Would like to change my newts diet fom pellets to live food

M

michelle

Guest
Hi,
I have a sweet T.granulosa "Newton" who is currently eating newt pellets. I would like to change his diet to live food but would appreciate any advice as to how. Since I can't see the ground for snow at the moment Earthworms and Night crawlers are out of the question until the spring. The only thing I can get my hands on are Mealworms,Waxworms and crickets. Could I please have some tips from those of you who have been in this position of changing their diet (the less stressful way for the newt)exactly how you did it. Could any one also let me know should I give him a variety of the three. And how often should I change it if I do. Thank You!
 
Michelle, you can buy nightcrawlers from a bait shop. I usually get mine from walmart.

Mealworms should be decapitated. Waxworms are high in fat, and should be fed sparingly. Crickets can bite back, so don't feed too many at one time.

But the best diet is a good variety of all of the above.
 
Thank you.
But unfortunately the bait shop around here is not selling worms (out of season) and the Walmart here does not sell worms. I guess I do my first meal worm decapitation tomorrow. My guess is he has been eating these pellets for a while is it usually a difficult transition to get him to convert back to live food. Would you recommend only offering one food (ex.meal worms)for a week and nothing else. I would really like to make this transition with the least amount of stress to him.
 
If mealworms are the only live food available, I would say stick with the pellets. Mealworms aren't a big improvement. The usual problems with pellets are: (1) a lot of newts flat-out reject them, and (2) you never know how long they sat on the shelf of the store, losing nutritional value. In theory, though, pellets should be a nutritionally complete food.

My suggestion is to buy a good quality pellet. The soft salmon pellets made by Rangen work well for me. You can buy them from AGSC (or from Michael Shrom, who can be contacted through this forum):
http://www.ambystoma.org/AGSC/food.htm

Does your petshop sell frozen bloodworms? They aren't live, but they are usually loved by newts, and are a good source of insect-based nutrition. I recommend Hikari brand, if possible.
 
Thank you Jennifer,

The only things I can get my hands on is meal worms,crickets & wax worms. The only type of blood worms available are freeze dried blood worms which from the links I have read on this web site don't sound a lot better than the live food I can find at the moment. He does not reject the pellets at all I am just hoping he is getting the nutrition he needs. I will definitely look into your suggestion on purchasing a good quality pellet. I thank you and appreciate your help. Michelle.
 
I'd suggest that you "keep asking" regarding frozen bloodworms. Virtually every decent petshop I have ever gone to has had them (though they may keep them in a freezer in the back room, so you have to ask). And when summer comes, try to get earthworms. Enjoy your Taricha!
 
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