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Questions about C. Orientalis

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cherry blossom

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I am about to get some Chinese fire bellies and I have a few questions.
1. Where can I buy them? I've already scoured the internet and I can't find any sellers.
2. How many can I put together in a 10 gallon tank?
3. I am planning to breed them. Does anyone have any suggestions to stimulate breeding?
4. Is there anyway to tell the difference between male and female?
5. What are some good feeding techniques for fire bellies?

Sorry, I know it's a lot of questions but any advice would be greatly appreciated
 
Methos5K

Methos5K

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cherry blossom said:
I am about to get some Chinese fire bellies and I have a few questions.
1. Where can I buy them? I've already scoured the internet and I can't find any sellers.
2. How many can I put together in a 10 gallon tank?
3. I am planning to breed them. Does anyone have any suggestions to stimulate breeding?
4. Is there anyway to tell the difference between male and female?
5. What are some good feeding techniques for fire bellies?

Sorry, I know it's a lot of questions but any advice would be greatly appreciated
Click to expand...

1. Chinese firebellies were common in the pet trade for many years due to the mass imports from wild caught adults in China. Since there is now an importation ban, no more are coming into the US. Chinese firebellys require a terrestrial period after morphing that is time consuming to raise them in numbers; so many breeders haven't been working with them. The Blue-tailed firebelly newt is more commonly bred among hobbyists.

2. A 10 gallon tank nearly filled with water, a cork float and plenty of live plants is sufficient for three adults.

3. and 4. Both have articles here on the site.
Caudata Culture Articles - Sexing
Caudata Culture Articles - Raising Newts and Salamanders from Eggs

5. Staple diet of chopped earthworms, live blackworms. If they will eat a sinking newt pellet those as well. Frozen bloodworms are a treat, not a meal.
 
Methos5K

Methos5K

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Unless you buy an adult from someone else; the captive bred Chinese firebelly newts you will find will be very small (1.5-2"); terrestrial (they will drown in an inch of water); and will require nothing but live foods (isopods, springtails, blackworms). Like I said before, few people bred and raised them in captivity here. You will have better luck finding a different species of newt.
 
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  • Shane douglas:
    with axolotls would I basically have to keep buying and buying new axolotls to prevent inbred breeding which costs a lot of money??
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  • Thorninmyside:
    Not necessarily but if you’re wanting to continue to grow your breeding capacity then yes. Breeding axolotls isn’t a cheap hobby nor is it a get rich quick scheme. It costs a lot of money and time and deditcation
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  • stanleyc:
    @Thorninmyside, I Lauren chen
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  • Clareclare:
    Would Chinese fire belly newts be more or less inclined towards an aquatic eft set up versus Japanese . I'm raising them and have abandoned the terrarium at about 5 months old and switched to the aquatic setups you describe. I'm wondering if I could do this as soon as they morph?
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    Clareclare: Would Chinese fire belly newts be more or less inclined towards an aquatic eft set up versus... +1
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