Question: New firebelly newts, would like advice

[magicalnewt88]

Hi everyone! I'm new to the community and forums in general, but I'm really excited to be a part of it.
I have recently purchased some fire belly newts. Before getting them I did some basic research of them to see how I set of my tank. I read that they are mostly aquatic amphibians so I set up my tank with water and just a floating turtle log. Well, upon getting my newts, they seem to just like being on the log so having a 35 gallon tank with just a turtle log for land seems to be a bad idea. I asked the seller how old they are (4-6 months) and they are 2-2.5" long. I'm not sure if they are still babies or not?
I read that the babies are mainly terrestrial, so my tank doesn't seem to make them happy. I have 3 newts, one super tiny, one medium and one larger than the other two. I got them 4 days ago and, of course, they weren't eating (due to stress, I assume). Today I tried feeding them some frozen brine shrimp I left overnight in their tank on a toothpick. The medium one is the only one eating. I also tried freeze dried bloodworms and cutting up mealworms. He (the medium), also, ate a little bit of each thing. I've, also, tried frozen bloodworms with the other two but they just turn their heads. I can't get a hold of any live blackworms or earthworms, I wish I could.
The medium one is the only one that has actively explored the tank. He swims from one end to the other and randomly goes to the bottom to chill. Last night, I saw the larger one relaxing at the bottom for about a minute then came back on land and doesn't move from the log. The tiny one swims to a corner and sticks to the tank out of the water, then goes back to the log.
I have read that patience is a big part of starting out with newts, but I am still worried because I don't want anything to happen to them. I am going to try and upload pictures of the tank and newts. Please let me know if I need to transfer them from the big tank to a smaller one that is half land and half water? Or is my tank alright for them?
I have a filter regulating the water, which I have tested and everything seems normal and within parameters. The tank temp is 73F. I realize newts like cooler water temps I can always drop it if it's way too warm for them. I have seen them swim around in it for a little while. The reason I put them in such a big tank is because I wanted to add some community fish once the newts got adjusted. I think some passive fish will be nice as some tank mates for them, even though they probably don't need them. Tropical fish need warmer water so that's why I had the water temp a little warmer than usual, so they could adjust.
Let me know if I'm doing everything wrong or just need to change a few things, please.

 

[Asevernnnn]

First of all, if they are bought from a petstore you can almost 100% say that they're wild caught and definitely not 4-6 months old.
I would try setting them up in a cool shallow setup with no completely dry land with a ton of live plants, and after a while start increasing the water level slowly. But I would only try this after they have begun to eat regularly.
For the diet, you're not going to want to feed freeze-dried or frozen foods as a staple. I would try to get them to eat some chopped up earthworm or nightcrawler which can be bought from bait shops, some grocery shops w/ fishing sections and can even be collected from outside from a pesticide free area. After they have gone aquatic they may accept newt/carnivore pellets which would work as well.
For a fully aquatic adult tank, you're going to want to have a minimum of 10 gallons of water, ideally cycled with a water temperature below 74F, a floating land mass like a turtle dock, cork bark, etc., with a substrate of fine sand, no substrate at all, or large gravel that cannot be swallowed. If using gravel, make sure that it is cleaned out often as waste will get trapped underneath. You're also going to want a lot of live plants, and that with regular water changes and spot cleaning and maybe a sponge filter will make it so you may not need any mechanical filtration at all. Mechanical filtration will often warm your water slightly, and no heat source will be necessary as well.

