Question: Help! My newt isn't eating!

[kuawaia]

Help! My newt isn't eating!

I'm looking after my friend's newt while she's away for 5 weeks. I don't know what kind it is, except it's about 2 inches long and black. He's in a small aquarium with water and a plastic plant he can sit on out of the water. He hasn't eaten since she brought him over, almost two weeks ago. I don't know what to do. He gets frozen blood worms. I've got him in a cool dark place - she saw it when she brought him over and said it was fine. I'm panicking. He's stayed with me before and there was no problem.

Any suggestions?

 

[Chinadog]

Could you post pics of the newt and its tank? it would make offering advice much easier if we could see exactly what you have.

 

[Sith the turtle]

Also, frozen bloodworms are not nutritionally complete. I would recommend chopped earthworms or Canadian Nightcrawlers as a staple.

 

[kuawaia]

Could you post pics of the newt and its tank? it would make offering advice much easier if we could see exactly what you have.

I've uploaded to pictures to my albums (I'm just learning to use this forum!).

Could he be losing his skin? This morning I went to change the water in the tank, and when I picked him up he was stiff. I thought he was dead. I dropped him in the tank - just reflexively. A few minutes later he had changed shape - stretched out. I just thought the water was softening the dead body. But then a few more minutes I couldn't see him and I found him in the plastic plant. So I took the plant out and found some black stuff in the water which maybe is his skin?? So I cleaned the tank, put fresh water, put him back and am praying.

 

[kuawaia]

Also, frozen bloodworms are not nutritionally complete. I would recommend chopped earthworms or Canadian Nightcrawlers as a staple.

He's always eaten frozen bloodworms since my friend got him but I could give it a try. But some of those worms would be bigger than him, he's only about two inches long.

 

[Methos5K]

You can cut up the nightcrawler/earthworms into small pieces for him. Here is a link to an article here that can help.

I have never met a newt that didn't go for worm chunks! Good luck!

 

[Sith the turtle]

From the picture it looks like a Chinese fire belly newt, and on the album picture, it says that the newt does not go into water that often. I would first of, get a larger tank for my follow up question, and my follow up is to get a water quality check thingy to make sure the ammonia and ph are not to high, I would also raise the water level, and aquatic plants and or moss balls, to help with stress

 

[Chinadog]

Yes looking at the tank I would guess water quality/temperature are the issue. The minimum recommended water volume for aquatic newts is ten gallons. Smaller volumes will often be very unstable in terms of temperature and water chemistry.
Being as it isn't your newt it would probably be easiest to change 100% of his water every couple of days with either dechlorinated tap water or cheap bottled water, that way you will be certain that ammonia or nitrite aren't stressing him out. A bunch of live plants would help a lot if you can get any.
Once things stabilise you should keep trying the chopped nightcrawlers or even the bloodworm to begin with and hopefully he will start getting hungry.

Here is the care sheet for Chinese firebellies.
Caudata Culture Species Entry - Cynops orientalis - Chinese firebelly

 

[kuawaia]

thanks, I'll try that.

 

[kuawaia]

Yes looking at the tank I would guess water quality/temperature are the issue. The minimum recommended water volume for aquatic newts is ten gallons. Smaller volumes will often be very unstable in terms of temperature and water chemistry.
Being as it isn't your newt it would probably be easiest to change 100% of his water every couple of days with either dechlorinated tap water or cheap bottled water, that way you will be certain that ammonia or nitrite aren't stressing him out. A bunch of live plants would help a lot if you can get any.
Once things stabilise you should keep trying the chopped nightcrawlers or even the bloodworm to begin with and hopefully he will start getting hungry.

Here is the care sheet for Chinese firebellies.
Caudata Culture Species Entry - Cynops orientalis - Chinese firebelly

Thank you!