C. Orientalis larvae

[pamela]

Hello everyone! I'm a new member as of Aug. 22/04. I just love this site! Anyway, about 1 year ago I purchased 5 CFB. This last weekend I noticed larvae in the tank. The 11 larvae are now in their own home, also remaining eggs are in an other area. I was shocked to see that my newts had bred. (Gee whiz, duh, etc.) I would appeciate any info that would help me to save these little guys lives and get them off to a good start. There is some java moss with larvae and eggs. They are being fed frozen daphnia, and HBH newt bite gruel. I am also growing infusoria (hopefully). I am very excited about the newt babies, but sure don't want them to die. Thank you all!!!

 

[jennifer]

Welcome, Pamela. Have you managed to find these articles:
http://www.caudata.org/cc/articles/raising.shtml
http://www.caudata.org/cc/articles/microfoods.shtml

It's possible that the frozen daphnia and pellet gruel won't be eaten (and they risk fouling the water big time). Try to get live blackworms, if you can.

If the newts are still laying, you might want to consider leaving a few of the larvae in the adult tank. If there are hiding places to protect them from the adults, they'll often be fine. The natural infusoria in the tank (assuming you didn't just do a total clean-out) can feed larvae quite well.

Good luck.

 

[pamela]

Hello Jennifer! Thank you for your response. The articles you referred are wonderful. I will be getting some of the blackworms (if I can find them). Unfortunately (sp) I have already broken the 10g that they were born in down (ammonia level was evident). The parents were transferred to a 20g (see vivaria pics). I did not realize that there would be enough natural infusoria in the existing tank to support the larvae. (As you can tell, this is the first time I have ever had amphibians as companions.) I have started an infusoria culture about five days ago - hopefully their are some little buggers growing in there. I really didn't expect my newts to reproduce! They must really like there home to be comfortable enough to have kids. The larvae are in a clear bottom, amphibian container (Petsmart). I have a clump of java moss from their original tank plus a few of the stones also. Also a little silk bushy kind of plant for a hiding place. I suction off all of the detritus each day, and put some new fresh (dechlorinated water) in daily also. They seem to get excited when I squirt some of the food I had mentioned into their tank. The remaining eggs are in a clear bowl, all but one, attached to the leaves of the bacopa plant that they were laid on. I also add some fresh water daily to this container also. Thank you again for your concern and info. I really appreciate it! I just LOVE these little critters!

 

[TJ]

Pamela, you sure seem to have the makings of a great newt-keeper! Welcome to the hobby and to this site

Have you noticed your larvae eating the frozen daphnia? I feed my larvae live tubifex until they're big enough to handle frozen bloodworm.

I know you're now focused on the larvae, but you might start thinking ahead about how you're going to feed them once they morph. It takes a while to get them to eat frozen bloodworm fed by hand. Some people manage to feed them tubifex or blackworms. I feed mine pinhead crickets mostly, and sometimes small waxworms.

 

[joseph]

I haven't seen newt larvae in life, but the given measurements seem to tell me that they are too large for infusoria. however, if you are planning to use this to power a daphnia culture that will work just fine.


How long have you had them? I also keep several and while they are healthy, I do not expect any action until next year. They seem to understand-the females are little pigs.

 

[TJ]

I've had small larvae grow up in tanks together with adults eating God knows what. I don't use live food in the adult tanks, and the frozen bloodworm that I do use regularly is to big for the smaller larvae, so I would have to conclude that it's infusoria that they're eating

 

[pamela]

Thank you Tim and Joseph for your information.

Tim, I think I will attempt to get a supply of all of the food items that you have suggested. I'll feel much better having the menu items that the pro's have suggested available to the kids. In answer to your question, they do seem to be eating the frozen daphnia. At least they hop around, look around, and some lunge at the daphnia when it hits the water. The very tiny larvae are not so enthused though. Tomorrow I shall go grocery shopping for the foods that you all have mentioned.

Joseph - I have had my newts for about 7 months now. And yes, the female (Ella) is a piggy! The daphnia culture is something I need to look into also. As for the infusoria, I've never attempted to culture any before (never had to), but I might give some to the newly hatched larvae (hoping that they hatch).