 

[Izzdelatorre98]

You said tropical fish like it warmer...does that mean you are keeping fish in with your newts? If so, I suggest you remove them immediately. The addition of fish puts more strain on the tank because more waste is produced. In a newly cycling tank, this will lead to spikes in ammonia, this is deadly for newts. Newts + fish = no no

 

[ChristineB]

Welcome! Here is a site care sheet on Firebellied Newts: Caudata Culture Species Entry - Cynops orientalis - Chinese firebelly There are some suggestions for encouraging them to be aquatic (such as putting their island just a fraction of an inch below the water line). It also says it's common for newts to take "several days" to start eating in a new home. Your tank looks very pretty, but gravel is frowned upon for newts because it's sometimes accidentally ingested, causing impaction. You might consider swapping it for sand, or bracing for a lot of people to advise you to do so. :wink: The only other big suggestion is to nix the heater, their natural habitat is cold water. Keeping fish with newts is another touchy subject; those who support it tend to agree only passive, small cold-water feeder species (minnows, guppies), and keep in mind some species are dangerous. Here are some things to consider before deciding whether to keep fish in there: Caudata Culture Articles - Fish with Caudates

 

[magicalnewt88]

Thanks for the advice everyone. I'm trying to change around the tank so that the water level is lower and I have more things sticking out of the water for them to climb on. I think, they would appreciate a little more variety than a turtle log. Also, I need to change my filter to get rid of the current it's making.
Update: The smallest one ate yesterday which made me so happy. I got some nightcrawlers for them and he ate 3 good pieces of one. The bigger one still refuses to eat. I've been using tweezers to feed them and sometimes I leave a little bowl in their tank for a little while, to see if they'll eat. I've read that some use tweezers, a toothpick, hand or separate the newt from the tank. If one way isn't working with the big one, do I try the other ways to see if he'll eat with that method? I just didn't want to bother him or stress him out more than he already is.

 

[jamessamlev]

Nightcrawler and other earth worms move a lot when put in the water and especially if you chop them down to size so you could just leave them on the substrate and leave the newt to get to it himself, if not then you could put a food bowl that sinks and leave the worms in there and the newt will find them himself

 

[magicalnewt88]

I have a few more questions...
I need to lower the water level of my tank. Right now, it's about 3/4 full of water with just a floating log for the land. I want to change it to half land and half water but, I really don't want to use live plants, right now. I'll get them eventually but, I just need an underwater filter so I can lower the water level. Any suggestions on which one to use? I have a 35 gallon tank.
I, also, need a lid for my aquarium. What's the best kind of lid for newts? I know they like to climb the tank. I have a lid but, it has a hole for a filter that hangs out of the tank and I really don't feel safe with that hole there. They haven't done any exploring or getting in the water, yet. I just want to be prepared for when they actually want to go into the water. It, also, has LED lights built into it. I read newts need 12 hours of daylight and 12 hours of night. Are the LED lights too much for them? So far, I haven't been using the lights. They have their tank close to a window so I figured that was good for daylight. The light from the window doesn't hit their tank, though, it just lights up the room.

 

[Chinadog]

A large land area is not needed for Chinese firebellies, they live almost entirely in the water in captivity so a piece of floating cork or a small island is plenty good enough.
If you won't use live plants you should make sure there are plenty of plastic ones near the surface for the newts to rest in, its quite possible for newly imported newts to drown in open water. Also, you need to be extra careful about water quality. It can take a long time for a tank with no live plants to cycle, so you may need to do daily partial water changes to keep things safe.
You should block any holes in the lid with sponge or similar straight away, firebellies are masters of escape and will fit through the smallest of holes. I've posted the care sheet for Chinese firebellies if you haven't seen it already.

Caudata Culture Species Entry - Cynops orientalis - Chinese firebelly

 

[magicalnewt88]

Update: the newts started eating so I changed their tank a little bit.
lowered the water level, a few land areas for them to rest on, a plant hanging above a rock that they really like to hang out in.
But they stay in that plant all the time. They don't even come down to eat anymore. And since its above the water, their skin doesn't look as shiny and saturated like it used to. I put water on the plant so I can get their skin wet. Should I remove this plant so they don't have a way to totally stay away from the water?
Also, the big one looks like he was shedding. I'm not too sure because he doesn't come out of the plant. I just saw a little white on his head and it wasn't there before. Is that something bad?