I have had 4 chinese fire belly newts(orientalis) for almost 2 months now. A big thanks to the folks of this site for lots of tips and care information. All 4 are female.
They are in a 10 gallon tank about 3/4ths filled with water. They have some rocks which pierce the surface which they sometimes climb onto. Gravel bottom, they have plenty of cover and overall seem happy.
I feed them chopped up earthworms, the smallest ones I can get, every other day.
2 of them are greater eaters, hungry and hapilly take the worms from tweezers. One sometimes is a little hesistant but I generally have no trouble feeding it.
2 weeks ago one of the newts, the one which has always been the smallest stopped eating. He has gotten very skinny. He can swim and move fine but he just does not seem interested in eating. 4 days ago I dethawed some frozen bloodworms, took him out of the tank and put him on a plate and essentially dangled them on his face till he ate a few but it took a while and he was not interested.
He is abe to move around and seems to have energy. I've dealt with a sick newt of the same species before, he has more energy.
I do not have any way to quarantine a sick newt. It has no signs of any sort of fungal infection ulcers or anythig else. He is becoming very skinny. I worry if he is simply not eating and is not sick he will become sick soon and if he is sick, he may infect the other healthy newts.
Any ideas on what to do? I am worried I may have to euthonize him before he kills my other newts.
I can get a picture of him if needed, but he essentially looks fine, just getting very skinny.
They are in a 10 gallon tank about 3/4ths filled with water. They have some rocks which pierce the surface which they sometimes climb onto. Gravel bottom, they have plenty of cover and overall seem happy.
I feed them chopped up earthworms, the smallest ones I can get, every other day.
2 of them are greater eaters, hungry and hapilly take the worms from tweezers. One sometimes is a little hesistant but I generally have no trouble feeding it.
2 weeks ago one of the newts, the one which has always been the smallest stopped eating. He has gotten very skinny. He can swim and move fine but he just does not seem interested in eating. 4 days ago I dethawed some frozen bloodworms, took him out of the tank and put him on a plate and essentially dangled them on his face till he ate a few but it took a while and he was not interested.
He is abe to move around and seems to have energy. I've dealt with a sick newt of the same species before, he has more energy.
I do not have any way to quarantine a sick newt. It has no signs of any sort of fungal infection ulcers or anythig else. He is becoming very skinny. I worry if he is simply not eating and is not sick he will become sick soon and if he is sick, he may infect the other healthy newts.
Any ideas on what to do? I am worried I may have to euthonize him before he kills my other newts.
I can get a picture of him if needed, but he essentially looks fine, just getting very skinny.