Bought 2 FB newts a week ago..

[AeonMapa]

Great! Make sure to keep testi g the water to make sure the plants are keeping up with the filtration needs as for the shrimp, i was told newt should eat mine too but they're really much too fast to catch. H. Orientalist is really better suited for catching worms and snails only

 

[tony1208]

Great! Make sure to keep testi g the water to make sure the plants are keeping up with the filtration needs as for the shrimp, i was told newt should eat mine too but they're really much too fast to catch. H. Orientalist is really better suited for catching worms and snails only

How can I test the water?

Sent from my GS4...

 

[AeonMapa]

Most petstores will carry water testing kits. Get the ones that test for ammonia, nitrites and nitrates. Your ammonia and nitrites should be constantly at 0, while the nitrates should be close to 0 as well.

Btw how are the newts? Have you been able to feed earthworms yet? And how's the one with the shedding problem?

 

[Niels D]

I'm not going to tell you that your newts won't eat a shrimp now and then, but most of the time the shrimps are way too fast to be caught. Chances are that you don't need a pump. Otherwise you can always try an air stone.

 

[tony1208]

Most petstores will carry water testing kits. Get the ones that test for ammonia, nitrites and nitrates. Your ammonia and nitrites should be constantly at 0, while the nitrates should be close to 0 as well.

Btw how are the newts? Have you been able to feed earthworms yet? And how's the one with the shedding problem?

Never tried earthworms... Blood wood worms they enjoy..

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[Azhael]

Bloodworms are nutritionally incomplete and can cause severe deficiencies in the long term. You should definitely start giving them earthworms as a staple.

 

[tony1208]

Bloodworms are nutritionally incomplete and can cause severe deficiencies in the long term. You should definitely start giving them earthworms as a staple.

Frozen?

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[AeonMapa]

Live if possible, never heard anyone using frozen earthworm. You might have to chop larger worms into bite your newt ca eat

 

[tony1208]

Bought some earthworms at a aquarium store and I chopped one up and wow did my newts chow down... Also bought 3 ghost shrimp and a second snail.

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[AeonMapa]

I'm sure they loved it! You should see some health improvements soon thanks to the dirt and better water conditions. Ghost shrimp are excellent scavengers, one of the best imo, since they will eat ALL the uneaten food in your tank, no matter what kind. How is the tank and plants?

 

[tony1208]

How many times a week should I feed them the worm?
As far as plants I still only have the java fern the other plant died and made a nice mess in the tank..I have to go buy more java this weekend or when I can..

 

[tony1208]

Smaller newt getting bigger finally

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[AeonMapa]

For feeding, give them as much as they can eat every other day

 

[Chinadog]

Try to keep an eye on their body shape as well, if they're looking scrawny offer them a bit more, if they're getting fat offer food less often for a while. If i let my female C.pyrrhogaster eat as much as they could every 2 days they would soon be shaped like tennis balls with legs!!

 

[tony1208]

I noticed the skinnier one got bigger after eatting some of the earth worm.. I'll probably feed them twice a week

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[AeonMapa]

Keeping them at cooler temps will also reduce feeding. I love in a pretty warm country so mine get hungry fast Like chinadog said just observe their shape and find a schedule that suits them bēst

 

[tony1208]

Ok Ty... My tank in cooler so I will feed less.. Btw are night crawlers the same as earthworms? If so are earth worms Ok to feed the newts?

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[Niels D]

I've got H.orientalis and C.e.popei and I feed them 5 times a week. My animals don't get that chubby, only when the females are gravid with eggs. Keep in mind that they can get very round when this happens:



Two gravid females compared to a male. One female is over 10 cm.

 

[AeonMapa]

Night crawlers are a type of earthworm I think, if not they're very similar! I feed mine earthworms (wild caught from the natural forest outside my office), every two or three days till the refuse to eat another one. This does not necessarily mean they are full, just too full to eat another earthworm. Aside from this I have live bloodworms and tubifex worms living in my tank. I just drop these in after feeding the earthworms, or sometimes in place of the earthworms. The newts "top up" on these smaller worms, and the rest escape below the river rocks, where they can live indefinitely. The worms do a good job of breaking down animal waste, and provide ever present live food for the newts to snack on between main feedings. I find this useful for two reasons: One is that the animals can access these whenever they want. White cloud minnows and cherry shrimp love eatin little worms too! The second reason is that the newts get a chance to hunt for food. I believe that this makes them healthier by promoting natural instincts, as well as giving them a reason to move around, and not just lie on a branch waiting for the next batch of earthworms

Lastly I'd like to point out that this species of newts don't really have a tendency to overeat, and will reject food that is right in front of them if they are already full, so let them chow down as they choose!

P.S.
I got back to you via PM regarding your plant and set-up questions

 

[tony1208]

Well here is an update.. Newts loved the night crawlers... The little newt got bigger... Added some plants...And three snails even though I have no idea where one of the smaller ones went it's like he vanished... There still quit a bit of waste from the newts on the ground... I have three ghost shrimp in there also... The water is string clearer at least...

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