Question: Newt not eating

[Amcgilbery]

Hey guys so my newt hasn't eaten in over a week, he's a Californian newt who eats baby nightcrawlers and occasionally red worms, he seems to look like he's maintained a healthy weight. But I'm worried that he hasn't eaten in a week, does anyone have any suggestions as to what I can do to get him to eat?

 

[Chinadog]

Has anything changed in his tank that could have upset him? Also, has his behaviour changed at all? If he's spending more time in the water he could be in breeding mode, it's roughly the right time of year. Sometimes newts eat a lot less in the breeding season.

 

[Amcgilbery]

Has anything changed in his tank that could have upset him? Also, has his behaviour changed at all? If he's spending more time in the water he could be in breeding mode, it's roughly the right time of year. Sometimes newts eat a lot less in the breeding season.

Nothing has really changed, and he has been in the water more, but I thought their breeding season ended in March?

 

[Canecorsonewt]

Hi , When you keep them inside i don't think it matters what month it is . It matters what conditions they are kept in. If you offer food out of water try to in water or vice versa. How long have you had him/her?

 

[Chinadog]

Cliff could be right, maybe he's a little late due to the 'day length' he sees from the lights around his tank? As things are, a week or so isn't a long time to go without food for a newt, as long as he was a good weight before. I don't know what his set up looks like, but maybe access to a good sized aquatic section would be good for him, it could be something to try if he doesn't start eating again soon, he might be more inclined to feed underwater

 

[Amcgilbery]

We had been feeding him on dry land for months now, he just hasn't been eating for the last week and half or so, he's never really been in water and has done fairly well in the soil we have him in. And we only have a 10 gallon tank so I just don't know if an aquatic section would be something that is possible


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[Amcgilbery]

I do have a separate like container that I could fill with water and use as a feeding tank if that works?

 

[Amcgilbery]

He's also been pretty active so should I just assume everything is status quo?


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[Chinadog]

If he's been much more active than usual it could be a sign that he's not happy with something. It would be natural for him to live and feed in the water for a good while in the spring, so you could try him in an aquatic set up with a few islands and plenty of weeds. Once he's settled after a day or two try giving him a chopped nightcrawler or some live blackworms and leave him to it for a while. It's never easy to say why newts that have been seemingly happy for extended periods can go off their food, but that's where I'd start.

 

[Amcgilbery]

If he's been much more active than usual it could be a sign that he's not happy with something. It would be natural for him to live and feed in the water for a good while in the spring, so you could try him in an aquatic set up with a few islands and plenty of weeds. Once he's settled after a day or two try giving him a chopped nightcrawler or some live blackworms and leave him to it for a while. It's never easy to say why newts that have been seemingly happy for extended periods can go off their food, but that's where I'd start.

When I had done my research I had found that these newts usually do better on land than water, I'd be scared to put him in water, but I could be wrong, I'm no expert