CFB food/swimming question

[dipsydoodle]

Ok I have 2 newts, had them both since September both adults (I assume).

One doesn't like swimming in the tank, what can I do to encourage him to go in the water?

Also this specific newt will only eat when he is hand fed when the food is wiggling in front of him (i.e. looks alive); I put some food next to him in a little dish but he won't eat it; he'll go over and sniff it but he won't touch it until it is picked up and fed to him; again how can I encourage him to eat on his own without the constant need to be hand fed?

The other newt is in the water all the time so my water quality is fine, I did just wonder if it was because he was a bit younger. Also my other newt will eat from being hand fed or from a food bowl.

Many thanks

 

[Azhael]

Terrestrial newts only* respond to live foods or hand-feeding, so that´s perfectly normal.

*unless trained, but requires a looooooooooooooooot of patience and not all animals get ot it.

I say, if it eats well when hand-fed, just keep it up.

Just because one is aquatic it doesn´t mean the water quality is optimal. Newts can tolerate some degree of "imperfection" in the water, but in my experience, terrestrial newts will refuse to go back to water unless it´s trully optimal.
Either the newt is sensing that the water needs improving, or it´s a juveniles, but if it´s pet-shop bought, i´d say it has to be an adult.
Bare in mind that optimal water conditions also includes "furnishing", not just chemical quality. They love live plants, and having the water well stocked with plants helps a great deal in making the newt feel comfortable enough to go into it.

 

[dipsydoodle]

I say, if it eats well when hand-fed, just keep it up.

Yea, I don't mind. I'm just worried that if I go on holiday I won't get anyone to sit there and feed him like I do. I'd like to try and encourage him to eat by himself before the time arrises. He might be a juvinile; I don't really know.

 

[Azhael]

Easy, meassure it and try to take a picture of the cloaca.
Anything bigger than 5cm long can be considered adult or at least sub-adult and should be ready for an aquatic life (be warned-i base this on my personal opinion ).

I understand your concern about it not eating on it´s own. If you offered live foods, i´m sure it would hunt them down by itself. If you were to go on vacation and leave someone in charge of feeding them, just give them earthworms. No self-respecting healthy newt will ignore a yummy piece of earthworm wether it´s being offered by a celestial waiter with weird tweezer-like hands or not.

 

[dipsydoodle]

Ok I am going to sound a bit dim and like a total idiot here; whats the cloaca? - his bits basically? - he only has small bits and not well defined.

5cm in length as in the whole body head to tail or just the body? Sorry I just want to check I'm doing it right lol.

As I said I'm not that bothered that he doesn't like swimming because he does go in the water and he does stay in it; I'd just like him to enjoy swimming around like the other one. I'm not that bothered on the feeding as I do enjoy hand feeding him, as I said it's just for holiday situations. I did look at buying them wax worms a while ago but they both seemed a bit scared; I've not tried them with live food yet but I was going to try with live blood worm as they both like that. I don't want to get earthworm from the garden as we have put weed killer and stuff down in the past and there are no angling shops within my area (it's quite pathetic actually). I'll get there in the end

 

[Azhael]

Yes, that´s the cloaca, it´s "bits" (except they are of course just the opening of the intestinal, reproductive and urinary systems).
You got it right, i meant full body length, from nose to tip of the tail.

If you can´t collect earthworms and can´t find where to buy them, i suggest that you get some online and start your own culture. Your newts will be thankful xD

 

[dipsydoodle]

Yes, that´s the cloaca, it´s "bits" (except they are of course just the opening of the intestinal, reproductive and urinary systems).
You got it right, i meant full body length, from nose to tip of the tail.

He is about 5 or 6 cm in length so probably an adult.