Chinese Warty Newts!

petshop had these today selling them as firebelly newts :errr: so i picked up 2...another the next time i go to the shop.also i have a few questions about them since this is a larger newt species(6in.) how big of a tank would 3-4 need? right now i have 2 in a 10 gallon with some broken slate rock(from the woods but i washed it in warm water) anyways here is the pics :kill:

also id like to ask my tanks have a pond snail infestation if my newts eat them will they get choked or harm them? i dont really want to get rid of the snails since i actually like them LOL but i will for my newts well being

A 10 gallon should be fine for two. I am new to this particular species as well and from what I understand P. chinensis can be somewhat territorial. You may want to at least wait for a few others with more experience to chime in before you house a group together. I could not tell from your pics but do you have a float so they can get out of the water? The rocks on the bottom are OK but just remember that it will be easy for uneaten food and debris to become lodged underneath them. Nice looking animals.
Chip

they have a peice of corkbark that floats around on so they can get out of the water and the snails take care of the uneaten food that gets out of the newts reach

Just remember that the snails are not going to eat all of the uneaten food nor are they going to eat the newts' waste. Also, the snails themselves will put out a certain amount of waste. Just as long as you raise the rocks a bit to siphon out underneath them when you do partial water changes then it should be fine. Just take care not to injure the newts in the process.
Chip

For 3-4 of them, I would recommend a 20-long (or standard 29) tank, minimum.

wartys are very difficult to tell apart species wise IMO, ive had mine for four years and i still cant tell!!! you may find if you have more than one male that they will fight viciously, and until one is dead mine certainly did some also go terresterial for long periods , but unlike some other newts eat readily on land , but theyre really cool .. i kind of think they look like dinosaurs

Nice newts - enjoy them!

They look like they are in the 'fuzhongensis group' of Paramesotriton. Chinensis have yellow bellies, and usually yellow spots at the proximal end of the limbs, where it joins the body. What are the dimensions of the tank; I don't really know how big a ten gallon is...? I would keep three (if not aggressive) in a 3ftlongx1ftwidex1fthigh. Try to get some more plants for the tank; Vallis is a good choice and grows (just about) at cooler temps; the newts should be around 20C (a little lower is better than a little higher). Also, perhaps clear an area of slate for feeding, as the bloodworms will drift under the slate and decompose. Has your tank been cycled?

With regards to aggresion, it would be best to get all three newts into one tank sooner rather than later, or if you mix them later on, rearrange the setup. If two turn out to be males, they should probably be kept apart.

Good luck with them!

Chris