Question: Food for newly hatched California newts? URGENT

[redwoodtree]

My California newt eggs just hatched today and yesterday, and I'm panicking because the brine shrimp eggs I ordered won't come until Tuesday. (plus I need at least an extra day to hatch them)

Does anyone know what I can feed them for now? I tried chopping up tubifex worms (the aquarium shop guy suggested them), but the tadpoles won't eat them. Is this because they're still too young or the worms are too big?

Please help before they die! Any advice is greatly appreciated.

 

[Lertsch]

No experience with California newts, but generally freshly hatched salamander & newt larvae have a yolk they feed off of for the first few days and don't feed until the yolk is gone.

 

[slowfoot]

If they still haven't come by that time, you can sweep any local ponds for very small aquatic foods. You just need a net with very small holes. Make sure you remove anything you catch that might be dangerous to the larvae: water beetles, dragonfly nymphs, etc. And realize you could possibly introduce a disease to your tanks.

 

[Sith the turtle]

These articles should be of help: Caudata Culture Articles - Raising Newts and Salamanders from Eggs Caudata Culture Articles - Microfoods Caudata Culture Articles - Raising Juvenile Newts And that last one can be used for almost every species of newt once they morph, not just fire-bellies :happy:

 

[redwoodtree]

Thanks for the info!

Also, should I move them back to the original tank because there's probably food for them in the water? I have a few white cloud mountain minnows in the tank. Do you think they would eat the newt larvae?

 

[Sith the turtle]

White cloud minnows probably would. I'd move them, and if you can, the adults too. They'd gladly take a small, defenseless newt larvae. If not, be prepared to lose a few larvae to the adults unless you have a large amount of live plants in their tank