Can Chinese fire bellied newts climb?

[(unregistered]

Can Chinese Fire Bellied Newts climb up the walls of a tank and get out??

 

[jackie]

You bet they CAN.

Get a cover for your tank, no DOUBT ABOUT IT.

 

[(unregistered]

well I have a cover, but there is a space for the filter and heater (even though i dont use a heater) and feeding fish (but I dont have fish) so im worried if I get some of the newts they will get out of the tank through those holes

 

[steve]

It's the plastic lid that came with the tank right? two suggestions:

TRY a mesh (screen) top and an UNDERWATER filter. The cord is small enough not to give space to escape. NO HEATER!!

If you dont want to spend lots of money above TRY aluminum foil to cover the space where the filter has openings. I seen this done for crayfish BUT have never tried it myself, but "in theory", MAY work. (dont quote me)

I would go with the top answer myself, since i KNOW it works.

Make sure the newt cannot be SUCKED into the filter.

steve

p.s. doesnt anyone use names? I keep talking to "unregistered users" no-names

 

[(unregistered]

Thanks all, Steve - I was thinking on doing the mesh thing and cut out a square around the filter, I dont like the undergravel filters, I always get worried for my newts, so what I do is I stack two flower pots one on top of the other (the bottom one has a cave), one with the oppening down and the top one with the opening up, then I take some of that plastic from craft stores with all the square holes in it and cut a square out and a circle out (for the filter part to go through) this way it doesnt effect my waterfall like a sponge would and is (in my opinion) just as safe

.

 

[jennifer]

I think Steve was recommending a submersible filter, not an undergravel filter. There are two problems with the waterfall style filter: first, it's difficult to seal the area around it to prevent escapes, and second, it creates too much current for most newts. For sealing cracks around lids, I recommend black electrical tape.

 

[TJ]

Yep, I was just about to recommend the same thing -- tape. That's what I use with all my external waterfall-type filters. Except I use regular masking tape. Keep a roll handy for quick and easy replacement of wet or worn out strips!

Jen makes good points about the disadvantages of this kind of filter. But with my Tetra cartridge-type filters at least, the flow can be adjusted so that the water just trickles into the tank. And I put lots of plastic strips in the water -- not only to provide a medium for egg laying but also because they weaken the current. I find this kind of filter is easy enough to escape-proof using tape if the filter tops are properly secured.

 

[TJ]

Errr...I'm going to backtrack a bit on my endorsement of that kind of filter because today I found 2 escapees from 2 different tanks, both using these filters. In both cases, the newts slipped through an insufficiently taped area between the filter and the lid. Glad to report the newts are fine...but that was a close one!

I generally only use these for larvae tanks until the larvae seem ready to morph. Reassessment now under way!

 

[kirez]

In the case of keeping my newts, I don' thave a cover on mine, but I do have a cave underwater, and on top of that is a small peice of driftwood with a heravy rock to support it, this way my newts can climb up out of the water, but becasue my cave is placed in the center of the tank, my newts have nothing to used to push them self out of the water with.

 

[jennifer]

Keriz, you are taking a big risk. They don't need to climb onto anything to get up on the glass. If they are firebellies, I can almost guarantee that sooner or later you will lose one in that setup.

 

[andrea]

i heartily agree with Jennifer. PUT A LID ON IT! my P.hongkongensis has yet to climb up without the aid of something to support him, but he does climb up. I currently have a Tetra waterfall type filter with the cartridge, but it's placement allows the cord to exit on a corner, leaving like 0 room for escapage. I only have this type of filter becuase of the fact of the P.Hongkongensis's natural habitat: rivers. They like a decent curent. BUT, I have the flow broken by a suction cup rock thingy to distribute the flow.