New C.orientalis issues!

[xtinana]

I just got my first two (probably) Chinese FBNs, and things are not going as well as I had hoped. They are in a ten-gallon tank, and they have stayed in the water...but it is going into the third day and they will not eat! I have only tried freeze-dried bloodworms... One of the newts ALMOST grabbed a bloodworm from tweezers but then lost interest. I have tried placing the worms in the water, as well as leaving them on land...nothing! I am planning to try live blackworms or bloodworms as soon as I can get them...maybe that will work?
Also, I will post a more recent picture shortly, as s/he has looks a bit larger now, but one of them is either a gravid female or a bloated male/female??? Cannot determine genders no matter how hard I try. Apologies for bad cell phone camera quality.

 

[xtinana]

The other pictures that I managed to get...also not that great, but better than just having one. I briefly took it out, did not like being held for a second time but I had to get something!

 

[Jennewt]

Yes, they are Cynops orientalis (CFB), and they appear the be fairly large, which is good. In feeding them, bear in mind that they are from the wild and they have probably never eaten non-live food in their life. The #1 best food is earthworms (whole small or chopped). Another food that is readily taken are frozen (not dried) bloodworms, which should not be hard to find at pet shops. Don't worry about 3 days without food, if they go another week without eating them it's time to worry. It takes them some time to settle in. Be sure to read the FAQ (link in my sig line).

 

[carlyjane]

Try live brine shrimp, I had mine eating them as soon as I got them home (thats not meant to sound like im showing off!!)

Hope your little ones eat soon

 

[xtinana]

Thanks! Now to just attempt to feed/sex them, and be sure that my photographed one is just chubby...haha.

 

[dipsydoodle]

If they are showing an interest in food it's still a good thing.

For the first 2 weeks one of mine would have a few frozen blood worm - she'd show interest but after 2 weeks she ate everything .

Another newt I have didn't eat anything for about a month; I got some frozen brine shrimp and his head almost snapped trying to eat them - he's the least fussy of the lot now.

My third newt ate from the minute I put her in the tank (but then she is a bossy boots).

 

[xtinana]

So, one of my newts them snapped at an earthworm, but then the worm burrowed into the rocks and it lost interest! I need to change the tank layout or something! My other newt has yet to develop a food interest...

 

[dipsydoodle]

So, one of my newts them snapped at an earthworm, but then the worm burrowed into the rocks and it lost interest! I need to change the tank layout or something! My other newt has yet to develop a food interest...

Get some tweezers/tongs for feeding so the worm can't escape.

 

[gloriousspandex]

I've found that my newts love mini mealworms.I wouldn't suggest this as a primary food source, but at least you can feed them something. They're really cheap too. C:

 

[xtinana]

I will try to adjust them to more foods soon, but they have slowly started to eat frozen bloodworms...as long as I am not in the room!

 

[dipsydoodle]

I will try to adjust them to more foods soon, but they have slowly started to eat frozen bloodworms...as long as I am not in the room!

Yes once they learn that you are no longer a threat then they will eat with you in the room too. It takes a few months to build up the trust