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IMPORTANT UPDATE: DO NOT put any algea eaters that are small enough for your newt to swallow in your aquarium. They have very rigid back spines hidden in the fin that will kill your newt. If algea is a problem, use snails or a larger eater.
Welcome to our site. This portion is under construction and will be finished as pics arrive.
Wayne is a Japanese Fire-bellied newt. When young, he had smooth skin, but now he has pebbly skin that seems to smoothen some as you pet him. The upper is darkish brown, and the lower is speckled with bright red dots solidifying to a solid redish under the tail. If anyone has suggestions, please e-mail me. He is about four years old, 5" long, and well fed.
He spends the majority of his time swimming and walking on the bottom with only a couple hours a day on his platform. There is a favorite plant that he enjoys hanging on in front of the water flow.
As newts need to remain damp, we do not take him out except to pet him (with wet fingers) every few days. He comes when its feeding time, taking food from fingers or tweezers. We keep him a long way away from the turtles.
I just received an e-mail (11-22-99) informing me that the Fire-Bellied newts are smooth when young and aquatic, turning rougher with age as they turn more terrestial. This would fit Wayne's behavior. Be aware of this when setting up your home. Wayne still requires water to swallow food he snags on land, much as turtles do.
The diet we supply is about as varied as in the wild. Small earth worms, spiders, grubs, meal worms, moths, and small crickets are taken greedily. Then there's the occassional guppy that disappears - especially the babies. We add food sticks whenever the bugs are scarce, and he eats them without having to wiggle them around.
Wayne's home is a hand-me-down 20gal. long aquarium with a full lid. The water is 2" from the top to give room over the platform. The platform is a 3/8"x 4"x 6" piece of Box Elder bark. It is suspended from the tank rim onto the water in the front corner with stainless steel wire. There is Java Moss growing on it and hanging down for a ladder. A new platform is in the works designed along the lines of the turtle's setup. There will be added planting areas for more small bugs - Wayne can't possibly do the damage that Smug wreaks, so neater stuff can be done.
Please be aware that not all newts and salamanders need standing water or swimming room. Many sold as aquatic dwellers are actually land or tree dwellers. Please check other sites on the web for information on your variety. Not enough pet store employees have any education.
The floor is an inch and a half of gravel for plant bedding, with shale pieces for structures and terracing. The shale is also handy to help the newts in shedding. The plants include duck weed, Anacharis, Hydrilla, and Limnophila Aquatica which are cultivated to help supply the turtles. Snails, Guppies, a 6" algae-eater, and 5 Neon Tetras are resident, with the algae-eater the target of playful pounces.
The filtering is by a pair of under-gravel types with the gravel partially vacuumed every 2-3 weeks when I do a 1/3 water change. The fresh water stands for two days before use to remove all the chlorine. The Java Moss is a great nitrogen remover, and all the plants do a good job to clean the water. In the filter's tubes, the air stones need replacement fairly often as they plug up.
A few tips:
- If you have a newt that won't eat, it's either because of fear or wrong environmental conditions. Possibly sick, but we hope not. Check on the conditions from where it was captured and match them. Water temp., Ph, and hardness have effects.
- Try feeding them the tiny white worms found under rotting leaves and bark. Leave them alone after supplying the food so they arn't scared.
- Trying to open their mouth to drop in a worm is extremely dangerous to the newt. A scrape can get infected, and you may break something.
- What I did once was to take a small bowl with the bottom lined with wet paper towel and a hundred little white worms, placed the newt in, let the worms tickeling him make him mad enough to bite them, and left until some were gone. After that he ate well.
- The Java Moss grows quite fast and needs to be kept in check or it will take over. Pet stores or other aquarists will take it.
- Duck weed also grows fast and will cover the surface solid. This will kill the other plants. Never toss either plant into the wild or they can ruin an ecology. Turtles love to eat duck weed so my extras disappear quick.
- Do not use fresh copper or brass wire for the platform as it will poison your plants. And steel will rust away. Age the copper in salt water a week and then dry over a candle (to scorch some) and wipe off.
- Meal worms don't have much nutrition so feed only as treats.
- Don't keep the gravel too clean or the plants will not have any food.
- Use a good full spectrum light.
- Do not catch predator type water bugs like dragon fly nymths. They can kill or injure your newt.
- The bones of a newt are very tiny and fragile - DO NOT LET kids pick them up until trained to do so safely.
- Use only wet fingers to touch them.
- Use a lid to prevent escapes, water evaporation, and accidental poisoning.
- DO NOT use ammonia to clean lid or spray furniture polishes near aquarium.
- Too large an earthworm can drown a newt.
- Several newts together works fine as long as there isn't too much size difference.
- Some newts prefer more time on land, or most. Pay attention to your newts time on the platform and plan housing changes to keep all happy. See the turtle section for a platform that can be covered in gravel, moss, and bark. This will give the best of both worlds, even supplying a bug habitat.
- If you find a pet store with sick and dying newts, or anything else, complain and report to the ASPCA.
Try this site out: Caresheets