Question: Feeding jar concerns

[Verbone626]

I switched to a mainly non substrate tank recently other then a 2 or 3 inch long area on one side of the tank with rocks so they can hunt for uneaten bloodworms but i was considering switching back to a feeding jar but i had a question.

i had a feeding jar in the past, ans when any of my fire bellys went in to the jar to look in there or eat, they eventually tried going through the glass and when they couldnt get thrrough, they would swim franticly darting around in there. (For one thing, this usually spreads the bloodwworms andcauses some them to swirl out of the jar around the tank; this isnt my worry.) i was worried that they would maybe need air since i see air bubbles comming out. Is this something to worry about? I dont want them to drown in the long run if they continue doing so. I know they need aor and its possible for them to drown in worst case scenerios.

I also read that they cant swim backwards or turn while swimming so it could be a problem gettting out if they do t stop panicing. Is this somethig to Worry about? I feed them waxworms and occasionally earthworms now aside form little bloodworms in the gravel but i want to add as a staple

Feedback?

 

[Chinadog]

I'm not sure I understand your question, but bloodworms are not suitable as a staple, they are just not nutritionally complete enough. They are fine from time to time, but earthworms are much better and high enough in calcium to be used day in day out. I feed lots of bloodworms, both live and defrosted because my newts love them so much but only as part of a varied diet based mainly on earthworms.
By the sound of things you might be better with a completely bare bottomed setup? that way you don't have to worry about the feeding jar carry on, although I certainly wouldn't panic about them drowning themselves. I don't know where you read that newts can't turn while swimming? they can turn on a dime if they want to, just watch how male newts zip about the place when they're chasing a female around!

 

[Verbone626]

Yeah i wasnt too sure about the turning thing i just assumed when they dart around fastthey just went in a straight path bumping into things lol. But i have mostly bare bottom right now i was just considering using a feeding jar to make even less of a mess. But i was only second guessing it cuz sometimes they get trapped in there and panic cuz they cant swim through the glass. I know they could get out eventually but is there a possibility they could drown if they really needed air?

 

[Chinadog]

I promise they won't drown in the jar, I've noticed that once they calm down they'll just follow their noses around the inside wall of the jar and walk out.
Aquatic newts breath differently to us. They can breathe through their skin and mouth tissue to a degree so once they think about taking a breath at the surface they can take their time about it if they need to.

 

[Pugwinkle]

I hope you don't mind but I'm new when it comes to Newts and I'm wondering what you mean by a feeding jar? How large is the jar? I have a pool filter sand substrate for my newts and I'm wondering if I should be feeding them in some kind of container. Right now they grab the worms from the sand bottom. I thought I read that a sand bottom is safe for the Newts?

 

[Chinadog]

Some keepers lay a glass jar containing the food on its side on the bottom of the aquarium, the idea is that the newts will go onto the jar to feed without spreading uneaten food all over the bottom. Personally, I do the same as you and let them pick up what they want off the sandy bottom, if there's anything left over (There rarely is) I just siphon it away.

 

[Pugwinkle]

Okay, thanks for the clarification.