how do you feed violent newts?

[eldaldo]

I found another of my karelinii wounded today with the entire tip of her tail missing. Alot of people say that they are violent feeders which I have noticed. What are some techniques that the rest of you use to avoid these injuries? Last year I started feeding my notos in separate container (tupperware) because they always used to bite each other when I fed them. I have tried this with my karelinii but they seem too scared to feed and just walk around the tank for literally 10 minutes before I just give up and take them out. Perhaps if I add some rocks and plants tot he tupperware to make the container feel more safe? I just thought of that now. I am going to try it.

My other suspicion is that the tank us overcrowded. I have a 20 long with 6 (this is since I removed the other wounded newt) what could probably be considered adult karelinii (buggest is 5 in). I am trying to sell 2 and giving another to my friend which would bring me down to 4. Does this sound like a good fit for my tank?

 

[CarlNJen]

Sounds like overcrowding could be a distinct possibility...

To be honest, you really need to be looking at getting a bigger tank, or finding appropriate homes for the ones you really dont have room to keep.

Perhaps advertising them in the sale/trade section of the forum might be a good idea? At least you will know they will be going to someone with the experience and the will to take care of these lovely creatures.

http://www.caudata.org/forum/forumdisplay.php?f=50 - Sales/Trade

Carl

 

[Mark]

When I feed aggressive newts I tend to surprise them by putting food in quickly and in more than one place. Vary where you place the food and if possible try to get each one to have a mouthful of food before coming into contact with each other. I find that the anticipation of feeding is the most aggressive stage and once each newt has had a mouthful they are more likely to calmly search for additional food and ignore each others limbs. You may be able to decrease the aggression by reducing the quantity of food but increasing the frequency of feedings. The idea being if the newts are less hungry they will be less aggressive. Keep something to hand which allows you to prevent newts from coming to clashes. I have an algae scraper on a stick which I sometimes use to gently discourage newts from stealing each others meal.

 

[eldaldo]

Thanks for your comments. Just to put you at ease Carl, I have already advertised two of my newts for sale on this site and I have split up the newts so that the four biggest are in the 20L, two smaller ones (including one of the injured ones) are in a spare 10g i got from home, and the very smallest wounded one is in a 5.5 that I have. My big question is: is a 20L big enough for four adult karelinii? I will hopefully be down to that number in a couple of weeks.

Mark, what do you usually feed your newts? I feel like your method would work very well for things like earthworms. While I do feed my newts earthworms on occasion, I am in the habit of feeding them blackworms now. Do you think it would still work, if I put a couple of clumps of blackworms in different parts of the tank?

 

[caudataman]

Hi Patrick,

I think a 20l is a bit tight for 4 karelini. I kept a pair of marmoratus in a 20l and they just had enough room to get out of their own way. My karelini pair were in a 30 when they bred and I had trios of carnifex and vittatus in 30's and they seemed quite comfortable. If it were me I'd pair or trio them up in separate tanks.

As to feeding - with big newts like that, why are you using blackworms? The mess (unless you're using bare bottoms) hardly seems worthwhile to me. Earthworms (I highly recommend baby nightcrawlers or "dillie worms") can be easily field collected or bought at most sporting good shops (even WalMart). I keep mine in a big plastic storage container and feed them table scraps and they live for months. I use a smaller container for field collected "leaf worms" which I find under wood peices in my backyard which work well for smaller species. One good size nightcrawler should be a meal for 3-4 karelini. With big hungry newts you need to have pieces for everyone cut and ready, but if you work fast, everyone's busy eating worms and not each other...

 

[eldaldo]

Thanks Brian, I have raised these guys from eggs that I got last year. They have only in the last month become what I would consider adults. I guess I thought back then that they would fit well in a 20 long. I just got a 30 gallon tank from a guy in my apartment today, how many would you reccomend for that? 3 or 4?

I have been keeping them in a bare bottom tank but have been wanting to change. I also agree that earthworms are less messy and certainly less expensive. However, today I put some java moss and a rock in the separate container that I was trying to individually feed them the blackworms in and after a few minutes each one began eating. I guess it makes them feel safer in the container when there is a place to hide. I dont know if this will end the agressive feeding behavior because there is still the chance that when they are in the tank that they will still attack each other, but it may work (it worked for my notos [admittedly a completely different species]). I have my hopes up.

 

[caudataman]

I think 4 in a 30 would be okay. I had 3 carnifex in a 30 and they were all good sized newts and got along okay. There was probably room for a 4th. I had only one male, so I didn't get a chance to see if there was any territorialty during breeding. It's important with most species to build in refuges where a newt that's being bullied can get away and find some shelter or at least get out of sight. I find that most of my newts are very "sight" triggered when it comes to feeding. Smells get them stirred up but then anything in close proximity that moves is a potential bite target. That's another reason why earthworms help avoid problems, because once they bite on, swallowing the whole bit can take a while and also fills them up faster, so as long as a neighbor doesn't latch on to the other end, everybody's happy. Back to the shelter thing, even during breeding, I sensed that the females were "happy" to be able to avoid the "attentions" of my "super-studs" once in a while. I distinctly heard several "oh come'on, not again!"'s, but then again, that might have been a flashback...

 

[eldaldo]

haha, I'll keep that in mind. I also only have one male so I won't have to worry about territory either. I probably do need more hiding places, and seeing as I am going to be constructing a new tank I will be sure to make them, in the meantime I'll just add more rocks.