Near dessication

[vistajpdf]

Hi friends,

We have one tank of C.orientalis juveniles who have yet to return to the water. This is the last of a bunch of eggs laid couple of years ago, and while we've lost some, most have done very well.

Because there were only a few left (6), I moved them 4 days ago into a smaller tank and gave some of the newly aquatic newts the former land tank which is a larger tank and changed it over to aquatic. I have several tanks going and this little one (5 gallon) is the only land one. Its cover is a screen, not a hood like the bigger tank these guys used to call home. The marked change in evaporation was something we underestimated.

My sons have been feeding most of the mini-zoo we have this summer religiously with me checking over their shoulders, but this morning, we found the entire lot of terrestrial juveniles on dried out paper towels, huddled together in a corner. I thought they were all dead at first. I put them into one of the aquatic tanks and they began to slowly move.

They are now back in the terrestrial tank which I've added a small layer of water to, but they don't seem interested in eating or anything. With them being the weakest (last to mature) of the brood, what can I do to get them this over this hurdle? I'm worried that they will have multisystem failure. The cool water seemed to give them new life, but they are usually good eaters and are rather still at the moment. The kids kept feeding them and misting them, but it wasn't enough and the layer of substrate (unbleached paper towels) was not thick enough so it was easier to dry out with that screen cover and not the hood, which kept more moisture in.

Dana

 

[Molch]

you might consider moving them to a more soil-based setup with moss and bark as cover, which will hold moisture better than paper towels. They should be neither dry nor wet; just moist.

what are you feeding them? You could try to simply add lots of live food and see if they recover and start hunting on their own.

I use a piece of light cotton fabric under the screen lid; it still allows ventilation but keeps in moisture and fruit flies better...

 

[vistajpdf]

Thanks for your advice. I once had them on coco fiber, but grew concerned when another member believed his ingested some of the fiber leading to its untimely death. So, I went for the paper towels, but you're right, they don't hold the moisture. I usually use more. I'm sort of going to make a strong push to get them all aquatic and have a very shallow amount of water in the terrestrial tank since this happened. Even when standing in the water, it's not over the newts' heads, but there are still artificial trees and such if they want to be completely dry.

I meant to add that the day of the mishap, two were unable to be revived, but the rest have made a remarkable recovery. We have 6 now terrestrial on second count. We feel terribly about the ones who didn't make it, but are fortunate that the remaining ones seem perfectly fine now, eating, moving around as normal. They really all looked dead at first glance. It was awful and the guilt is killing me...

Thanks again - will give this set-up a chance and if it doesn't seem to be working, will return to the coco fiber. I know most have used it without any incidences.

Dana