Newt cross contamination?

[Sir Jagger]

Is anyone aware of any hazards of cross contaminating from newts? I know recently caught wild newts can carry pathogens that can be transferred but my concern is more with say their natural tetrodotoxins. More specifically is it bad to use the same tweezers to feed Chinese firebellys as a warty newt? Also if you use a tank to house one kind of newt and then relocate them to a new enclosure and put a different species in their old tank is there any concern there? Thanks in advance.

 

[Sir Jagger]

Also, any concern with using cycled water, plants, substrate from one newt tank to set up a tank for another species.

 

[Chinadog]

I always have a net and feeding tools for each aquarium, it's just good practice really and will help keep any problems from spreading out of hand between the tanks. Saying that, I always keep a spare sponge filter running instead of an airstone in one of the tanks in case I need to set up another tank in a rush and I always use cycled media to kick start a new system because it saves so much mucking about.

 

[Sir Jagger]

Thanks for the reply, I've been washing the tweezers between uses but ill pick up another one. Do you use cycled media from one newt tank to set up another? I am setting up a 60 gal and hope get some notos or crested newts down the road for it but it could be a year or more until that happens. I was thinking about letting my lone warty newt enjoy the space until then. Then move him back to his current home when the new residents arrive. Or would it be in his best interest to just leave him so he doesn't have to readjust to new homes?

 

[Chinadog]

If it's Noto's you're getting you really need to do the whole thing by the book. I'm no expert on them, but they do seem extremely vulnerable to disease in captivity so I would take extra precautions against them having contact with other species, especially wild caught Asian newts like Paramesotriton. Until recently all my newts were the same species and related, so the risk of filter media causing problems was minimal.

 

[Sir Jagger]

Yeah, it sounds like the notos are pretty particular. I was going to assess the water conditions and add the oak leaves before the notos. Your right though, I'd really like to try notos but it probably just isn't worth the risk. I'll leave my warty where he is as he seems more than happy in his current home and ill set up the 60 for the notos exclusively. Even if it is a vivarium for awhile. Thanks alot china dog. I find your posts here and in other threads kind and informative.