Alpine newt questions

[MollyAttack]

Hello there, I am narrowing down my search for my new companion and I am deciding between Alpine newts, an axolotl, or a Cynops cyanurus. I was looking at the care sheet for the alpines and they're gorgeous BUT I do have a question about their diet. I was reading that the juveniles eat bloodworms and various other worms but what about the adults? Will adult alpines still eat bloodworms and earthworms or not? They listed a couple foods for the adults, but unfortunately I cannot provide any of them for an alpine newt, though I can provide earthworms and bloodworms. Has anybody ever had any experience feeding those? Is it not good for them or do they turn their nose up at it? I'm just trying to figure out the best newt for my situation.

Thanks!

 

[Molch]

no worries. Adults eat bloodworms and earthworms with gusto. In fact, those are probably the two staple foods most people give them. Earthworms are considered to be sp. nutritious.

Neither alpines or cyanurus would be picky about what they eat.

 

[benw]

Yes
Alpines arent fussy as to food, mine literally stick their heads out of water to beg for food, whether its bloodworm or earthworms,
i love mine, the males are such a stunning blue

 

[Molch]

another thing to consider is that both alpine newts and axolotls prefer somewhat cooler temperatures, under 70 F, whereas Cynops cyanurus can have it a bit warmer in the lower 70ies. That may be an important consideration, depending on how warm your dorm room is kept.

For my money, if I were you, I would go with the cyanurus

 

[Mark]

Alpines will also eat pellet food (I'm sure cyanurus would too but I have no experience with them - my other cynops love them). I tend to alternate between pellets, bloodworm and earthworm.

 

[benw]

What pellets do you give them,Mark??

 

[Mark]

In the past I've tried the Rangen salmon pellets from Michael and other similar pellets from a UK supplier. At the moment I'm using Zoomed's newt pellets which you can get from Ebay for £2-3. The pellets are really small and soft which makes them great for smaller species. Not everything in my collection will eat them but those that do eat them with gusto.

 

[MollyAttack]

That a beautiful alpine Sonic. They're only blue during the breeding season right? What type is that (apanus, alpestris?)

I'm glad to hear they eat well! I will probably go for these guys then, instead of an axolotl or a cyanurus. Cyanurus are cool, but I don't think they're as beautiful as alpines, and I was worried that my 10 gallon (the size limit I can have in my dorm room) would be too cramped for an axolotl so alpines seem to be the best bet for me. Thanks for the advice!

 

[benw]

Its an apuanus, and i find they stay blue pretty much all year round, espaecially if kept more or less totally aquatic, i have a few rocks that stick out the water above water which they use occasionally, but not often.
A lovely species, much under rated in my opinion

 

[Azhael]

They are indeed gorgeous animals. The blue color is present year-round but it becomes more vibrant during breeding season.
They make great captives, but they are less tolerant to high temps than other species, i´m not sure the conditions of a dorm will allow for what these guys need. These should ideally be housed at 20ºC or less throughout the year (granted, healthy animals can tolerate higher temps than that specially if they are not constant).

 

[MollyAttack]

I was planning on hooking up fans to keep their water cool and maybe altering their tank a bit to allow cold packs to be put underneath the tank bottom and (hopefully) cool the water. I will be reading up on the cooling techniques before I get any of these guys, rest assured.

 

[Azhael]

Warms my heart to see people think ahead and not be impulsive You are on the right track!
If you can offer the necessary temps for these guys, they are a great species. They have huge appetites, they are tough and they are extremely beautiful to boot!

 

[MollyAttack]

I was looking around the forum at what some other people used as a cooling method, and I saw someone built a "cooling chamber" for their tiger salamanders. I actually think I could build one however I'm unsure if it would work for an aquarium. The original poster used a fan on one half of the tank to pull hot air out, sent it through a chamber with ice packs in it to cool the air, and then had a fan blowing the new, cool air inside the terrarium. Do you think this would work for an aquarium or not since it's only cooling the air, and not water?

I attached a picture the original poster had of their cooling chamber. On the left of the ice packs would be the fan pulling hot air out of the tank, and on the right would be the fan pulling newly cooled air into the tank. All credit goes to Shazz.

 

[Azhael]

I´m not sure it would be very effective cooling 10 gallons of water. I have never tried something like that, though, so i could well be wrong.
I´d personally start out simple, with just a fan over the surface to see where that gets you (most people report decreases of about 1-2ºC but it´s possible to get a bit more). If that proofs insufficient, then consider other alternatives. You have to set-up the tank and cycle it before you get your new newts, so you have plenty of time.
Have you seen this article?:
Caudata Culture Articles - Cooling

 

[Molch]

I'm thinking though, if your dorm room is consistently and permanently above 70 F, the whole cooling operation could become really bothersome. You'd have to always be on top of it, and if you're ever out of town, you'll have to worry that something goes wrong and your alpines get too warm...

so why not go with the cyanurus? They are sooo pretty and they get blue bits too (just check them out here, don't ya just wanna dig your hand in there and grab 'em?) and they are much more warmth-tolerant than the alpines.
You will enjoy your newts more if you have to worry less about them...

just sayin' :angel: :happy:

 

[crevalle]

Can anyone verify what I've heard regarding Alpine newt sexual maturity duration? I've heard that it can take four years before they can breed. Can anyone corroborate this?

 

[Jennewt]

Can anyone verify what I've heard regarding Alpine newt sexual maturity duration? I've heard that it can take four years before they can breed. Can anyone corroborate this?

There are several subspecies of alpine newt, and they may vary depending on subspecies or locality. I only have experience with I. alpestris apuanus; they are usually sexually mature in less than 1 year. It may take longer in the wild than in captivity.

 

[Azhael]

It varies greatly between individuals. Some become mature very fast, as Jen says, and others can take their time. There also seems to exist some degree of inhibition among males, where some are delayed in the pressence of more precocious males.
Mine bred at one and a half years old.

 

[crevalle]

Thanks Jennewt and Azhael--glad to hear it!

 

[josh]

Are there many people in the US working with alpestris anymore??