Question: Can chinese and japanese FBN's live together?

[tamz]

Hello everyone. I am wandering if i can house chinese and japanese fire bellied newts together please?
I have a large/deep 4ft tank already housing 6 small fire bellied newts, i think they are chinese but im not 100% sure. I am wanting to get some more but i need to know how important it is to get the same ones?

Thanks very much in advance
Tamz x

 

[Joost]

Hi Tamz

I wouldn't take the risk of housing them together. First of all, Japanese FB are bigger, so there might be some food competition. Also those species can crossbreeding, making offspring useless. And a lot of species, including the agressive Pachytriton and Paramesotriton are called Fire Bellies. They can't housed with any other newts. I wouldn't mixing newts at all.
Can you place a picture of your FB?

 

[Azhael]

I entirely agree with Joost.
Additionally, since both are wild caught, there is a risk of exchanging patogens.

Mixing ALWAYS involves risks (something may or may not hapen, but the risk is there). Your animals will apreciate if you avoid unnecessary risks such as mixing species...

Also, if you do get more Cynops, whatever the species, please consider looking for captive bred animals. ALL petshop Cynops are wild caught, and it is a terrible shame.

 

[tamz]

Here are some photo's of my newts and thier habitat, thanks for the help, tamz

 

[Joost]

AW: Can chinese and japanese FBN's live together?

These are indeed CFB (Cynops orientalis). Don't mix them with other newts, this is asking for problems.

 

[tamz]

Great! Thanks very much for your help guys The problem is with living in the channel islands, ive not found any actual breeders over here apart from the petshops, so i don't have much choise in where i get them from

Another question if u dont mind please I love little frogs, i guess im not able to mix fire bellied frogs with my newts either? many thanks again.

 

[Azhael]

Not a good idea, either.
I know the idea of mixing has a certain appeal, but trust me, you and the animals wil be much better off avoiding mixing, it´s all unnecessary risks and no benefits.
I see you have guppies in the water. Although they are not necessarily a problem, beware of the fact that newts can chemically sense fish in the water, and some individiduals may not like that at all and avoid the water. In the wild they actively inhabit fishless waters.

I would also like to recommend that you use a lot more live plants in the water area, they simply love them!!!!! They trully have a strong preference for very densely planted areas.

As for the breeders, it´s certainly not easy to find local breeders, but they needn´t be local. You are lucky, the UK has many, many excellent breeders who will be able to ship the animals to you. This sounds worse than it actually is. Most of us had the majority of our animals shipped to us, and for the most part, there are no problems if things are done properly.
Petshop newts are all wild caught which is a big problem not just for the poor animals, but for you as well since you will be purchasing extremely stressed, possibly ill or starving animals that may die shortly after being purchased or require a long recovery.

 

[tamz]

Ok thats fine i will forget the frog idea, was just wandering if it was possible
Yes i know exactly what you mean about petshops last year i bought all 7 FBN from the petshop because they were so poorly. I had the 7th one free because it wasnt expected to live long as it was so bad i tried to help them all as much as i could but after about 5 months i lost the little 1 he was so stressed and skinny, wouldnt eat or enter water atal. When i saw them in the shop they were in a small tray with dry moss and a very shallow small water dish. I told the store if they were selling them they should make sure they knew how to look after them first, was so sad to see them like that
Ihave had them a year now and the 6 that lived are still doing well, which is great. Although i feel they are still on the skinny side, maybe its because they are still small/young.

I have had guppys in my tank for 1 year now too, but ive not had any problems with my cummunal tank yet

Many thanks for the help once again
Tamz x