Please Help!!! My FBN has never been "right"!

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teena

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Hi, My name is Teena and I am new to this forum. I really need some help. My 8 year old son wanted a FBN really bad. So, I got him one and of course it became my responsibility. I am really worried about my newt because he doesn't seem "normal" I had FBN when I was a kid and it grew and was active and went in the water alot. This one is VERY inactive, it hasn't grown at all in the year that we have had it and now there is a white layer of stuff growing on the surface of his water. To give you an idea of his tank I have him in an old hermit crab plastic tank. It has about 2-3 inches of water. it has land and fake plants(that he is ALWAYS hiding in), I recently put a small reptile heating pad under the tank(not sure it warms the water enough) and no filter. Please tell me what I am doing wrong! I am afraid his quality of life is **** and he will eventually die! Thank you so much. Teena
 
hey I would get another one, maybe he/she is lonely, or get a 10 gallon tank(not very expensive), what do you have for ground (gravel,sand, etc)
 
I have large gravel, and there is also a built inplatform in the tank it can go on. but he just stays in the leaves. do you know what this white stuff forming on the water is?
 
I had two but one died a few days after i got them, it had a hole in its back.
 
teena said:
Hi, My name is Teena and I am new to this forum. I really need some help. My 8 year old son wanted a FBN really bad. So, I got him one and of course it became my responsibility. I am really worried about my newt because he doesn't seem "normal" I had FBN when I was a kid and it grew and was active and went in the water alot. This one is VERY inactive, it hasn't grown at all in the year that we have had it and now there is a white layer of stuff growing on the surface of his water. To give you an idea of his tank I have him in an old hermit crab plastic tank. It has about 2-3 inches of water. it has land and fake plants(that he is ALWAYS hiding in), I recently put a small reptile heating pad under the tank(not sure it warms the water enough) and no filter. Please tell me what I am doing wrong! I am afraid his quality of life is **** and he will eventually die! Thank you so much. Teena
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Hello Teena and welcome to the forum,

I would start with removing the heating pad, newts prefer a cooler temp than reptiles, then I would suggest you get him into a 10 gallon tank with a filter.

Here is an article on cycling a tank to help get you started and another on water quality.

If you need ideas here is an articles with semi-aquatic set-ups.

Do you know whether it's a Chinese or Japanese Fire belly by any chance? Here are links to care sheets for the CFB and JFB.

And just in case you need it, the article on foods to make sure he gets the right nutrition.

I hope this helps you out, if you have any other questions you can use the search function or post a question in the Newt and Salamander help section of the forum.
Good Luck,
Eve.
 
Thanks Eve, I will try that. I am unsure if it is Japanese or chinese. But does anyone know what the white film on the water is?
 
teena said:
Thanks Eve, I will try that. I am unsure if it is Japanese or chinese. But does anyone know what the white film on the water is?
Click to expand...


You're welcome,

I am unsure about the water maybe a picture of your set-up and the newt would help answer the water question and help determine which type of fire-belly it is.

Eve
 
OK...I can do that
 
pics of him didnt come out too good. do you need to see his belly? The cage is also filthy right now from this white junk. i clean it once a week, and this stuff comes right back! It was a solid later but i scooped some ou and it broke up. I am going to just buy him a tank tomorrow, a filter too i guess.
004-1.jpg
 
sorry the pics are so big!
009.jpg
 
Teena,

I would start over if I were you. Get a nice 10gallon tank (minimum, bigger if you wish) and a filter. I believe the reason your water is so bad is because it needs to be changed more often (since you don't have a filter).
Look at those links I gave you to make a nice appropriate set-up and get your tank cycling. Do not use any type of chemical to speed up cycling, it may take a while but it needs to happen on it's own, make sure to carry out water changes until it's fully cycled and get a water test kit.

I'm not an expert when it comes to fire bellies but with those articles you should be all set.

Eve.
 
ok...thanks for all your help. I think he is a CFB by looking at the pics in the links you provided. thanks again for your help!
 
No problem, feel free to pm me if you have any other questions and I'll do my best to help you out.
 
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