Beginner questions for eastern Newt

[WannaBeExprert]

Well hi i just joined and had some question first time reptile owner...

1. I have a 20 gal fresh water tank with dollies algae eaters and tetras if i converted that to an semi aquatic newt tank would they get eaten?

2. I read that you can house 3 together does the gender matter can i have 3 males or 3 females? dont exactly want to breed as a first time owner

3 My tank is roguhly 11 inches deep would 5-6 inches of water work?

4. Just general care info would help thanks!

 

[slowfoot]

Re: Begginer qustions for eastern Newt

Welcome to the forum! Newts are amphibians, not reptiles To answer some of your questions:

1. Newts should probably not be kept with any fish. Maybe they would eat the fish, maybe the fish will nip at newt toes. But I believe those fish are tropical, and newts prefer cold water, so they wouldn't be a good match.

2. Eastern newts are not very aggressive, so it really shouldn't matter about gender. I think three together would be fine.

3. But they should be fully aquatic, so deeper water would be better. You'll also need a secure lid on the tank, because they can climb well and squeeze out of very small cracks.

4. Try this link: Caudata Culture Species Entry - Notophthalmus viridescens - Eastern Newt

 

[WannaBeExprert]

Re: Begginer qustions for eastern Newt

So how much newts in a 20 gallon at most and they wont breed right?
Also what could i have living with it ?

 

[vandal556]

Re: Begginer qustions for eastern Newt

I've heard of people having luck with a couple good-natured, cold-water minnow species, but again, it's entirely likely that the fish will either get eaten or harass the newts. Also, the waste produced by all those organisms could prove detrimental to the health of your tank.

If I were you, I'd consider tankmates such as a nerite snail or two, as they won't be considered prey, won't bother your newts, and keep the tank free of algae. I'm planning a 20 gallon N. viridescens vivarium myself, and am thinking about trying to breed some Daphnia to introduce to the tank both as beneficial tankmates and as a potential food source. So, something to consider.

Good luck!

 

[JessKB]

Re: Begginer qustions for eastern Newt

Have you got the newts yet? A lot of people have trouble keeping Eastern Newts. I certainly did. There are some other species of newts that are easier to keep that you might consider, such as the Spanish ribbed newt.
If you do decide to get the eastern newts, you'll want tons of live plants for sure such as hornwort and elodea/anacharis. As others have said, few animals make suitable tank mates. I would personally recommend ghost or cherry shrimp.

 

[EasternNewtLove]

Re: Begginer qustions for eastern Newt

Have you got the newts yet? A lot of people have trouble keeping Eastern Newts. I certainly did. There are some other species of newts that are easier to keep that you might consider, such as the Spanish ribbed newt.
If you do decide to get the eastern newts, you'll want tons of live plants for sure such as hornwort and elodea/anacharis. As others have said, few animals make suitable tank mates. I would personally recommend ghost or cherry shrimp.

Are they really hard to keep? I've never had that much trouble with them. Mine have been with me for about 6-7 years or so.

 

[Niels D]

Re: Begginer qustions for eastern Newt

Of all the newts/salamanders I've got I find N.viridescens the greatest menace if they're wild caught. The CB specimens are a lot hardier though.

 

[Azhael]

Re: Begginer qustions for eastern Newt

I have to say, even CB animals seem surprisingly susceptible to fungal infections and various other problems.
It´s not often that people succeed with them in europe. Things seem to be somewhat better in the states but stil it´s a species that when it does well, it does very well, but when it does badly, they fall like flies.

 

[Greatwtehunter]

Re: Begginer qustions for eastern Newt

When I get new notos, regardless of the source, I'll put a handful of sphagnum moss into some pantyhose and keep that in their tank for the few weeks. This has greatly reduced the number of deaths to almost none at all. I've tried this method with over 100 notos and only lost 7. With regular water the number would be almost 3 times that.

 

[Azhael]

Re: Begginer qustions for eastern Newt

So do the problems experienced by so many people have to do with water pH?

 

[froggy]

Re: Begginer qustions for eastern Newt

That's interesting; I have tried Notos once a while ago and, unless things were very different, wouldn't want to try again! How much Sphagnum do you use and for how much water? Do you know to what pH the water is lowered? Is the tank otherwise set up as normal, or is it 'spartan' setup?

 

[EasternNewtLove]

Re: Begginer qustions for eastern Newt

pH could be the issue. My water is from a well so maybe that is why mine have always flourished?

 

[Niels D]

Re: Begginer qustions for eastern Newt

I've got a male with fungus at the moment. He's doing better, but it's not completely gone. I've thrown in catappa leaves, but I don't know if this makes a big diffirence. In my experience they thrive in water that's a little murky, so I'm not fanatically keeping their tank as clean as possible which gave me good reslults. Since I put them in a terrestrial tank during the winter they're doing even better.

 

[Greatwtehunter]

Re: Begginer qustions for eastern Newt

I would assume the sphagnum changes the pH. I just haven't bothered checking it yet.

I've been putting a handful of sphagnum per 10 gallons of water.

 

[Miko Hayashi]

Re: Beginner qustions for eastern Newt

This is really interesting. I have six Notos (wild caught) but two got out. Never been found. The other four still remain and they've been with me since late July. It's almost September now and so far so good.

Where I originally got them, they lived in semi murky water but it wasn't murky enough to warrant being unable to see them. I may go back and go noto fishing. I like abnormal patterns in notos.

Besides the two that escaped, I haven't had much of a problem with the four I have left. They definitely have personality to them.

 

[SnotOtter]

Re: Beginner qustions for eastern Newt

In my experience I beleive it could be a combination of ph and tannic/hummic acid content. I've had many and seen dozens in the wild. The ones I've seen in the wild were always in muddy stagnant acidic environments (ph as low as 4.5) or clear water with large amounts of hardwood leaves, also acidic (ph 6.0-6.5). The individuals I've kept I've always used oak leaves, peat pellets and/or driftwood and kept the ph from 5.5-7.0 and have never had fungus or bacterial issues. My first newt was a petshop noto that I got when I was 9 years old and I had that poor puppy for 12 years. I'm an avid aquarist and have always had an affinity towards South American species of fish. They too, often suffer from fungus and bacterial issues if not kept in the same manner although they do tolerate much higher ph levels as long as tannic/hummic acid is present. Alot of people dont like it because it turns the water a light tea color but I dont mind if my animals are happy and healthy. I'm not sure about the specifics but in my observations fungus does seem to be far more prevalent in alkaline aquatic environments. My tap water is extremely hard and alkaline because this areas water primarily comes from limestone rich reservoirs and wells so its always been an issue conditioning my water. I've noticed that even with my terrestrial mosses that if I mist with aged tap water they will develop fungus/mold almost immediately but if I use 25% tap with 75% R.O. water aged with a little bit of peat pellets or straight rain water I have no issues with fungus/mold. Hope this helps.