Fire belly newt question...

[Jennewt]

I feed my fire bellies what I believe are tubifex worms, they have the shape and size as black and red worms I believe, but are a pink earthworm type color. I was wondering if anyone can help me identify these worms and comment on their nutritional value. Also, would a diet of these worms, plus blackworms be a good balanced diet? I would also feed them small crickets, as I'm trying to get a pair of Ambystoma Opacum and would have a supply of crickets, but I was wondering if it works out since the fire bellies are mostly underwater.

thanks

See:
http://www.caudata.org/cc/articles/foods.shtml
I don't know about tubifex, but blackworms are not a good source of calcium. The best calcium-rich food you can use are earthworms, so I strongly recommend including them in the diet. Indeed, it's not easy for aquatic newts to eat crickets. But the opacum can certainly share the chopped earthworms.

 

[Critter Mom]

The question keeps being brought up about mixing snails and the newts. I checked into it to eat the algae in the tank for my own Chinese Firebelly Newts. Unless you know exactly what kind of snails you are dealing with, I would not recommend mixing them because you are taking a chance on the newts getting hurt. Some snails are omniverous, meaning that they eat plants AND ANIMALS. There is a place on this site about mixing species and a poor newt had it's head stuck in one of the snails that has a hard foot (trap door that shuts when they want to) and it eventually cut the newt's neck, killing it. I just would not take the chance unless you KNOW what kind you have and have researched it, and even then I don't know if I would do it.

So, with that being said, why don't you take the 3 gallon aquarium and keep the snails in it with a couple compatible fish, and maybe a small filter and small plant or ornament and a little gravel? You could even keep it bare with the snails and just a couple fish and change the water more often.:happy:

Have fun with your newt,
Critter Mom