Thank you all so much.

PS: Larvae just sounds so strange to me for these little guys, "newtlings" just sounds so much better!

 

[TJ]

Pamela, I was just suggesting you should start thinking about where to source the post-morph food items if you can't find them in your immediate vicinity (garden, etc.), but your "newtlings"

probably won't morph for a couple of months at least so you have plenty of time to think ahead. As you can probably imagine, crickets bought as pinheads get too big to feed after only a week and some days, and tubifex worms only last several days (and then only if kept in running water). But it certainly would be cool to be able to culture something yourself!

On frozen daphnia, I have fed it to my Taricha larvae in the early stage of their development but am am not sure whether they ate it. I considered they might only eat it while it's in motion, falling from the top of the water into the substrate. If you have no substrate, then it'd obviously be much easier to tell...

Do be careful, as Jennewt said, not to add to much food at once

Decomposing worms will quickly foul the water, and I've lost larvae before this way. The more water you have them in, the lower the risk. You can further lower the risk by using an airstone, or better yet, a small sponge filter. Just some thoughts...

 

[pin-pin]

Hi Pam,

I just raised a bunch (well, 6...see the "sad" thread)....and I used baby brine shrimp for the initial hatch-1 month stage. If you only have a few larvae, I'm a big fan of hatching baby brine shrimp out to hand feed the larvae. The movements of the brine shrimp are just erratic enough to attract attention, but slow enough to allow capture. There is an article on it in the Caudata Culture page.

 

[pin-pin]

Can you believe this, I replied to a non-Taricha related post AND posted non-Taricha related photos.

The world is coming to an end!

 

[TJ]

You're finally "turning" Pin-pin. At this rate, you'll be a well-rounded caudate hobbyist in no time!

I neglected to mention that yeah, brine shrimp hatchlings are the best, and the only reason I was trying to feed my Taricha with "frozen daphnia" was that I misplaced my brine shrimp eggs and couldn't find them in time.

CORRECTION: It wasn't frozen daphnia at all that I was trying to feed them, but frozen baby brine....

(Message edited by TJ on August 26, 2004)

 

[joseph]

I've actually managed to keep blackworms alive for at least 3 months. I have noticed small(like sewing thread) sized worms appear, so it appears the culture is reproducing.

But, anyway, at 75 cents an ounce its something that can't be beat! Much more convenient than defrosting a cube.

 

[TJ]

That's extraordinary, Joseph! You'll have to reveal for us some of your trade secrets. Don't they need some sort of nourishment?

Actually, when I said tubifex last only a few days, I was thinking in terms of the hot months of the year, like now. I put my tubifex in a container and let water drop down from the tap. In the summer, the tap water itself is warm so the worms don't last very long, but in the winter I keep them out on my veranda in the same fashion and they last much, much longer.

In fact, the tap water was so warm recently that I was keeping my tubifex in a mini-fridge with an airstone at 16C. I've since halted that practice because it's just not cost-efficient and my electricity bill is outrageous.

 

[joseph]

I haven't watched the temp it gets to like 82 here...I don't bother with keeping them in the fridge but when I have them seperated I change the water quite often because the waste is not pleasant and is probably high in ammonia or nitrate. But I have noticed that if you let the water foul(I. e....to many worms or too much food) some will die...but the main thing is that should that happen it smells to high heaven!

For nourishment, I have been feeding paper towels...which are gradually dissolved and eventually the worms clump and burrow into them. Seems to be working...though I doubt it would yield any more than an occasional treat. Fine with me!

(Message edited by fishkeeper on August 27, 2004)

 

[pamela]

WOW! Thanks for the great info. and care that you all have shared. Looks like I will be doing the brine shrimp thing. Am looking for suppliers of the other live foods that you have mentioned. Will be learning a lot about growing different creatures! It looks as though the eggs are getting ready to hatch. The larvae are alive and doing well(?). Now if I can just get these live foods growing before anyone starves to death. THANK YOU EVERYONE!

 

[joseph]

Might also want to look into microworms. Neat little guys...and easy to culture...but require more looking after than, say, a grindalworm culture.