Juvenile Chinese fire belly newt becoming aquatic?

[Zac]

Well, recently I've noticed my Chinese fire belly newt going near the water quite often. Could this mean he's going from his terrestrial phase to his aquatic phase?

Also, I'll upload videos on youtube regularly to show you guys how he's going!

Cheers
Zac

 

[Azhael]

If it´s not submerging for extended periods of time and the skin is not becoming adapated to water, then it´s not going into aquatic phase. As i told you, in order to get an stressed, recently-boguht newt to go aquatic again is to provide excelent water quality. They can chemically sense if the water is in good conditions or not.
I know you want different opinions on the water volume issue, and that´s good, but hold no doubt that water quality is directly related to water volume. A small water volume fouls surreally fast. If you want to provide the required excelent conditions, it´s in your best interest to have as big a water volume as you possibly can, because it will be much much easier to maintain it´s quality. Also, you really need to have the water area cycled.

 

[Zac]

Yeah man, I understand the high volume of water, the less amount it's going to be polluted. But I'm wondering if it's okay for the Newt? I can happily change the water often, I also have a filter, I'm just curious about what the newt will think about it. If he has enough room?

Cheers
Zac

P.S. Sorry for the amount of questions, it's just that there's no other forum/site as good as this one and I want the good information from quality amphibian keepers

 

[Azhael]

You´ve raised another problem with the limited space.
Filters produce a current, and if you have a small water volume, the current will shake everything up. Since Cynops orientalis is a species that inhabits still masses of water, this is not good at all. In fact too much of a current will cause enough stress that the newt will abandon the water and refuse to use it.
I always recommend to avoid using filters with this species, because they really do like the water to be totally still (a very weak current is not a problem provided that the water volume is big enough). A big enough, well planted, cycled tank does not need a filter as the surface of all the plants will provide enough space for the bacteria to grow on to recreate the effect of having a filter, but without the current. The plants themselves contribute by taking ammonia and nitrites from the water.

If i insist so much in the fact that you need the whole 37l for the newt is because if you want to provide excelent care for him, you really do need all the volume. It´s possible to keep them in smaller volumes but that will always be sub-optimal and will raise problems. Your duty as a keeper is to provide the best care you possibly can, not to see if it can survive in less (which it can...but it won´t thrive).

 

[Zac]

You´ve raised another problem with the limited space.
Filters produce a current, and if you have a small water volume, the current will shake everything up. Since Cynops orientalis is a species that inhabits still masses of water, this is not good at all. In fact too much of a current will cause enough stress that the newt will abandon the water and refuse to use it.
I always recommend to avoid using filters with this species, because they really do like the water to be totally still (a very weak current is not a problem provided that the water volume is big enough). A big enough, well planted, cycled tank does not need a filter as the surface of all the plants will provide enough space for the bacteria to grow on to recreate the effect of having a filter, but without the current. The plants themselves contribute by taking ammonia and nitrites from the water.

If i insist so much in the fact that you need the whole 37l for the newt is because if you want to provide excelent care for him, you really do need all the volume. It´s possible to keep them in smaller volumes but that will always be sub-optimal and will raise problems. Your duty as a keeper is to provide the best care you possibly can, not to see if it can survive in less (which it can...but it won´t thrive).

Awesome, thanks for the info

I have decided to use all the volume of water, with plants such as java moss and elodea. But shouldn't they have a little bit of land space? Given they are an amphibian. I also bought another CFBN, his name is Milo . I've noticed my first Newt, Newton, is much happier now that he has a friend, he is much more active and likes to give him a cuddle .

So, from my understanding a 10 gallon tank is suitable for 2 Chinese fire belly newts. What is your opinion on this one?

 

[Azhael]

It´s perfectly ok. Just make sure it´s properly cycled and heavily planted.

You can put a piece of floating cork bark as a land area. If any of them needs to rest, they´ll use it for a while. Also, if something went wrong with the quality of the water they´ll climb on to avoid it.