Feeding C. orientalis

[bill]

i have 3 C.orientalis in a 10 gallon tank which is about half full of water. it has a gravel bottom, with stones a little bigger than the newts head. there are a few live plants and a fish hut like u find in wal-mart. there is also a turtle dock which i pinned between the front and back wall of the tank. there is a duetto filter which i took the tip off and ran a tube to one of the tank walls creating a quiet water fall. anyway i have been feeding these guys frozen food and a pellet or two. is that enough or should i step that up a little more? i never find anything in the tank and they are always turning stones up.

 

[jennifer]

Do you actually see them eat the pellets? If not, I would worry that maybe the pellets are just falling into the gravel and decaying. Another question, do you use a feeding plate/dish of some kind? This would help prevent the food from getting down into the gravel. And one more question... how long have you had the newts?

If the newts are eating well, I think the diet you have for them is fine. Frozen bloodworms are one of the best foods (I recommend Hikari brand if possible). They would enjoy some live food, but I wouldn't say it's necessary.

 

[bill]

a couple of the newts seem to prefer the pellets. it's what the pet shop used... i have never herd of using a feeding dish, maybe u can inform me a little more on them. i have had these guys about 6 months now. oh yea i thought they didn't like current... if they don't the why do they try to climb up the water fall? what live food whould you reccomend since there mouths are so small?

(Message edited by beejium on September 27, 2006)

 

[jennifer]

For a feeding dish, you could use something like a clear glass salad plate that would hold the food, and it would be easy to remove the leftovers. Another method is to keep one part of the tank free of gravel, and feed them in this area.

Like fish, I think they have a natural instinct to move upstream when there is a current. That doesn't mean that they like it. It probably causes them to use more energy.

For live food, I'd recommend live blackworms and chopped earthworms (not exactly alive, but close).
http://www.caudata.org/cc/articles/foods.shtml
http://www.caudata.org/cc/articles/worms.shtml