Bought 2 FB newts a week ago..

[tony1208]

You really need to put more water in that. This species is almost fully aquatic under normal conditions. You can at least fill it to the top of your island.

Yeap I was in the middle of cleaning out some dirty water but I keep the water to the island... I might switch it up next week and put one of those floating frog rest... Ty for ur info I appreciate it... I'm also planning losing the sand and going bare bottom with more real plants probably cuz sand is annoying to clean .


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[Helena]

Yes, adding some live plants would really make your tank look nice,

 

[tony1208]

Yes, adding some live plants would really make your tank look nice,

I have one on the right .... I can't find any java sold desperate around here it's all inside mixed with fish and I read somewhere that's a bad to use in a newt tank


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[tony1208]

Added Anubis and a cryptocoryne plant in the tank with more water I have to pick up a floating lilly pad so I can add more water because my platform is leveled with my water as of now...


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[39buttons]

I´m sorry to say that those conditions are terribly inadequate for your newts. A pair of these will require a minimum of 10 gallons of water for apropriate thermal and chemical stability. ....

Make sure to read this article, and i would recommend all the other CC articles too:
Caudata Culture Species Entry - Cynops orientalis - Chinese firebelly

Hi,

I'm very glad I found this thread. I have a Chinese FB newt too, and have been keeping him in a small tank similar to the original poster's, with only a couple of inches of water - because that's what the shop owner advised.

I have to say, though, that I don't think the link you give really spells it out that these newts need to have such a big tank or so much water - I read it before and after I got my newt, and I didn't realise I was housing him wrong. The photos on the page don't show the depth of water, and the article just says "water depth is the choice of the owner."

I'm new to the site, so I don't really understand how it works, but maybe some useful feedback could be given that the care sheet could do with being a bit clearer?

 

[Azhael]

The information about minimum volume size is not contained in the species article, it´s discussed in the water quality article and in hundreds of posts around the forums. It would be a lot of pointless work to include a discussion on that subject on every species article.
The species article is concerned with more specific information pertaining H.orientalis, whereas more general information like water quality matters are discussed in articles specific to those subjects. You can check them all out in the links in my signature.

 

[39buttons]

Sure, I'm not saying that the information isn't on this site, just that it's not very clear if (for instance) someone did an internet search for 'care sheet for fire bellied newt' and only read that page.

I'm just speaking from my own experience, but I read about five different care sheets on the web before getting my newt, and I didn't realise they needed such a big tank. It is, after all, a lot of water for a very small animal!

 

[Azhael]

But you see, that´s the problem, people shouldn´t just read the caresheet. I know a lot of people do, but including all the necessary information inside the caresheet would be insane, and the information is available a couple of clicks away in the other articles. If people just want to read the bare minimum, there´s nothing we can do, but if they have even a modicum of interest, the information is right there for them to explore.
Personally, i also see a benefit to having the information in separate articles since while searching, the individual might stumble upon other articles that catch his/her eye and read them too.

 

[tony1208]

Update

Both meets are doing well and stating fine, I also switched to a soiled bottom tank with some live plants and gravel on top and the newts love it. The bigger newts is all over the place and loves the water. The smaller newt the lazier one just likes to sleep and eat he isn't to crazy about the water like the bigger one, I'll post pics later.

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[tony1208]

Both newts growing well and doing fine... Happy new years from us ;-)

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[jasper408]

Using gravel again?

 

[tony1208]

Using gravel again?

I have soil under the gravel for my plants. But after a few months they are dying. I believe I will just go bottomless eventually.

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[Lugubris]

I have the same plastic plant in one of my terrestrial setups. I would inspect the stiff part that connects the rest of the plant to the suction cup, because on mine it had exposed pieces of steel wire on each end. I'm pretty sure that can cause the water to become toxic if it begins to rust. You can cut that piece off or try sealing it with something non toxic to your newts. Epoxy should be safe (according to the CC articles) and you can also find aquarium safe silicone. Alternatively you could just try to keep that part out of the water, but it might still rust eventually.

By the way, I think it was mentioned before, but the reason people are wondering about your use of gravel is that they can accidentally be swallowed by the newts and cause serious health issues (unless they are glued together). I would read that link carefully as it should tell you everything you need to know to make a decision about what substrate to use. Also to keep your plants alive no matter what substrate you use, you can leave it in a submersible pot of some sort, I believe the plants are actually sold in one depending on how/where you buy it.

 

[tony1208]

Hey lug how are ya?
How do you keep pre potted plants under water with out the soil floating around?

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[tony1208]

Well its about to be a year soon since I bought my two newts and they are both still alive and doing well


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[Azhael]

Well, i´m sorry to contradict you but no they are not doing well... far from it. One of them seems to be too thin and possibly having some kind of trouble shedding. The other is akwardly hanging out of the water...
Your set-up could use some serious improvements. Optimal housing has already been explained to you but you don´t seem to have taken any of it to fruition except taking out the gravel.
You should really start doing some changes ASAP and hopefully the thin animal might have a chance, otherwise it´s going to get worse and it is on you.

