First Timer...want to do everything correctly.

[ryan]

Ok,
I just got this cute little girl, her name is Tara. Me and my girlfriend saw her in the pet store and had to have her. Anyway, I got the impression that the people at the pet store were not to sure about proper care of her. I purchased a 10gal glass tank and they said to get rocks for fishtank and fill 1/2 tank with water then slow up with rocks to provide the other 1/2 with land. They also gave me dried pellet food which according to this site is "POOR". I have included a picture so you can see what I'm dealing with. I am not familure with many of the terms and lingo you guys use when browsing posts. Basically I need to know exactly what I should get and do to make sure Tara has a killer time. I'm planning on getting some nightcrawlers tomarrow and cutting them into 1/4ths for her to eat. Also, if you guys tell me to put things like plants and moss, it would be helpsull if you gave me the exact names and possibly even liks of where to purchase so I don't get confused and frustrated. Thanks a lot and I hope we can be active contributers to this forum as Tara gets older. -Ryan

 

[joel]

Hey, I'm just starting out myself, so I'll see what I can say, and the people around here can improve on it, they're very handy that way..

First off, you should use the charts on this site to figure out exactly what kind of newt you've got, I'm only familiar with a few species, and can't tell from your pic, what kind of newt you've got. Certain newts will adore nearly water filled tanks, while others prefer it simply moist, The first step is definately figuring out the specific species.

The screen top is good, I hear, just make sure she can't climb out, as newts are almost all pretty adept at climbing, and good at squeezing through tight spaces.

If she's more of an aquatic newt, you'll want lots of water, and definately a filter, of some kind, probably low current, since currents will stress newts out. Also just a bit of floating land is preferable, so that they can climb out if they are weak or sick. Gravel actually isn't neccessary in aquatic setups, but it's all up to you there, the presence of gravel is just slightly conducive to buildup of refuse. Earthworms are a good choice for food.

Anyways, the best information is right on this site, here's a link to the faqs.
http://www.caudata.org/cc/faq/faq.shtml

One to individual articles
http://www.caudata.org/cc/articles/articles.shtml

And one to a lsiting of different species.
http://www.caudata.org/cc/species/species.shtml

Most of the more experienced posters here are familiar with most of the information on the caudata.org site, so if you've got any questions, these forums are a great place. Newts are just such a varied sort of creature, it's much easier to give out help when you've got a species name to go by.

Anyways, I'll cease rambling and let some other people share their wisdom, welcome to the forums, Ryan.

PS: Don't worry about the lingo, just read the articles, and faqs, they contain a vast wealth of information, and you'll be talking like everyone else here in no time, if you're inclined to.

 

[ryan]

Thank you so much for the links. I checked out the species and I have a: Notophthalmus viridescens aka
Eastern Newt. Looks like I'm gonna havre to get some rocks to pile up in the corner of the tank so I can raise the water level to let her swim around. Picking up some nighcrawlers on my way home from work and have my girlfriend looking for moss while she is hiking today. Any help on life plants for the water? how do they stay alive and what types should I look into purchasing?

 

[william]

pothos is an excellent plant to have, for water plants you could try hornwort, you need to put some hides in the tank too.

 

[ryan]

Looking into those plants as we speak. Can you please explaine what you mean by "hides"? thank you for all the help so far. I'll post another picture after I raise the water and add some rocks and bark and moss later tonight.

 

[joan]

Your little one is quite red. She may still be in the eft stage, in which case she'll be completely terrestrial. Putting her into a fully aquatic setup will be stressful. Do you have any idea how old she is?

Pothos is awesome and will grow practically anywhere.

Hides are places she can hide in, where it is dark and quiet. Most people here use flowerpots or PVC tubes.

 

[ryan]

Thanks for the info Joan, I was going to make her a terrarium with mostly water and about 10% land, but now I obviously won't. I really have no idea how old she is. I was fishing the other day and heard fish jumping a few feet away went close and saw they were trying to eat her....scooped her up and saved her. I used a net and transfered her to a bucket without touching her. i'll go get some good hides for her tonight along with all the other things I need. Thanks again for the help. How can I tell when I should re-do her housing when she is ready to be almost completely aquatic.

 

[jeff]

If you snagged her out of the water, then she's likely past eft stage. I thought you said you and your girlfriend got her in a pet store?

 

[ryan]

nope,
just saw another post about people taking from wild and getting hollered at so was scared to say that I took her from wild. But since I really don't want her to die or get sick and you guys need all the details to help me figure out how to house her, I thought I would tell you how she was really aquired and suite myself up for getting hollered at for taking her from wild. So how should I house her. She is a very bright orange and last I saw she was in the water by the edge almost getting swallowed....if she was in deeper water she probably would have been done for. Only sunnies stay that close so she was lucky I guess. I mean it could also be a possibility that she justwent in for a dunk or something because right now she goes into the shallow water very often in her current setup.

 

[jeff]

Is it possible to get a few close-up pictures of the newt?

 

[ryan]

Jeff,
Of Course. I get off work and home by 6:00pm EST I'll have them posted by 6:15. I'll try to zoom in as close as possible to her for you. I'm going out after we take the pictures to get her nightcrawlers, and to the pet store to get her places to hide and some live plants. I'll hold off on getting her plants for the water until we recognise if she is completely terrestrial or not.

 

[jennifer]

If the newt is willingly going into the water in the tank setup shown, and its skin stays wet, then it's ready to be at least partially aquatic. Behavior may be a better indicator than color.

 

[ryan]

ok, my camera is getting so blurry when I zoom in that you can't make anything out, alth Tara decided to hid herself on the backside of a wooden tree and rock that are in her place so it's hard to get an angle without the zoon. I looked around and found this pic which looks exactly like her.
http://jschumacher.typepad.com/joe/images/vt_hike_04.jpg

 

[jeff]

I agree with Jen. Sounds like Tara might be on the verge of changing phases. Her color will likely change from orange to an olive green color over time.

 

[peter]

I'd just like to point out that your newt is a fairly toxic animal, so be sure not to allow it to escape if you have pets. Adults lose much of their toxicity, but an eft could potentially kill up to 2,500 mice. Some fish have adapted around this, but those fish may have been in for a surprise.

http://www.caudata.org/cc/articles/newt_toxins.shtml

Eastern newts can be kept terrestrial as adults if needed. I've run into problems with my tank before, and was forced to remove the aquatic adults. Adult notos are usually aquatic but have a terrestrial phase and will undergo some physical changes to adapt to life on land. A small percentage of the wild population will exist as this, but all adults can do it if the pond dries up. Aquatic adults may prove more interesting and easy to feed, though.

Adding leaves (I prefer oak) and/or moss (or a substrate such as cocofiber, if you want to convert the tank to a false bottom, though this would require some minor construction to prevent the soild from going into the water) to the land side may produce a more natural looking aquarium, and will provide hiding spots for your eft.

Good luck with her. My adults have been a major pain for me, but the two small efts I left from last years eggs have been no problem, eating springtails and the occasional fruit fly.