Question: Alpine Newt Owner

Hey
I got an alpine newt a few days ago after keeping different types of newts and axolotl's sucessfully, but i have struggled to find any care information for Alpine newts. I read the care sheet here for them, but it wasn't very helpful. He was kept in completely the wrong conditions in the pet shop that i got him from (about 1 inch of water, 5/6 terrestrial setup at about 25 degrees). Now i have got him home he's really not liking being in a tank with so much water, (it's about half and half) and he's just staying out of the water all of the time. I would hate for him to end up completely terrestrial, do you have any tips?
Thankyou!
xxx

there are a few here with alpines...hopefully they can sort you out with some useful info xxx

The caresheet on CC is actually very good.
It sounds to me like the newt is already fully terrestrial. If you want it to go aquatic again you´ll need to provide excellent water conditions. That means a minimum of 40l of water (to ensure stability), cool temps and lots of plants.
Be patient, as long as it eats well, it´s a matter of time. This is a very easy species, very tough and resistent.
There is quite a lot of information about them around the forum, make sure to do a search.

hey,
thanks for the advice, he seems more willing to go into the water now which is a good thing, i dropped the water level a bit and kept it really cool, the fact it's been so hot here today must have made him want to be in the water instead, which is great!
Do you think, once he is more settled, i would be able to move him in with the other chinese firebelly and CFB paddletail we also have? He was with CFB in the store, but obviously they don't have much of a clue about how to care for them...
xxx

Noooooo!!!
Don´t mix them!

Now, after the exagerated reaction, i´ll explain xD
Mixing caudate species is generally and with very, VERY few exceptions a very bad idea.
In this case, mixing I.alpestris with C.orientalis is dangerous. Your C.orientalis are wild-caught, which means they could be carriers of unknown patogens which could be passed onto the alpestris. Just because the poor guy has been exposed before it doesn´t mean a new patogen couldn´t be exchanged.
Also there could be agression (although it´s more likely to come from the I.alpestris).

I hope you are not mixing Pachytriton labiatus with C.orientalis...P.labiatus is a highly territorial and agressive species that can tear another newt apart (literally). Plus they require different conditions (P.labiatus needs a strong current).

Provide a tank all for itself. It should only be mixed with others of it´s own species (and subspecies). It´s important.

High temps actually have the opposite effect, they make aquatic newts go terrestrial (they can tolerate higher temps if they are terrestrial). In this case, since you cooled the water, it become adequate for him to venture in it. I wouldn´t recommend lowering the water level, as i said previously, you want as much water as possible (remember, the minimum recommended for even a single newt is 40l).


PS: you have a crazy mix of common names there. Chinese firebelly (sometimes shortened to CFB) is a common name for Cynops orientalis. Paddletails (not CFB despite being chinese too) are Pachytriton labiatus. Two VERY different species indeed. I hope that helps.

thanks for the advice, i was told by other sources on the internet it would be fine, that they mix them happily; and he was very much in with all other types of newts in the store, not just chinese firebellies. Stupid people.
As for the names, i'm not a biologist so i stick to the common names. Sorry to confuse you. I'm an enthusiast, who loves animals and as a general rule knows how to care for them. We've always kept the paddletail with the firebelly, they were in the same tank at the pet shop, they have had no problems since we got them, both are happy and very healthy so there's no real reason to separate them as far as i can tell. there is a section of the tank with a stronger current than the rest of it so he stays near the filter, and nero (the chinese firebelly) roams around as he pleases. They're both very happy, well as happy as a newt can be i imagine.
I moved my alpine newt to a different tank today, with more things to climb and more surface area on the bottom and he's much happier in there. I don't think he's really been out of the water all day!
It's just always a good idea to get a bit of advice from more experienced keepers when you have afew concerns, especially considering there really isn't a lot out there for the beautiful italian alpines
Thanks again!
xxx

I just mentioned the scientific names, because in this case the common names you were using were rather confusing (not that it´s your fault...). Long term, it will be useful for you to learn or at least recognize the scientific names of the species you keep, because the best information can be found when using the latin name to search.
I know it may seem like the paddletail and the firebellies get along, but believe me, paddletails are agressive and territorial, and though nothing has happened yet, and may continue to not happen for a while, one day you may wake up to a very upsetting result.
Aside from the problems of agression or competition, your firebellies would certainly be thankful to be changed to a tank with absolutely no current. They love it when their water doesn´t move at all! Specially if it´s heavily planted and they can hang out on them just being lazy xD
I wouldn´t insist if i weren´t convinced that separating them is the right thing to do, i swear. Ask anyone else in the forum, they´ll tell you the same.

I´m very glad the alpine newt is doing better and is comfortable in the water. It´s a brilliant species, gorgeous and with a great personality!

Hi,
I passed on the message about separating the two newts to my housemate who is currently caring for them
Just a quickie, my alpine newt, whilst being healthy and in the water and such, isn't eating... I've tried everything from bloodworm to earthworm. He ate a small piece of mussel about a week ago but he's just not interested in food.
I spoke to an amphibian and reptile centre, who said that it is mating season and as such it's perfectly normal for them to go months without eating. I was told to keep offering food, but less often and in a few months he should start again. Does this sound right?
Thanks
xxx

Mmmmm...no it doesn´t.
Males can eat less or go without food during the mating season but it doesn´t last for months, and it´s not now Ô_o
The mating season for I.alpestris is the spring. In captivity it might also happen in the fall, but mid-summer is not the right time.
If the newt is in breeding mode, you can tell very easily by it´s appearance. If you upload a picture we´ll tell you for sure.

Keep offering live foods, and make sure the temps and water conditions are correct. It can take a while for a newt to get used to it´s new environment, but it should give in an eat sooner rather than later.
Good luck!