 

[tony1208]

Well, i´m sorry to contradict you but no they are not doing well... far from it. One of them seems to be too thin and possibly having some kind of trouble shedding. The other is akwardly hanging out of the water...
Your set-up could use some serious improvements. Optimal housing has already been explained to you but you don´t seem to have taken any of it to fruition except taking out the gravel.
You should really start doing some changes ASAP and hopefully the thin animal might have a chance, otherwise it´s going to get worse and it is on you.

I have been doing the same thing now for a year... The bigger one likes to go in and out the water onto the plant... The thin one eats fine but doesn't gain weight... If I were doing something wrong they both would be dead.... Thanks for your advice though...

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[AeonMapa]

I know you're doing you're doing what you think is best for your animals, and being corrected at every turn must be frustrating, but the fact of the matter is they DO NOT look healthy. The smaller one is much too skinny, and newts should never show the kind of skin blotching he's exhibiting. Inability to shed is a bad sign. Just because they've been alive for a year does not mean they are healthy. Animals can be quite tough and survive in harsh conditions for a long time. Their health and immunity will continue to degrade till one day it just gives out.

The point is, you're keeping the newts alive, but not well. One year should have been more than enough time for a wild caught newt to recover adequately. They should have been fully aquatic by now, and You should not be having a skinny undereating newt, that just means it's sick. I've had my new set for 5 months now. I kept them as a child in the way you did and after keeping my new set well, it's a marvel to see them at full potential. HEALTHY newts should be plump, have marked muscle development, be active swimmers and feed confidently. Mine have progressed from being skinny things that could barely take some tubifex worms to fit, strong animals that can easily eat a 3 inch earthworm.

One year ago you were told to increase the water volume to 10 gallons. I really recommend doing that immediately. The newts bad health can probably be directly attributed to your water quality, as it's unfiltered and such a small volume. If you can't get live plants to stay alive try a sponge filter as it will provide little current and will clean your tank of toxins.

We don't mean to be overly critical here, we're just trying to ensure your newts have the best environment and health, so you can enjoy them longer. You said if you were doing something wrong they would be dead, and the fact is, you are doing something wrong and they are dying, though slowly. It's not too late to remedy that though. Provide adequate conditions and you'll marvel at how much they improve, and enjoy them for years to come.

 

[Niels D]

I must admit that I don't see the problem with the gravel though as long as it doesn't fit in the animal it's mouth. The fact that waste gathers in between the gravel isn't a problem, as long as the whole setup can keep itself in balance. I use a lot of semi-aquatic setups for juvenile animals which I made out of gravel. I don't clean those a lot, maybe once in 6 month, and the water parameters remain fine. Of course there are live plants, snails and crustaceans in it and I really recommend them in every aquarium.

Apart from the gravel your setup could really use some live plants which produce a lot of oxygen and get rid of a lot of nitrates like Elodea. It looks okay as well. Try the combination of live plants with snails and maybe some crustaceans. This creates an environment that's way more in balance. An air pump (with an air stone) would do good to the water quality as well.

 

[tony1208]

I know you're doing you're doing what you think is best for your animals, and being corrected at every turn must be frustrating, but the fact of the matter is they DO NOT look healthy. The smaller one is much too skinny, and newts should never show the kind of skin blotching he's exhibiting. Inability to shed is a bad sign. Just because they've been alive for a year does not mean they are healthy. Animals can be quite tough and survive in harsh conditions for a long time. Their health and immunity will continue to degrade till one day it just gives out.

The point is, you're keeping the newts alive, but not well. One year should have been more than enough time for a wild caught newt to recover adequately. They should have been fully aquatic by now, and You should not be having a skinny undereating newt, that just means it's sick. I've had my new set for 5 months now. I kept them as a child in the way you did and after keeping my new set well, it's a marvel to see them at full potential. HEALTHY newts should be plump, have marked muscle development, be active swimmers and feed confidently. Mine have progressed from being skinny things that could barely take some tubifex worms to fit, strong animals that can easily eat a 3 inch earthworm.

One year ago you were told to increase the water volume to 10 gallons. I really recommend doing that immediately. The newts bad health can probably be directly attributed to your water quality, as it's unfiltered and such a small volume. If you can't get live plants to stay alive try a sponge filter as it will provide little current and will clean your tank of toxins.

We don't mean to be overly critical here, we're just trying to ensure your newts have the best environment and health, so you can enjoy them longer. You said if you were doing something wrong they would be dead, and the fact is, you are doing something wrong and they are dying, though slowly. It's not too late to remedy that though. Provide adequate conditions and you'll marvel at how much they improve, and enjoy them for years to come.

I don't mean to be rude I apologize. I certainly do not want my two newts sick... I had the tank filled all the way but I was worried because the newts were not going on top of the lilly pads and I thought they were gonna drown. I will fill the tank more and get a sponge filter. Any recommendations?

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