating land mass I provided. I removed one to magnify and examine - placed in cup of water - (they seemed so dry I'd written them off.) This - after many days - has hatched!!!
Three questions, if I may:

a) My assumption was that if a male is not in his mating colours the eggs would be infertile (although I suppose she could have stored some sperm from an ealrier home)... a daft assumption?

b) Once this tiny little life has absorbed the rest of the egg, could I jump straight to Daphnia? Could I usefully add flake or liquid fishfood?

c)Why scatter eggs on land? Soft plants had been provided in the water.

a) Females can store sperm for months. Most (all?) Triturus species lay eggs gradually over a period of a month to 3 months. Compare that to Tylototriton which lay all of their eggs within 3 days.

b) They won't be able to eat adult Daphnia, but your adult Daphnia should produce little daphnia while they're in the tank, and Triturus alpestris are very capable of eating those. I've raised various Triturus species on this diet. I'd put the Daphnia in now so that there are a number of little ones before hatching. Remember, most newt larvae don't eat anything until a few days after hatching. If you try feeding flake and liquid fish food, you won't have many larvae left in a few weeks, if any. Newly hatched larvae will only eat moving food - they don't respond to smell to anything like the extent they do when much older.

c) No idea, but newts aren't perfect. The water may have been too warm for her and she stayed out on the polystyrene. It's not often one can understand the mind of a newt .

Matt
If you have any established tanks with java moss or will low moss, even elodea, transfer some of these in your raising tank.
They will bring with them lots of microscopic infusoria.
These along with the young daphnia should see your larvae through the first stages of growth.
I have also used microworms along with the daphnia, with good results.
Make sure you dont add too many if using these though as they only live a few days in water, and any left over will foul the water.
Good luck

MORG

I take the point re sperm storage... but - at the risk of seeming so dim I need the clue bucket passed to me - twice - could a male Alpine fertilise eggs ***without*** being in that wonderful blue mating regalia I used to admire so much in pictures, before acquiring the real thing.

Curiously yours,
Matt

My male alpine has lost that bright colouration and stopped being interested in the females, this happened a few weeks back.
He had tried constantly to impress the ladies while coloured up, but no eggs yet so I dont know if he succeeded.
It looks like yours bred before you got them, and you may have to wait now untill next season for those amazing colours to return.

MORG

Hi, my baby alpines did fine with daphnia and I eventually moved them on to brine shripm which they are currently thriving on.