Help!!! Please look! Tail bite!

[wolf]

I have an aquariam with fish and two newts in it. I just got the other newt a day ago, so he has nothing to do with the bite.

My other newt is a CHinese fire-belly. He was doing well, but recently I noticed that some of his tail had been bitten. So I put some healing liquid in, and feed his favortie food, bloodworms. After a couple of days, I got worried. Then I looked closer at his tail, and relized the white that was sticking out wasn't flesh, it was bone!!!
Amount bitten off: | |
Since the tail was bitten, the newt has been curling his tail upwards.
What should I do? Please help!!!

 

[nate]

What kind of fish? Most newts do not naturally live with fish and some fish have been known to seriously injure newts. Also, are you sure both newts are the same species? Some species of newts are territorial and can injure/kill each other. Was the tail bitten before the other newt was added? I suggest seperating the injured newt until it heals and in the meantime, do some research and see what type of newts you have and what a proper setup for them would be.

 

[jennifer]

Some CFB that are doing poorly, especially too warm (over 70F), can have a leg "erode" away, just deteriorate for no obvious reason. Perhaps this is what is happening. What's the temp? The different temperature needs are another reason to separate the newts from the fish. There are some treatment suggestions at:
http://www.caudata.org/caudatecentral/articles/sores.html

 

[(unregistered]

They are both fire bellies, but I thikn the new newt is Japanese. I bought a few more gentle fish with the new newt. But, the bite was there before, so I will list the fish I had when I first noticed the bite.

Fire Gourami
Neon Tetras
Corydara
Black Phantom Tetra

I suspect it was the gourami, but I cannot be sure. I centered my tank on my newt, making the temp as low as possible for the fish, trying to buy only gentle or community fish.
The temp ranges from 70-74 F, most of the time it is 72 degrees F.
I am pretty sure that it is a bite, not a deterioration...
I am really worried though...will it heal?
^_^
I love my newts...they are sooo cuuu-yuuute!

 

[innes]

I think you should remove the newt and put it in its own tank.
The gourami will probably do it again.
also beware when they shed there skin, it looks a tasty snack to fish and may cause them to attack the newt.
it could heal.

 

[jennifer]

If you love your newts and really want to have a tank that is "centered" on the newts, then it should have no fish, or maybe just a couple of cold-tolerant fish (such as white cloud minnows or guppies). Gourami and tetras have temperature requirements that just barely overlap with that of CFB. The newts will really do best if they can be kept nice and cold in winter. Also, there have been other cases of injuries from gouramis, and newts killed by trying to bite cory catfish. See:
http://www.caudata.org/caudatecentral/articles/Mixing_disasters.html

 

[m.]

HELP!!!! I have had my cfb newt for sometime now, and I wanted to get him some friends. I purchased two other newts that I believe to be Eastern newts--yet I am not sure. I noticed that the cfb seems very territorial at times--biting the newts, yet other times they all lay together. Why does this happen?
Also, I noticed that the two new newts werent eating. One of them was very small; he was most commonly attacked my the cfb. I've had the two new ones now for approx two wks. Yesterday, the small one died. I thought it was bc he had not eaten. Do you think this is the case?
And finally, I noticed a small white sore on the cfb tail. I originally thought it was a possible bite, but with further examination I believe it could be an infection. Today I noticed that the remaining eastern nert has a similar sore on his tail yet much more severe. it is very deep and has completely taken away any skin, revealing the structural components of his tail. This looks extremely painful.
I have read that using antibiotic, such as neosporin, can help. Is this true? Since they both seem infected should I keep them separated from the tank together or in sep tanks?
I have also read about using dirt as a method of healing--would this aid in recovery? is there any hope for my eastern newt? is my cfb in the same danger?
please help me!!! i appreciate any advice!!! thank you.

 

[jennifer]

All newly-purchased newts should be quarantined for about a month to see if they carry diseases (which they often do). And even nonaggressive species are better off not being mixed. The cfb was being abnormally territorial because the others were not his kind. OK, end of lecture.

It sounds like the smaller eastern was sick from the time you got it. These guys were taken from the wild and probably mistreated and stressed for some period of time before you got them. The sores sound like some type of infection that spread from the new newts to the old one. There is no way to know what kind of infection. You could try the Neosporin or the dirt tank. Or just separate them and keep them in clean water. Good luck!

 

[karter]

my CFB newt hind leg rotting

 

[chris]

My Paramesotriton has recently developed a sore ofn his tail tip. He had been recently been chased around by another newt. I removed it and am treating with Betadine. What else can I do? The other newt is in top condition.

 

[jen]

It sounds like a lot of people have newts (espically cfb's) with damaged tails that look white someway or another. I think I am going to look into that and get back to everyone!