Caudata.org: Newts and Salamanders Portal

Register a free account today to become a member! Once signed in, you'll be able to participate on this site by adding your own topics and posts, as well as connect with other members through your own private inbox!
Did you know that registered users see fewer ads? Register today!

Question: Good bottom feeding partners?

endersblade

New member
Joined
Jul 8, 2014
Messages
14
Reaction score
0
Location
Portland, OR
I have a 40 gallon long tank that, come the right season, will have some Chinese fire bellies in it. The tank currently houses some African dwarf frogs and some feeder fish of sorts, to get the tank going. I also have two plecos.

However, I picked these plecos up when they were only about 2 inches long. They're now about 6 each, and I'm assuming they will keep growing. This tank won't be big enough for two full grown plecos. I'm sorry to say I didn't know they got so big when I bought them! I've only ever seen little small ones.

The tank has an avg. temp around 68F. Happy medium for the frogs and newts both, and the plecos and feeder fish don't seem to mind. I've done some searching and all the algae/bottom feeders I find seem to require higher temperatures.

Everything in the tank is doing just fine, the plants are green, moss is spreading, no fish have died. I'm just afraid those darned plecos are going to get to the point where the tank can't support them.

There aren't/won't be any aggressive fishes in the tank. I just need pleco replacements! A local store is willing to take the plecos, so they will go to a good home. I most certainly will not be flushing them lol.
 

xxianxx

Well-known member
Joined
May 19, 2011
Messages
2,739
Reaction score
128
Location
South Wales, Gwent
Common plecos get to 2ft, they are also known to kill axolotls by sucking their slime layer off, so are a potential risk to other amphibians. The temp requirements for dwarf clawed frogs and firebellys do not overlap. Firebellies also secrete toxins which could have a negative effect long term on the frogs. Newts are best kept in a single species tank with inverts, the frogs are OK with small non aggressive fish like endlers and inverts. Species mixing is generally not a good idea, if you check "species mixing disasters" on this site you will see why.
 

Asevernnnn

Active member
Joined
Mar 7, 2013
Messages
854
Reaction score
33
Location
ATX
Assuming you are going to buy these newts from the petstore, I recommend that you don't. Petstore newts are wild caught from Asia and imported in terrible conditions. And when they arrive then often refuse water and even food.
Whats best is to find a reputable breeder. But finding CB H. orientalis could be difficult and may take some time. But there are some other fully aquatic(only need a piece of floating cork bark if anything) that do well in planted tanks like H. orientalis. A similar newt that is easy to find CB is P. waltl, they both have relatively similar care but they get bigger than H. orientalis do.
 

Azhael

Site Contributor
Joined
May 7, 2007
Messages
6,645
Reaction score
103
Location
Burgos
That is not a suitable environment for any newt species. If you want to keep some newts you are going to need to provide them with their own fishless tank and i also strongly recommend that you look for a suitable, captive-bred species rather than pet-shop bought H.orientalis which are a terrible choice.
 

Chinadog

Super Moderator
Staff member
Joined
May 8, 2013
Messages
2,685
Reaction score
88
Location
Chesterfield, England
Apart from anything else, taking on a common Plec is a long term commitment. I've had mine for well over twenty years (obviously not kept with any of my newts) and I've heard they can live much longer than that.
 

endersblade

New member
Joined
Jul 8, 2014
Messages
14
Reaction score
0
Location
Portland, OR
That is not a suitable environment for any newt species. If you want to keep some newts you are going to need to provide them with their own fishless tank and i also strongly recommend that you look for a suitable, captive-bred species rather than pet-shop bought H.orientalis which are a terrible choice.

Yeah, I plan on getting CB.

When I was in my teens, I had a tank with three fire bellies, two African dwarf frogs, and two algae eaters of some sort that my parents got me. Everything was just fine up until I enlisted and had to get rid of them. They all lasted about four or five years. I've watched vids of FBs and other fish. Coming here is the first time in my life I have ever heard not to raise newts with other fish. I have absolutely no doubt you guys know what you're talking about, I'm just saying that from personal experience, it hasn't been an issue. And it'll all be in a much bigger tank than I had back then.
 

Chinadog

Super Moderator
Staff member
Joined
May 8, 2013
Messages
2,685
Reaction score
88
Location
Chesterfield, England
Five years is a ridiculously short life for a fire belly of any kind. In the wild they would probably just be maturing at that age.
 

endersblade

New member
Joined
Jul 8, 2014
Messages
14
Reaction score
0
Location
Portland, OR
Five years is a ridiculously short life for a fire belly of any kind. In the wild they would probably just be maturing at that age.

Did I ever say they died? I enlisted, I couldn't take them with me. My parents sold the whole setup to someone. I have no idea how long they lived beyond the four or five that I had them.
 

Chinadog

Super Moderator
Staff member
Joined
May 8, 2013
Messages
2,685
Reaction score
88
Location
Chesterfield, England
I'm sorry for being kranky. :) The thing is though, very few newts will coexist with fish if given the choice If you force them to share a tank you will end up with newts that are either constantly trying to escape, or sitting on their island all the time. Snails or freshwater shrimp are great as a clean up crew.
 

Azhael

Site Contributor
Joined
May 7, 2007
Messages
6,645
Reaction score
103
Location
Burgos
Many species will only inhabit water bodies that have no fish in them. They will actively seek such places and abandon those were they can chemically sense the pressence of fish. In captivity, like Chinadog said, forcing them to share space can lead to the newts constantly trying to abandon the water but more seriously, the stress caused by the cohabitation can result in weakened inmune systems and the development of infections. Just because you didn't notice any issues that other time it doesn't mean there weren't any or that there won't be any next time.
You can sometimes get away with a few small, non-agressive fish like white cloud minows in a large, heavily planted tank, but even then they can be a problem.
Also, 68ºF was ok for the newts, but was well below the optimum for the frogs and on the lower range for the plecos. Such compromises are not happy mediums, they are suboptimal conditions.

If you provide suitable conditions for the newts and avoid taking completely unnecessary risks like forcing unsuitable tankmates on them, you could enjoy your newts for a VERY long time and watch them thrive, happily breeding every year and behaving naturally.
 
General chit-chat
Help Users
  • No one is chatting at the moment.
    There are no messages in the chat. Be the first one to say Hi!
    Top