Change in Spanish ribbed newt behavior

[steven1969s]

Hi everyone.

A few weeks ago I got some young Spanish ribbed newts (4 month old). I was keeping them in my bed room in a 10 gl tank with about 4" of water. They have almost doubled in weight since I got them. My room temp is about 68f.
Three days ago I finished my newt and salamander room in my basement so I transferred my Spanish newts down and they seemed to be fine. That day they finished a portion of black worms and everything seemed fine.
Today I went down to feed everybody and I found my Spanish newts with their heads sticking out of the water and didn't seem to interested in the food. I did notice some where shedding their skin, but it was something that seemed odd.
The temps were about 65f.

Should I be concerned?

 

[Azhael]

I would suspect water quality being the problem. Even the juveniles of this species are rather corpulent and eat like maniacs, so if the 10 gallon tank is not even full, it wouldn´t be surprising that the conditions could have become inadequate in a short time.
I would advice to check water parametres ASAP and acting accordingly, as well as filling the tank with aged or treated water to take advantage of the full volume.

 

[steven1969s]

At this age is it okay to fill tank completely with water? The person who sold them to me told me to keep them in a few inches of water.
By the way. You were right. The amonia level was a little high almost 2.0. I already did a half water change and tomorrow I'll do the other half.

 

[Azhael]

P.waltl can be kept aquatic throughout its entire development. At most, you just need to offer a piece of cork bark or a turtle deck for them to rest if they want to or to escape bad water conditions.
The source of the problem seems likely to be that the tank is not cycled. By doing such large water changes you are preventing the cycling process which means that the tank is going to be unstable and unable to process ammonia and nitrites.
Live plants would be of great help. If you use large quantities, they will maintain adequate parametres even while the tank is cycling.
In order for the newts to be comfortable in the water, it has to be in optimal conditions. Cycle the tank properly, add plenty of plants and do small water changes of no more than 20% and clean uneaten foods. That will provide the necessary stability for the newts to be fully aquatic and stress free.

 

[steven1969s]

Thanks for your help Rodrigo.

Steve