How long can a newt go without food?

[aaustin15]

How long can a paddle tail go without food/ what should i do when i go back home? I'm in college and plan to go home for labor day weekend ( four days). I'm worried about leaving her):


also i know this is kind of far off, but what should i do over winter break when it will be more like two or three weeks of vacation?

thank you!

 

[asfouts]

Four days shouldnt be too bad... But certainly you should not starve your newt for a month. I would leave the newt with a trustworthy sitter or possibly take her home with you...Or maybe give her to a friend who lives near home to take care of? Idk it really depends on what you prefer to do... I was contemplating this myself as im about to head off to college yet I really wanted an axolotl... I decided against it to avoid the problems you face...

I hope this helps, best of luck to you and your newt

 

[SludgeMunkey]

Truthfully, if you have to ask such a question, you should probably find a home for your pet where it will receive the care it deserves.

That would be the truly responsible thing to do and be the best solution to your issue.

 

[atlatiselliott]

Paddle Tail Salamander or Paddle Tail Newt? They are different creatures. Mine went a month b/c he was sick

 

[Kaysie]

Elliot, I've never heard the common name 'paddletail salamander'. To what species are you referring?

 

[evut]

I am not familiar with paddletails but I assume they are similar enough to other newts. Perhaps someone with more experience with paddletails can correct me or add some useful information.

Not feeding for 4 days isn't an issue. A healthy well fed animal can go without food for quite some time. Feed it well before you go and it will be fine. How often do you feed your newt normally?

Regarding a longer holiday - can you get someone to feed a couple of times while you're gone? If the newt accepts pellets or frozen food, this could be quite easy.
The trouble with leaving for an extended period of time is not just feeding, but also water quality. How is your tank set up regarding plants and filtration? How often do you do water changes? The tank might be ok for two weeks - you could check that with ammonia tests in advance. Some people are happier leaving their newts without food for a few weeks rather than risk uneaten food fouling the water.

 

[aaustin15]

@ Eva,

i do a weekly water change of about 1/5 of it. i have a zoomed 318 canister turtle filter (i have a ten gallon tank). and I'm going this weekend to get something that will increase water flow in my tank. i also have some java fern but one of them just died and the other isn't looking so good... I'm assuming its because they're in sand?


and @ sludgemunkey,
i don't really think going home for christmas makes me "not give it the care it deserves"... i don't think people should not see their families during a holiday because of a pet... also, i definitely would not be asking the question and browsing this site so much if i wasn't trying to give her the best home possible. not to mention, i wouldn't be asking months in advance.....

i found an amphibian vet in my area (didn't event know there were vets that specifically did amphibians), so I'm going to see if someone there will take her for the winter break.


@ evut,
i feed her every two days.

 

[evut]

I think you could try to find out if the water quality is ok if you skip a water change. If you can do that while the newt is eating and pooping, then it should be fine. Otherwise you'd have to get someone to do a water change while you're away. The newt should have a little land area just in case.

If plants aren't doing so well and actually rot then they will probably be detrimental to the water quality. There are plants that do well in sand but there are other factors to consider like water hardness. You can have a look at the plants section of the forum to get some ideas.

 

[aaustin15]

I think the plants are dying also cause I never put like direct light on them.):

 

[aaustin15]

yep, i have a little floating dock for her. Ill read up about plants on here. i think mine were dying cause i don't have any light on them. I'm going to go get the water tested tomorrow too, just to see where I'm at. i also took the plants out that look like they might be dying. thanks for your help!