new californian red bellied newt help please

Ok, so i got my first newt, a californian red bellied newt. my boyfriend's friend works in a petshop with exotics and stuff and seemed like he knew what he was going on about, until He told me stick him in a tank with a bowl of water and some moss and feed him wax worms and he'l be fine. So i thought that didn't sound like a very happy environment for my newt and decided he didnt know what he was on about and thought i'd research the internet for some care sheets. as it happens there isn't much information about these newts just basic info, nothing i can find really tells you how to set up the right environment, what you will need to do this and what is best to feed them and if they need vitamin supplements. In all honesty i really should have researched a hell of a lot more before buying one, and i do feel rather guilty i didn't. If anyone has any pointers for me i would be grateful. poor randy is stuck in a tank with moss and a bowl of water eating waxworms as i haven't had anymore info and don't really know what to do!

Gem1987 said:

Ok, so i got my first newt, a californian red bellied newt. my boyfriend's friend works in a petshop with exotics and stuff and seemed like he knew what he was going on about, until He told me stick him in a tank with a bowl of water and some moss and feed him wax worms and he'l be fine. So i thought that didn't sound like a very happy environment for my newt and decided he didnt know what he was on about and thought i'd research the internet for some care sheets. as it happens there isn't much information about these newts just basic info, nothing i can find really tells you how to set up the right environment, what you will need to do this and what is best to feed them and if they need vitamin supplements. In all honesty i really should have researched a hell of a lot more before buying one, and i do feel rather guilty i didn't. If anyone has any pointers for me i would be grateful. poor randy is stuck in a tank with moss and a bowl of water eating waxworms as i haven't had anymore info and don't really know what to do!

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right well first of all, do you have a picture you could upload mainly so we can be 100% sure of what species were dealing with here Is it one of these http://caudata.org/cc/species/Taricha/T_rivularis.shtml, other species it might be are http://caudata.org/cc/species/Taricha/T_torosa.shtml or http://caudata.org/cc/species/Taricha/T_granulosa.shtml



I did a bit of research on red bellied newts (Taricha Rivularis) a while back after someone in a similar situation asked about these on a different forum. From what I have learnt they are pretty terrestrial compared to closely related species and can be kept in either full terrestrial set-up with a large water bowl or a semi aquatic set-up with a large land area. Honestly I don’t like moss, especially shredded moss as a substrate I would go for coco coir (aka eco earth, coco peat and a few other names come in blocks you soak in water to make a muddy substrate) or an organic (fertilizer, pesticide and vermiculite free) potting soil as a substrate for the land area. Keep cool (under 24C) and provide some hiding areas, water should be de-chlorinated or bottled water and keep the whole enclosure moist.

food wise they will eat most inverts including waxworms but these aren’t a good staple as they contain a lot of fat, earthworms, crickets, locusts, cockroaches, slugs and other soft bodied inverts are a better diet.

Hey, thanks so much for replying. I looked on the links you posted and my newt is definately a taricha granulosa (rough skinned newt). he is in a 18"x18" tank which is 18" deep. is that big enough for him do you think? I have used eco earth for some of my other animals,and to be honest i did think about putting that in as a substrate for him but was told moss because it's damp and keeps the tank moist. I will put eco earth in for him. Is the bowl of water a good idea for him? its like a tupperware dish, pretty deep in the back of his tank. he seems to prefer the land though but I do like to keep it in there just in case. Also, i have tried him on small crickets but he didn't show any interest. They just sat on his head. Do you think he doesn't ;like them or they were too small?

I know there are alot of questions here and I'm being a pain but i do appreciate anyones help with this.

Gem

tank size sounds good, the shredded reptile/amphibian moss stuff you can get is an ok substrate but (depending on the type of moss) it can be too acidic and has been linked to ion loss, while theres nothing 100% concrete saying it's bad i just dont like it.

Yeah i would keep the water in there for it, it might be using it when your not looking. Dunno about the crickets maybe its just not his thing, maybe give earthworms a try.

Brilliant. I went out and bought some eco earth for him and will set his tank up straight away. my sugarglider eats canned crickets would they be good for him? maybe the live ones are just too fast for him?

I think you might want to try more aquatic setup. He might just not be used to it, but given a few days, I bet he'd become more aquatic than terrestrial. A pool or bowl might not be enough for him, if you could make a 50-50 tank to try for a while.

how would I go about making a 50/50 tank? on one of the sites i was on it says that their skin adjusts when they go terrestrial and goes warty and if they spend too much time in the water when like this they can drown. is this true? because his skin has gone warty or could this just be because he has been forced to become terrestrial as there is not enough water for him to become aquatic?

hey gem - in my albums there's a pic of a viv. Its 1/3 water 2/3 land but could easily be redone to 1/2 and 1/2.

That's fantastic, thanks so much. I'll give that ago tomorrow then and see how he likes it. thanks so much everyone for your help and advice!

Gem

Just out of interest which petshop in Newcastle did you get your newt from? as I never knew any shops in Newcastle had those. :happy:

What you comment about the skin, it´s very true. Their skin adapts to either an aquatic or a terrestrial life depending on the seasons and what´s available.
A fully terrestrial newt can drown if forced to be aquatic. Others become aquatic quite fast and don´t really care...but it´s still rather risky.
I agree a provisionary 50/50 tank would be best... and once it chooses(probably it will decide to be aquatic) you can remake the tank acording to it´s preferences.
If i´m not mistaken, Taricha granulosa can sometimes be very aquatic, but will usually make use of a terrestrial surface, so a fully aquatic setup is probably not a good choice.

Gem, be sure to read through the FAQ (link in my signature below). From there, you'll find links to photos of setups so you can get some ideas of how to arrange the tank. Don't forget that the lid has to be 100% secure to prevent escape. Have fun with the setup, and good luck!

Thanks so much everyone for all your help. He went into his water bowl today and seemed to enjoy it so i will definately make him a 50/50 tank.

I didn't get him from Newcastle, I lived in Ashington for a while and got him from a shop called fish trek part of a garden shop called shades of green. They do all sorts of exotic animals, reptiles and fish. although I wouldn't say they are particularly informative of their animals care.

Again I'd like to say thanks to everyone for being so friendly and helpful. I'll let you know how I get on and post some pics soon for some feedback.

Gem

Hey everyone. thanks to everyones great advice and alot of research i have finally made a great 50/50 set up for my newt. the water is deep enough for him to swim if he wants but there are also plenty of hides and resting places just in case. thanks everyone, ill post some pics soon!

Glad to hear, Gem!