First post, ID request and help with BGA

[chaosepoch]

Hi all, first post so excuse the random blurb of information!
Long owned a pair of newts, in addition to the 3 types of frog & toad and was just looking for a bit of wisdom and advice really.

First up, the newts in question. Now the site I bought them from addressed them as Italian Crested newts (Tritarus Carnifex) but after 4 years of owning them (from juvenile to now a whopping size barely containable by hand) they have yet to display any more than a hint of colour change and very little in the sign of a crest. FYI, media included:

http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=-8551322594544379373&hl=en

They love waxworms & earthworms but don't care much for crickets, slugs or anything fast. One's much larger and of heartier appetite now but aside from that they're otherwise the same species.

The colouring was previously more of a jet black with a VERY strong yellow stripe along where the crest should grow. The underside has remained a striking orange & yellow with black blotchy patterns.



Other question is regarding the BGA cyanobacteria which seems prevalent. They seem to love it (have thrived for four years as I say) but I'd love to introduce either fish or another type of large newt, however I'm not sure they'd be so tolerant. Any advice on solutions which are safe for newts as most of the aquarium sites recommend some very strong chemical solutions?

 

[Jennewt]

Welcome! I would agree that they are crested newts, though it's not easy to ID the exact species with certainty. They can grow quite large. If yours happen to be all female, that would explain the lack of any crest. Also, they need a temperature cycle (cooler in winter) in order to get their crest, so if the temperature is too steady that could inhibit them. But more likely they are just all female.

Some of my tanks have minor infestations of BGA (blue-green algae - I know someone is going to ask!). I keep it in check by selectively siphoning it out or removing it with a paper towel. Keeping the nutrient level low will also help (see http://www.caudata.org/cc/articles/Tank_critters.shtml).

I would not recommending adding any fish, and certainly not any other newts. Not because of the BGA but because of compatibility and temperature issues. If you search or read through old posts, you'll find many previous discussions of species mixing and fish compatibility.