Question: Newts out of the water

Hello everybody.
I am seeking guidance from the experts. I have Eastern Red Spotted Newts and I cant seem to get them to go into the water. Out of 5, 4 are consistently out of the water. I know this indicates problems. The problem is that I cant figure out the problem! ha! The water quality is perfect. There is a great filter which creates a very slight current (not much and only in that corner of the tank), and an air bubbler set at a medium flow. Does anyone have any suggestions as to why they are not going in the water?!
The one that is usually in the water is a female so I dont think it is a dominance thing. But she is usually under where the out of water newts are which is interesting. The 'out of water newts' are on a dock which floats at the water level and 'in the water newt' hangs out directly under them.
Any ideas would be most appreciated!

What temperature is the tank at? Could they be in their terrestrial eft stage? Have you checked water quality?

The tank is at about 69 F. When I got them, they were small but in breeding condition and have since gone out of breeding condition and out of the water. I check the water quality daily and it is perfect according to my Quick Dip test strips and a Water Quality chemical test kit.

Hey!
I'm no expert, by far, and I don't have advice to give you, but simply to say that I am also going through the very same thing with my Chinese fire bellied newts (the 4Amigos), and I am also new to the newt world and learning as I go.
What I am going to express though is that the people who share on here are great! I am sure they read the same questions over and over again, probably shared their experiences and advice with who knows how many newbies of us out there lol and yet they still share with us and a timely and friendly manner.
Their advice has been helpful and I am grateful, thanks everyone!!!! :happy:

It could be due to stress. Have they been moved to this tank recently or have their been recent major water changes? My best advice would be to give them a shallower area of water, maybe only a few inches, and lots of plants near the surface. This should help them adapt to the water. If the water quality is fine and the temperature is fine, I don't have much else to advise. Could you post pictures of the set-up the way it is?

Depending on where they were collected, some populations do go terrestrial when not in breeding condition.

What's your set up like?

Thank you Kaysie that actually makes a lot of sense. I have been caring for this species for over a year now and I cant figure out what was going on. But they have in fact gone out of breeding condition. The company we got them from is called Connecticut Valley Biological. I talked to the Newt care taker and he said they collect them from Western Massachusetts. Do you know what region this species goes out of water after breeding season? Is there a site or paper you can suggest that I can read up on this more?
I have an aquatic set up with a flotation doc to allow them to get out of the water. Due to regulations for cleaning I am not able to have live plants in the tanks but I have fake plants (I know it's not my preference-- Live would be ideal). There is a single layer of gravel on the bottom, a small bubbler, and a filter that is for aquatic or terrarium tanks. I can take a picture and post it later. Do you think it would be reasonable to test this theory by draining all the water except maybe an inch or two and see if that is more appealing to them?

In areas that are dryer, where breeding ponds dry completely, you'll get populations that go terrestrial. In some areas where the ponds don't dry up, the adults will remain aquatic all year long. In individuals that are prepared to be terrestrial, the skin will be a bit more... leathery? A little bumpy and rough, versus the slick, smooth skin they had during breeding season.

I'll see if I can't dig up some papers when I get a minute.

If you're trying to coax them into being aquatic, I would actually add more water. You can continue to use the filter as long as it doesn't provide much of a current. These guys are pond-dwelling, so they don't do well with a lot of flowing water. Fill the setup with lots of plants and places to hide, and 8+ inches of water and see if they don't go back into the water.