Help! Firebelly Newt Had Two Accidents In One Day!

[not]

Hi, I am 14 and have been keeping firebelly nets for a year. My new female [rough skinned] firebelly newt escaped from her cage (somehow she managed to move the cellephane plastic that keeps her in her 5 gallon aquarium) and fell 4 feet from the counter where her aquarium is located to the carpet, I found about 4 or 5 feet across the floor and returned her to her cage then put three more layers of cellephane and tape on her aquarium. She seemed fine and ate her dinner (three week old cricket and a shrimp pellet) 30 minutes later. Later I found that her heater (which I put in since it is very cold and other wise her water would be too cold) had overheated to around 85-90 degrees instead of it's normal 75-78 degrees), I removed her from her aquarium and put her in a small kritter keeper with some 78 degree aquariums water, she is currently in this tank for the hour or so it will take to cool some aquarium water enough to chill her tank. She seems kind of lethargic [but it could be the fact that she is only in three inches of water), is their anything that can be done to help her? Will she be okay? I can't get my parents to take a newt to a vetrinarian this late. Is their something I can do at my house to help her? I can't find any information on newt medical emergencys on the internet, I don't know what to do about this!

 

[andy]

Your newt could be suffering from heat stress. These animals hate those kinds of temperatures! All my animals over the years have been kept at around the 68f mark. It sounds to me your newt was trying to escape from the heat, that why it got out! let it cool down and see if it gets any better, in the meantime have a look around this forum, there's a wealth of information here.
Not sure what your newt is, could be paramesotriton
Does it look like this http://www.caudata.org/cc/species/Paramesotriton/P_hongkongensis.shtml

 

[benjamin]

I like to keep my newts in the 60's maximum, once in the winter I let some of my newts drop into the 30's. Believe it or not I find that firebellie's are just as active in the high 30's as they are in much warmer temperatures. You have to remember that many newts are not tropical animals and often do not require heating.

If you do have paramesotriton they require slightly warmer temps, roughly room temperature. If you keep your animals in doors you should scrap the heater idea all together.

 

[pamela]

I agree with Andy, and Benjamin. The best thing to do is get that heater out of there! I have several tanks of C.o. (Chinese Fire Belly). Their tanks fluctuate with the day/night temps in my home. No heater in any tanks. These little newts can take cold water, and prefer that to warm water. My newts are much more active in high 50's to low 60's (F). The water levels are at least 8" high also. Lots of live plants also make them very happy, and keep your water quality - well, "quality". Good luck with your little ones.

(Message edited by Salmonella on April 04, 2005)

(Message edited by Salmonella on April 04, 2005)

 

[john]

Also, never feed your newt a 3 week old cricket. Crickets need to be alive to be fed to your newt.

 

[paris]

john-i think hamster was referring to a live cricket of 3 weeks age-not a cricket thats been dead for 3 weeks...

NT,
the 75-78 temps you have the tank set at are actually in the highest range of tolerance for this species (if it is a jap firebelly). by over heating you can actually COOK a newt, 90 F is known to destroy the proteins in some caudates( i cant remember my source on this but im sure someone else might know it off hand)..she should be kept cool -like in the upper 60's while she recovers -if she can-while some can tolerate higher temps, it compromises their ability to deal with disease and injury -so she will need to be kept cooler and on damp paper (changed daily) towels in a hospital container.

 

[carly]

I also wonder if maybe you have a taricha, rather than an CFBN as you said "rough skinned" and some people assume they are fire bellies because of their orange undersides.
I'm not sure if they require different temps.

Is anyone else concerned about the seran wrap as a tank cover? I've never heard of this before, but I would be concerned about oxygen levels. I suppose if you are removing it to feed them daily it may not be bad... that would also make it warmer in the tank though, no?

(Message edited by carlotta on April 05, 2005)

 

[pamela]

Well pointed out Carly. Saran wrap? If so, it must go. Also, are you able to send a pic of your newt - so that it can be identified? Even so...it can be assumed that cooler temps are necessary for the existent of this newt. Can your parents make a nice lid for your aquarium? Such as - wood frame, with screen (vinyl). That is very cheap, safe, and effective.

 

[hamster]

I took out the heat (the petstore said that they liked heat but it is probably why she tried to get out). I was refering to a live three week old cricket (not a dead one that would be kind of gross to give her a dead one). Thanks for the information. She seems okay today she ate her food and she has started swimming and coming out of the water again. Hopefully she will be okay.

 

[paris]

pet stores may sell animals but they dont know alot about them-if they were pharmacys we'd have alot of drug related deaths!