Marbled Newt wont eat...Help

[billie]

|Our Newt used to take a worm everyday or so but hasn't in atleast 3months. We've still been putting in micro crickets but we can't tell if he's been eating them. His behaviour has been normal. I recon that he wasn't eating because he was maturing into an aquatic newt and needed a change of tank to get his apitite back, but he still wont swim, but he has shown that he can now breathe underwater (or seems to be able to) and his tail has widened and orange stripe become slightly raised. We've tried a change in food, waxworms, bloodworm still no interest.

My only explanation is that he doesn't like my boyfriend? He's been living with him since June, and would eat from him at first. But maybe he just misses me?

 

[alex]

if he goes into the water then try live bloodworm, in the water, because they really wriggle around, and the added wriggle factor coupled with the new surroundings may make him snap.
also if you are in london, you can get feeder shrimp from wholesale tropicals in bethnall green, they are very wriggly, so they might make him snap as well.

 

[ian]

is he kept somewhere cold or is he in a position where he receives only natural daylight.

 

[cameron]

Do you leave it to do what it wants or do you play around with it alot?

 

[billie]

<blockquote><hr size=0><!-quote-!><font size=1>Quoting alex carpenter on Monday 20 November 2006 - 21:50 (#POST111789):</font>

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My boyfriend tried the bloodworm, but probably didnt try hard enough. I'll try some again. Yes I am in London, will try and visit Bethnal green, it's kind of on my way home from uni on weekends. I'm at uni in Wimbledon, and home is near Enfield, where are you from?

 

[billie]

<blockquote><hr size=0><!-quote-!><font size=1>Quoting Ian Rigg on Monday 20 November 2006 - 22:28 (#POST111808):</font>

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When he was in my care, as he is now, I like to keep him in my bedroom, so average house temp, and I keep the tank moist. When we had our heat wave last summer, I would put ice packs in his water to keep the temp down. In boyfriends house he was in the living room, but I never felt the house was cold, do you think the change in seasons could be an issue?

 

[billie]

<blockquote><hr size=0><!-quote-!><font size=1>Quoting Cameron Cheri on Monday 20 November 2006 - 23:40 (#POST111812):</font>

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I hardly ever handle him, I thought it was bad too, since he just freezes if I put him in my hand, thought it would be traumatic, if I was as small as him being picked up by a fleshy pink giant I'd be pretty freaked.

But should I handle him, is it good stimulation? I re-arrange his tank every month or so to give him new places to explore.

 

[jeff]

You say you don't know if he is eating crickets or not- I bet he is. Here is how you find out for sure. Put the newt in a smaller tank, with paper towels and a hiding spot. Put about 5 crickets in there and leave himn alone with now bright lights for a day and count the crickets. Also, a bulge in the stomach is a good indicator of eating. The smaller the container, the more food with be walking by, the trick is not strssing him out by the tight quarters, hence the hiding spot and possibly some moss in the corners.

 

[billie]

Good idea, I'll try that. I saw him hunting last night but I find it so hard to believe that he could actually catch them.

 

[ian]

billie...how big / old is he. he won't want to enter water until he is around two years old ,if then,i wouldn't rearrange the tank as you are putting him back into unfamiliar surroundings and he will take time to re-settle. Mine have been in the same set up for four years and know every inch including where the feed bowls are. Try letting him settle and don't worry too much just yet newts can go for ages without food.As jeff says he may also be catching crickets they can flick their tongues out pretty quick when one passes...ian

 

[jennifer]

I would encourage you to keep the newt as cold as possible in winter, for good health. Also, colder temp may get him to go into the water, where it's easier to feed him.

 

[billie]

Thanks for the sound advice. We got him about a little more than a year ago. we were informed he was recently morphed. Looking like he had quite a large head in proportion to his body. He has a large water dish, thats about 1inch deep, but he never goes into it. Im really looking forward to him being a swimmer, getting a little impacient really.