Proper Mandarin Newt care + housing?

[Beach Newts]

Hi, I've had 4 healthy Mandarins now for a couple of weeks... They eat sporadically and was wondering what I should feed them. They have been eating waxworms and cut up nightcrawlers but they don't each much so I'm concerned.

Also what's the best setup for them... I have been keeping them in a 20 gallon terrestrial setup with a dish of water. What kind of flooring is recommended for the tank? I've been using dirt.

 

[louise]

Mine love butterworms, slugs and maggots. I use soil from my compost bin and it seems to be fine. I have a layer of moss over the top of it, and a leaf litter area.

 

[Beach Newts]

How big is your housing? Do you have a water area or just a dish?

 

[freves]

Did you purchase these from the recently available imports? If so then you will need to monitor them closely because they have been through a lot of stress and may not be as healthy as they appear. If they are eating then that is good but it is important not to overfeed. I purchased a group of 13 to add to my existing colony a few weeks back. I have been feeding small meals three times weekly (alternating chopped earthworms, soaked Reptomin, roaches and crickets) and most seem to be doing well. Your setup sounds OK. I personally prefer to keep new arrivals in basic quarantine enclosures (damp paper towel, water dish, and hide). Also, do not let them get too warm (lower 70's should be the maximum temperature). If you are really concerned then it may be best to take them to a qualified herp vet for possible parasite treatment. Good luck.
Chip

 

[Beach Newts]

Did you purchase these from the recently available imports? If so then you will need to monitor them closely because they have been through a lot of stress and may not be as healthy as they appear. If they are eating then that is good but it is important not to overfeed. I purchased a group of 13 to add to my existing colony a few weeks back. I have been feeding small meals three times weekly (alternating chopped earthworms, soaked Reptomin, roaches and crickets) and most seem to be doing well. Your setup sounds OK. I personally prefer to keep new arrivals in basic quarantine enclosures (damp paper towel, water dish, and hide). Also, do not let them get too warm (lower 70's should be the maximum temperature). If you are really concerned then it may be best to take them to a qualified herp vet for possible parasite treatment. Good luck.
Chip

Thanks for your advice... I've been waiting to move them into a more full-time enclosure so I was wondering what decor they would prefer... They seem to be very active at night and crawl into the rock cave during the day... They were purchased from the recently available imports... Seems like all the petstores in my area suddenly have them.

I saw one yesterday chasing a cricket to no avail... They move slow and the cricket was too quick.

 

[freves]

I keep my established group in a 50 gal breeder tank with soil as a substrate, a pothos planted directly into the soil - which is starting to become overgrown, cork bark slabs for hides, and a large shallow water dish. Try feeding them individually with forceps for the first couple of weeks. This way you can be sure that all of the individuals are getting food. Also, this thread should probably be moved to the croc newt section if a moderator would be so kind.
Chip

 

[louise]

My shanjing setup. As you can see, I have only a fairly shallow water dish in there.