Fire belly newt question...

stanleyc said:

I feed my fire bellies what I believe are tubifex worms, they have the shape and size as black and red worms I believe, but are a pink earthworm type color. I was wondering if anyone can help me identify these worms and comment on their nutritional value. Also, would a diet of these worms, plus blackworms be a good balanced diet? I would also feed them small crickets, as I'm trying to get a pair of Ambystoma Opacum and would have a supply of crickets, but I was wondering if it works out since the fire bellies are mostly underwater.

thanks

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See:
http://www.caudata.org/cc/articles/foods.shtml
I don't know about tubifex, but blackworms are not a good source of calcium. The best calcium-rich food you can use are earthworms, so I strongly recommend including them in the diet. Indeed, it's not easy for aquatic newts to eat crickets. But the opacum can certainly share the chopped earthworms.

The question keeps being brought up about mixing snails and the newts. I checked into it to eat the algae in the tank for my own Chinese Firebelly Newts. Unless you know exactly what kind of snails you are dealing with, I would not recommend mixing them because you are taking a chance on the newts getting hurt. Some snails are omniverous, meaning that they eat plants AND ANIMALS. There is a place on this site about mixing species and a poor newt had it's head stuck in one of the snails that has a hard foot (trap door that shuts when they want to) and it eventually cut the newt's neck, killing it. I just would not take the chance unless you KNOW what kind you have and have researched it, and even then I don't know if I would do it.

So, with that being said, why don't you take the 3 gallon aquarium and keep the snails in it with a couple compatible fish, and maybe a small filter and small plant or ornament and a little gravel? You could even keep it bare with the snails and just a couple fish and change the water more often.:happy:

Have fun with your newt,
Critter Mom