Babys have started dying!?

[jim]

I've got some baby italian crested newts and they've been ok for about the first month after hatching but in the past couple of nights I've woke up to find some are dead wrapped in a kind of mould, Im worried that it could only be water quality or the bigger ones attacking (they've always got loads of food) anyway im thinking of giving them a much larger container that I can put an airator in, would this be a problem as its my first experience with this. Oh yeah , I've also got a nice pond , maybe I should use that instead of spring water????

 

[filipe]

Hi Jim,

Aeration is always a good idea. Also check water temperature and, if possible, water pH and some other parameters because all this can be causing some stress and imunossupression and secondarily, all sort of problems (including fungal).

Also, if the tank is too crowded or with animals with great size differences, it is likely that the larger ones attack the smaller ones or just compete with food, and this situation can also be causing stress.

In my humble opinion, I would advise: aeration, water filtration or frequent water changes, siphoning debris and food leftovers, checking some water chemistry and correcting accordingly and separate the nets by size in different tanks, or at least removing the ill ones to a quarentene tank.

As a preventive treatment for a possible fungal infection, you can do a daily bath of salt (10-25 g/Liter) every day for a few days or until the deaths stop.

Hope this helps,
Filipe

 

[alan]

What size container are they in now?
Are they still larvae (with external gills) or have they metamorphosed?
Does the water smell?
Do you have any live plants in the water?
What/how much are you feeding them?

 

[jim]

Ive given them a larger deeper tub with pond water aswell, I swap them to clean one every couple of days,(theirs about 12 of them). Ive also added an aerator and more pond weed. Is this setup ok , will the aerator not keep them awake at night?

 

[jim]

Oh, and they are between 4 and 5 weeks old (the big ones are just starting to get back legs) and their is a big size difference between some of them, although i cant see how they could eat each other as I give them plenty of food and they seem to get on alright.

 

[william]

no need to worry about keeping them awake

 

[alan]

Your setup looks good. What are you feeding them? Describe how the water smells - put you nose close and take a sniff.

 

[jim]

The water smells like typical pond water, as thats what Im using now, a little bit stinky but full of life. They seem to be gathering in the corners of the tub and pacing as if they want to get out(especially the bigger ones) and when I put their food in I don't see them eating much now, but its all mostly gone by morning, is this normal, some of them are quite chunky now and have sprouted tiny back legs but ive still lost about 4 in the past 4 days mostly the smaller ones, but maybe the change will help them survive better? Oh another question i need to ask - ive got smooth newt larva in my pond, am I allowed to take some out , just so the 3 fish that are still in it don't eat them? and then release them back when they're bigger?

 

[alan]

I'm not sure about "a little bit stinky". Stinky is not good. What are you feeding them, and how much?

 

[jim]

Its not that bad its fresh out of the pond and is just the smell of pond water, ill go back to spring water if this is the better option and they start dropping again. Im feeding them daphnia, and i always take out any build up on the bottom of the tub with a straw.