Bad News Regarding my Newts

Hi Friends,

Hope all is well there !

Just wanted to update regarding my Newts. My Friend told me today that only 2 out of 6 newts are alive now. Even these 2 guys are not eating anything and are very weak. He says they have some kind of ulcer like wounds on them. He gave them a salt bath and dipped them in methylene blue. I guess the temperature is the problem as it is very hot here in India at this time ( above 32 to 33 C !!!)

Its really sad but I know that there is very little chance that these 2 guys will survive and live a long life. I've asked my friend to keep the newts and send them to me only if they ever recover fully... Its so sad - I guess I've lost my only chance of keeping the newts. All my dreams have been shattered. I bought the tank and decorated it for them so lovingly ( as one would do for his baby ) but anyways, I guess God didnt want me to keep them...

Friends, now that their home is setup and noone is going to live in there, I was just searching for some other animal that would live in it. Something that would use the land areas, water and the vegetation. I have considered the following option and I request you friends to kindly help / guide me in deciding what to keep in the tank. I'm also attaching a pic of the tank again to give you an idea... The only change that I've made to the tank (not seen in the pics as these were taken before) is that I've added a few more plants to make it look more like a jungle.

The animals that I'm considering are as follows - sorry if a few are crazy or totally wrong for the tank. I have no experience in keeping a paludarium and I will be so very grateful if you friends can kindly help me decide and guide me...

1. Albino Clawed African Frogs - I guess they are totally aquatic and will not use the land areas ?
2. A few Cray fish ?
3. A few locally caught freshwater crabs ?
4. Locally caught frogs or toads ?
5. Tree Frogs ? ( if I'm able to catch them somewhere here...)
6. House Geckos ( Bad Idea ? - my house is infested with these guys so I can catch them easily anytime I want to)
7. Wild Caught Green vine snake ? ( Are they venomous ? We have 2 one year old babies at home so i guess this will be a bad idea)
8. Red Ear Slider Turtles?

Kindly guide me if any of the above are practical and will suit the tank or is there any other reptile / amphibian that may be better. Please help me friends and sorry again for not being able to keep the newts.

Thanks a lot for all your support and kindness.
Lots of Regards and Care
Kush

Tank Pics

Sorry to hear about the newts Kush, I've been following your posts and hoping that you eventually get some healthy newts.

I'm not sure what other amphibians or reptiles you could put in your enclosure. I think without changing it too much you could keep crabs in there, but are they saltwater crabs? Also some wild caught animals might not be suitable for keeping in a tank, it might stress them too much. Sorry I can't offer you more help.

Kerry1968 said:

Sorry to hear about the newts Kush, I've been following your posts and hoping that you eventually get some healthy newts.

I'm not sure what other amphibians or reptiles you could put in your enclosure. I think without changing it too much you could keep crabs in there, but are they saltwater crabs? Also some wild caught animals might not be suitable for keeping in a tank, it might stress them too much. Sorry I can't offer you more help.

Click to expand...

Hi there !

Thanks a lot for your kind words and for caring. Yes, its so sad - I really hoped that they will get well... Anyways, I understand that not all wild caught animals would be happy in a tank and that is why I wanted to search on what will be suitable... The crabs that I can get are freshwater locally caught crabs. I'm not sure if they are aquatic though because people catch them in paddy fields here (for eating)

Also wanted to know if the Crabs will destroy my Plants ?

Thanks a lot again for all the care and kindness...
Take care and have a great day !
Lots of Regards and Care
Kush

Kush,

I am sorry to hear about your newts. As to your question, I agree that certain crabs could be kept in your tank. Small semi-aquatic frogs such as cricket frogs (Fejervaya species) would be a good alternative choice. If you can post pictures of the crab and frog species you can catch locally, perhaps one of us can help you identify them and tell you if they are suitable for your tank.

I would avoid treefrogs, lizards, and snakes, as most species are either poor swimmers or are too large for your tank. I would also avoid red-eared sliders as they will eat your plants and will soon outgrow your tank.

i am extremely sorry for your upset but like i said to you before you were taking a big risk.
i am not blaming you for deaths or your friend for that matter . i am just stating this is what inexperience ends in..

sorry
Tom