Question: I only feed my newt once a week. Is that bad? Long-time owner

[bjay154]

I've had my newt Tammy for over 12 years now. He's a Firebelly Newt (I think Chinese). I only feed him once a week and clean his tank whenever it gets dirty (about every two weeks or so).

Should I feed him more often? Or will he be fine with that amount (I give him about 7 HBH pellets a week)? I must be doing something right if he's lived this long and appears healthy.

 

[nwmnnaturalist]

Being cold blooded, they can go longer without food than warm blooded animals. However, you can feed them a bit more if you'd like. A slightly plump animal is nothing to be worried about. Pellets may be fine, but they really do like live food and some earthworms might be a good treat once in a while.

I would also recommend getting a larger aquarium for the little one (a 10 gallon would be lovely) to give it more room and more stimulation. I'm sure other members will have them in small containers too, but it's just a personal preference.

 

[Azhael]

I´m sorry to be more negative, but although once weekly can be ok for certain animals, yours looks underweight. It should have a considerably plumper body. Try to fatten it up with earthworms and waxworms, as soon as you can.
The tank is completely inadequate, i´m sorry to say. This species, Cynops pyrrhogaster (it´s not a chinese firebelly) is fully aquatic in captivity and you should offer it a minimum of 10 gallons of water. That´s the minimum typically available volume that will offer enough buffering for ammonia and nitrites, as well as temperature, pH, etc. I urge you to read these caresheets:
Caudata Culture Species Entry - Cynops pyrrhogaster - Japanese firebelly
Caudata Culture Articles - Water Quality

I have to say it´s rather miraculous that it has survived that long in those conditions, really quite astonishing.
Read as much as you can and get a 10 gallon tank asap. You won´t believe the difference it makes. Oh, and they apreciate having lots of live plants which is great since the plants help a great deal with water quality.

 

[nwmnnaturalist]

That's what I was thinking. I personally don't have experience with newts, but the hip protrusion led me to believe the newt was underweight.

It's the same thing with goldfish kept in bowls. They may seem to live a long time, but quality of life is minimal. Finding a 20 gallon tank is not that expensive, nor difficult. At the very least you should find a non-toxic plastic tote box that can hold that amount of water to give it a better habitat.

I didn't want to sound too harsh, but I agree that the newt needs far better care to thrive. If you feel what you've been doing is fine (since it has lived this long), even a dog can live 10-15 years kept outside in a shabby dog house and fed cheap food. That doesn't mean it's happy, or well. It's just squeaking by.

Amphibians are resilient creatures that can survive long, harsh conditions, but I agree it's quite remarkable and a bit sad that yours has lived this long with such inadequate conditions. Give that thing some nice squirmy worms, improve it's living conditions and it could stay with you for a long time.

Just doing the bare minimum for an animal, whether it's cute and fuzzy or small and slick, amounts to neglect. Education to pet owners like yourself isn't often widely available from most pet sources. I'm very happy that you posted here and you seem to want to give your newt a better life. Please keep in touch and we will be happy to guide you through giving this guy a great second half of his life.

 

[bjay154]

Thanks for the advice. I will get a new tank as soon as I can. I felt I might be doing something wrong. I stumbled across the forum a few days ago. I'm glad I signed up here :happy:

 

[nwmnnaturalist]

I can't wait to see what new 'digs' you'll set up for your newt! There are plenty of examples here on the website. You will be so proud when you see your newt explore it's new habitat. Don't be surprised if it 'pouts' a bit and hides for a while until it's used to the habitat. A couple nice hidey-holes will help keep them calm. Keep in touch and show us your success!

 

[Azhael]

Better late than never! Now you have a lot of information just waiting to be read. Make sure to read the articles at Caudata Culture and use the search function to find informative threads, of which there are plenty.
Since the new tank will require cycling, remember to take it into account to prevent unnecessary stress for the newt. The larger the tank, the more stable and less likely to cause trouble it will be, so if you have the space, aim for something larger than 10 gallons, it´ll only make your life easier.

While you sort out the new luxurious home, do your best to fatten the newt up. It will be less stressed with the change if it´s healthier and has good reserves. Like nwmnnaturalist said, they can be secretive and uninterested in food for a while after being moved, so it needs to gain weight before.

Good luck and remember to read until your eyes bleed