Japanese Fire Belly Newt Color Change

Hello there,

I'm hoping to gain some advice on a matter I am experiencing with my Japanese Fire Belly Newt. I would really appreciate ideas and suggestions that anyone might be able to provide, based upon their past knowledge, and I thank you in advance. I have owned this particular newt for a period of about two years, and it has been housed with a Chinese Fire Belly Newt during that time. Because the fish store from which I bought them accidentally mistook the two types, I decided to attempt keeping them together. They get along comfortably, and have never observed animosity between them.

Both of these newts have become accustomed to a diet of brine shrimp that is freeze dried, a staple which I fed my last newts, which lived to about age twelve. However, the Japanese one has become uncommonly picky over the last few months, and will only take live worms at regular intervals. This creates a difficulty for me as the owner, due to the fact that providing worms at a constant level makes the regular eater quite fat. I have not determined how to give both of them live food without causing a number of eating difficulties, and unhealthy habits for them both. If I could figure out how to better regulate this staple, live worms might be an option.

My primary confusion lies in the fact that both newts took the brine shrimp regularly, without any scruple, for a year. It wasn't until recently that I noticed this change within the Japanese newt, and lately it has become more poignant. Now, I have even begun to notice skin color changes, as it slowly turns from a light gray color to gray with white patches. It also continually seeks more air above the water surface. Is there anything which I can do to make the newt more comfortable, and would anyone recommend separating these newts? If the gray newt has become diseased, then I certainly don't want to risk exposing the other newt to it. Please let me know if there are any tactics that I can use to help its eating.

Thank you very much for your kind support,
Brooke ~

Chinese Fire Bellies sometimes take an ashen grey color for no apparent reason. Two of my newts shift between a dark black and a light ash brown. In your Japanese fire belly it could also be a sign of aging.

As for the feeding habits, brine shrimp is not a very good staple.. They are low in nutrition and contain salt which is not too good for the newts. Better to keep them on a staple of chopped earthworms and/or bloodworms, tubifex, blackworms. (earthworms are generally considered the best). They won't have an issue of getting fat if you regulate the feedings to only thrice or even twice a week, and they'll be more eager to feed as well.

Hope this helps

Hello,

Thank you for the advice, most particularly about the feeding regimen. I have been considering placing the newts on a live worm diet permanently actually, in spite of the difficulties. I think that creating a feeding time at regular intervals would also help. I do have one question however, if I might; the worms that I put into the tank tend to hide under the rocks and I think that they breed, so they make cleaning the newt tank very difficult. What could I do to help reduce the amount of waste produced, to maintain clean water for them? And, on the topic of earthworms, I am curious about their size? My newts are terribly small. Could I attain chopped worms at a local fish food store? The only live bait store in my area limits its store merely to black worms. Perhaps they can survive comfortably off the black worms though- I can try, at least.

In regards to the color change, she really is quite young. I am worried about some lake rocks that I placed into their tank a few days ago. They were from freshwater, and I rinsed them beforehand, so I didn't think of problems there- I am guessing the change to be from her diet, in truth.

Anyway, thanks for your advice. I'll try making a few changes.

Could you maybe add a photo of this? My male Japanese Fire belly Newts currently have a blue/ grey colour , this is part of their breeding colours.

Earthworms are really the best food and the only compete staple. You will have to chop them up unfortunately haha. It's not so bad when you're used to it and your newts will love you for it. Try feeding them separately since the presence of another species is stressful, and stressed newts don't eat. Also the worms won't breed in your tank but they will escape. And while your newts will find them eventually too many can foul the water. You can solve this by putting the worms in a glass jar which you put into the tank. The newts will enter the jar and feed there without any worms escaping. Make sure to use a jar with an opening large enough for newts to enter and exit with ease!