my FB is missing :S

blackasher1 · Aug 5, 2007

Hey guys,
I got home tonight only to find 1 FB in my tank instead of 2! :S i frantically searched everywhere and havent found him (ive placed water filled tin foil bassens around the floor/desk). The lid was secured and i have no clue how it got out, if it got out. The only thing i can think of is that it may of possibly made an escape into one of the tank ornaments! I have one of these guys:
http://www.petsmart.com/global/prod...94247&itemNo=30&Nao=24&In=Fish&N=2030058&Ne=2

which has a fairly large hole in the bottom (about the size of my thumb). I don't know if the hole was exposed, but its honestly the only thing i can think of. If it is the case, does anyone have any idea how to coax him out??
gahhh im so stressed x_x

xxx
leah

Demoniac38 · Aug 5, 2007

If I ever have problems finding my paddletail, I just put a piece of a tubifex cube in the water and she comes out of wherever she was hiding. Do you have anything to lure it out with? Also, when cleaning my toad tank, I find it is easier to find (and catch) them if I add a couple of gallons to the tank. The land section floods and coaxes them gently from the many hiding spaces that I've provided. After all, they have to breathe sooner or later. I hope this helps. Good luck.

jewett · Aug 5, 2007

I have lost an animal in a hollow tank decoration, though it was a fish and not a newt. It won't hurt to lift the decoration up and check. A few years ago my betta fish went missing. I figured it must have jumped out and my dog ate it while I was at work. I cleaned the bowl out a day later and found the betta - dead - in the hollowed out ceramic turtle I used as an ornament, and that was sold to be used as such. I don't know if it went in there and couldnt get out or what, but definatley check that ornament ASAP
Heather

blackasher1 · Aug 5, 2007

i carefully lifted up the ornament yesterday to have a look and the hole goes quite deep into the ornament and is almost winding (loads of nooks and crannies and such) i have no idea what to doooo.. ive put some bloodworms near the hole to try to lure him out but no luck yet! i honestly think he must be there because theres nowhere else he could be. I'm so worried he's stuck- im almost considering trying to saw it open and hoping i dont end up with 2 parts of a newt instead of 1. (if he does come out again i will DEFINATLY find a way to close the hole. and if anyone has an ornament like this i avedly suggest the same)

blackasher1 · Aug 5, 2007

ok, he's in there, i got a flashlight and saw his little feet in a corner. i dont know if hes stuck or just hiding :s i guess ill just leave it in the water and hope he finds his way out...

trincan · Aug 5, 2007

may I suggest placing the ornament upside down in a seperate tank or enclosure so gravity will help the newt climb back up. Putting it in another enclosure will make sure you don't lose both of the salamanders.

Jennewt · Aug 5, 2007

I would take a plastic tub with a secure lid and put the ornament into the tub, on its side, along with a lot of wadded-up damp paper towels. I think the newt will eventually come out (probably at night) and hide in the paper towels. It will probably not be enticed by food, unless it's live food.

If you leave the ornament in the water, the newt might drown or run out of air inside.

blackasher1 · Aug 5, 2007

thanks guys, i will try placing it in the tub without more then a cm or so of water- the thing is, ive only got white paper towels- i read on a thread that brown papertowels are best- are white really that bad or would they be ok in an emergency?

angelad · Aug 6, 2007

this post may have saved my newt. i just added a new tank decoration today and had positioned it with the hollow underside slightly exposed. thanks to this post i have repositioned it with lots of rocks around it to make sure the hollow end is not accesible to spud (my firebelly newt).
i'll keep your little guy in my prayers tonight.

Mark · Aug 6, 2007

White paper towels should be fine for the short length of time you’ll be using them. If you are worried about bleach you can soak them in de-chlorinated water for a few minutes before using them.

Has it come out yet? There’s no way it could be stuck?

blackasher1 · Aug 6, 2007

Hey guys, im still waiting for the guy. I looked last night and he was sort of closer to the hole and i thought i might be able to take him out but he decided to crawl away. I hope he isnt too far in now- i def won't make an attempt at picking him up next time.

Otterwoman · Aug 6, 2007

I had (still have) a fire belly newt that disappeared for SIX MONTHS (really). I thought he'd escaped and died. Then one day, there he was, poking around the tank, a little skinnier but the same old newt. I thought he was hiding in a decoration but maybe he was stuck and could escape once he got skinnier? or maybe just hiding. I also once had a newt die that got stuck in a small hole in a decoration he was trying to swim through. Here's a picture of the decoration; I plugged it up with a little blue plastic thing.

blackasher1 · Aug 7, 2007

still not out.. gah.

blackasher1 · Aug 10, 2007

ok, he's been in there for a week.
starting to get a tad desperate now

anyone?

mommytwo · Aug 10, 2007

Can't you just take the whole thing out of the water and see if he crawls out?? I would ... Is your decoration ceramic? If so, I'd probably break it.. I couldn't stand to wait it out.

blackasher1 · Aug 10, 2007

The ornament is currently in 'isolation' (i dont want the other newt to crawl in too) it's in another tank with an inch or so water and stones and such. Everyday i sort of submerse the ornament back into the original tank to get some fresh water in there to try to prevent him drying out. Do you guys think i should completely fill the isolation tank with water? Someone said it might drown- hence why im keeping it out of the water.
The ornament is sorta.. a plasticy faux-rock material, 'easy clean poly-resin'. I think the only way to go through it would be with an electric saw. I'd be scared to cut in the wrong place and accidentally end up with 2 pieces of newt instead of 1 whole live one.

tomthlee · Aug 10, 2007

Is he stuck or choosing to stay there? If he's just choosing to stay there, can't you tilt the ornament over so that he'll fall out of the hole and plop into the water? It would stress the newt but it's only temporary and for the greater good.

blackasher1 · Aug 10, 2007

i have no idea if he's stuck or choosing to stay there- I can't see him because he's gone quite far in by this point. I've made a quick sketch of the ornament to give a better idea as to why i can't just get him out without cuting it open. I drew it from both sides, theres a 'cave' like thing on one side which creates a 'groove' that prevents me from being able to see into ornament properly. The grey 'dotted' area is where he could be hiding, anywhere in there. hmph.

trincan · Aug 11, 2007

i was thinking flood it, and he will come out to breathe...but he may be stuck...I had white's tree frog's that would hide inside my waterfall, I would flood it and they would come out.

The material your ornament is made of looks like the same type of thing the fountain is made of....start chipping peices away carefully until he comes out.

I know how nerve racking this will be for you...but when you find your newt, with one less ornament, peace of mind will be well worth it.

blackasher1 · Aug 11, 2007

Thank you, i will try that.

Just noticed you live in ontario, and that you're going to uni in september, you staying in canada for it?

my FB is missing :S

New member

New member

Site Contributor

New member

New member

New member

Administrator

New member

New member

Administrator

New member

Administrator

Attachments

New member

New member

New member

New member

New member

New member

New member

New member