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New to newts

Trixam

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Good day fellow animal lovers

I am new here and new to newts. My kids and I have newts currently. My son asked for some firebelly newts so we ordered some (3) from our local pet store after researching their requirements. Our darling newts arrived a week and a half ago, the supplier sent 6 all in a bag together, 4 BIG newts and 2 tiny newts. My kids picked the biggest three, (Gandolph, Gollum, and Precious) and home we went happily. Last week Thursday I went back into the store and the owner offered me the remaining tiny newt (Frodo) for free as the other two they had kept died. Upon examination I noticed that Frodo was not doing so well and quickly brought him home and into quarantine so his "flesh eating disease" wouldn't spread to our healthy three. While researching his illness I discovered that the original three are very much not firebelly newts and are actually paddletail newts........uh oh time to do more research. While Frodo is indeed a firebelly newt.

So I am in the process of setting everyone up to be happier. Frodo is in a 5.5 gallon tank with a cave and about 1.5" of water. Gandolph is in quarantine in a critter keeper as one of the other two bit him. Gollum and Precious are in a 10 gallon, (to be moved into a 15 probably tomorrow if not they will be by the weekend). When they are moved Gandolph will be given their 10 gallon tank to live in. They are all in bare bottom tanks. I am feeding them all frozen bloodworms every two days and sucking up and debris each night.

I am bathing Frodo and Gandolph separately in a salt water solution 2x a day to try to clean them up a little. Frodo is missing three feet, (both back feet and his front right), his stubs are white and I can see bone sticking out of the front one. Frodo shed last night in his bath. Frodo seems quite active at bath time and has been seen exploring his tank which I take as a good sign as he doesn't seem to be lethargic.

I guess my question would be does this sound reasonable or should I be doing something differently.
 

Trixam

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Well Gandolph ate his bloodworms this morning....but when I got home from work he was stiff. RIP little buddy
 

DeCypher

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Aug 29, 2010
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Welcome aboard! You said that you bought your firebellies from your local pet store? Nearly all pet stores take rather poor care of their caudates. I would keep an eye on them in case one of them is sick or something..
 

Trixam

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Well the amputee rescue (Frodo) passed on too. I didn't honestly expect him to survive the loss of three legs at once. Precious and Gollum seem to be quite content in their 15g home.
 
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