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new fbn really skinny, dont know if they eat

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somedude1234

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i just got 3 fbn they are ony about 2 in. if that and they are verry skinny esp. the 1 im not sure i they r eating the pin heads i tried a worm no luck idk how long they have they were like this at the store
 
Kaysie

Kaysie

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Pet store purchases are notorious for being weak and not feeding, and eventually dying. This is due to their high parasite load and being shipped across the world and being kept in terrible conditions.

You should keep them in a simplistic setup, using paper towel substrate and some cork bark hides. This will allow you to more easily monitor food intake and output.

Keep trying a variety of food. Chopped nightcrawlers are a good food, but you can also try small waxworms, blackworms, pinhead crickets, fruit flies, etc.

And as a matter of courtesy, we require all users to use appropriate English grammar, spelling, and punctuation. This is an international forum, and not all users speak English as a first language. By using slang and 'text' speak, you make your posts very difficult to read by everyone.
 
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Benny2k1

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hey how long have you had the newts?

My newts took 2 weeks or so to eat, eventually i got them to feed on live daphnia and frozen bloodworm/mosquito

i think once they are settled they will eat with no problems, what kind of setup do you havE?
 
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somedude1234

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ive had them for a few days now. i have a glass divide (more land than water) but they are always on the rocks and moss anyway. but yeah they are still alive still real skinny though so we'll have to see it most likely would have been better to get them from somewhere other than a big pet store like i did
 
jbherpin

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somedude1234 said:
ive had them for a few days now. i have a glass divide (more land than water) but they are always on the rocks and moss anyway. but yeah they are still alive still real skinny though so we'll have to see it most likely would have been better to get them from somewhere other than a big pet store like i did
Click to expand...

Kaysie was right, I'd keep trying her methods and maybe add isolated feedings in a small enclosure until they gain a little wieght.
 
Jennewt

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If you can get them, pinhead crickets or flightless fruit flies might be something they would go for on land. That these animals came from the wild, and have probably never eaten non-live food. You may be able to train them to eat earthworm bits from a toothpick, but this requires a lot of patience. Good luck!
 
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superfin

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I had the exact same problem and I put him in a sepate tank and fed him waxworms and earth worms from forceps.And eventually he made a complete recovery.My advice is keep them out of the way of your others and feed them worms,waxworms and pin head crickets;)
 
Jennewt

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Yes, many of us use bait worms. However, the variety of worm matters. Canadian nightcrawlers are good. Red wiggler worms are not good, and "trout worms" and "Belgian nightcrawlers" are questionable. The problem is that some worms give off a funny smell/taste. They aren't dangerous to the newts, but they are sometimes not accepted.
 
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tylototriton

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I agree with everyone else. Nightcrawlers are great. My personal preference for "fatty" foods, and maybe its just because of all the reptiles I keep, are waxworms. If you can find them small enough they would work well too. Also, definitely separate him. The isolation allows him to eat without competition or stress, two factors which can prevent him from eating.

Best of Luck,
Alex
 
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achiinto

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Do you keep the light on at the setup? Try not to use direct lighting on it. They might be still very stressed. Earthworm cut into very small pieces and feed with toothpick should be the best way to go, especially if you have lesser experience with live food. feeding flightless fruitflies might require you to change the entire setup, which might further stress your newts.

When you attempt to feed your newt with toothpick and small piece of worm dangling, try to gently and slowly shake it, that might stimulate their appetite. I have successfully fed captive breed fbns of less than 4 cm long, which reject food, to eat again.

Sometime, wild caught newts might not make it eventually. However, keep trying and avoid stressing the newts too much. Good luck.
 
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somedude1234

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well this morning i found one of them dead it had 2 white spots on it i dont know what they were the other 2 seemed ok last night so we'll see if the make it
 
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