Hello--In a pet store, I saw a very skinny brown newt with red/orange spots on its underside, and a ridge along its back going all the way to its tail, also a less pronounced ridge on each side of its back. I bought it and a second one. (Felt sorry for them.) Put them in a 20 gal aquarium with gravel, a few live aquarium plants, and am using a side filter. Also keeping the water temp at 76 degrees F. They seem to be eating all the frozen bloodworms--about 1/4 tsp a day. They both look more filled out now. One newt holds onto the intake tube alot, and the other one walks around more. What kind of newts are these? Is the food OK and are they eating enough? Is the tank setup OK, or do they need a shelf so they can be out of/near the surface of the water? Thank you very much.
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new newt owner--need help
Replies (4)
Can you post a picture? Sorry, I can't ID it from the description alone.
In any case, it sounds like you're off to a good start, but you have the water too warm. Most newts are cool-water animals and prefer temps in the upper 60's. Just taking the heater out will be a big improvement.
Thanks. Can't post a picture right away because I don't have a digital camera. (Have to get film developed to CD). Will post as soon as I can.
>>Hello--In a pet store, I saw a very skinny brown newt with red/orange spots on its underside, and a ridge along its back going all the way to its tail, also a less pronounced ridge on each side of its back. I bought it and a second one. (Felt sorry for them.) Put them in a 20 gal aquarium with gravel, a few live aquarium plants, and am using a side filter. Also keeping the water temp at 76 degrees F. They seem to be eating all the frozen bloodworms--about 1/4 tsp a day. They both look more filled out now. One newt holds onto the intake tube alot, and the other one walks around more. What kind of newts are these? Is the food OK and are they eating enough? Is the tank setup OK, or do they need a shelf so they can be out of/near the surface of the water? Thank you very much.>>
Sounds like it could be the Vietnamese newt, Paramesotriton deloustali, or a similar species, such as the Hong Kong newt, Paramesotriton hongkongensis. Just a guess.
Thanks--now I can look up some info!
