New newts, what are they?

[kat25]

So here are my two; yes i know they shouldn't be housed with fish and that the gravel is bad, im working on these things, my newts were an impulse buy and now im trying to improve upon their habitat, im in the process of setting up their own. So what kind are these two? Theres a fat one and a skinny one, what are their genders?

 

[Mark]

I don't see a photo attached.

 

[kat25]

Oops, doesnt work so well from my phone

Side note -are these guys normally aggressive? The skinnier of the two is quite the brat. He (i think) chases my fish all day, is very good at catching shrimp, often swims up and gives me a nibble while i'm fixing my tank, etc, and i'm almost positive he just recently took a good chunk out of my fatter newts leg (who is now being quarantined for its safety until further notice)

 

[nwmnnaturalist]

Getting rid of the gravel would definitely help. Anything they can potentially swallow can be fatal for them. You can even go with a bare bottom (glass)

 

[Scorpion]

Hm.. Not sure, but I think they're Japanese fire belly newts (Cynops pyrrhogaster).

 

[Azhael]

Those are Paramesotriton chinensis, and they can be territorial and agressive. If given enough space, hiding places and visual barriers, they sometimes get on well in groups, but there are some combinations of individuals that just don´t seem to work.

Try to get rid of the fish and the gravel as soon as possible. The newts are almost certainly highly stressed from the ordeal they´ve gone through with the importation and everything, so it´s important to give them excellent water conditions and a stress free environment. The fish won´t help at all with that.
Get them to gain some weight right away. Specially the first animal needs to fatten up substantially. Earthworms and waxworms would do nicely.

 

[daedae]

Looks like Paramesotriton hongkongensis or Paramesotriton chinensis? Either way def looks like a Warty newt.

 

[daedae]

Caudata Culture Species Entry - Paramesotriton chinensis

Great caresheet from the folks here for your newts ^

 

[Scorpion]

Well, I was way off

 

[daedae]

Well, I was way off

Maybe not too off. A lot of pet shops will sell a number of different newts under "firebelly," including paramesotriton and pachytriton. They just see the underbelly coloration and lump them together.

 

[Scorpion]

But that's not what they are, so I'm off. LOL

 

[kat25]

Hmm, thank you everyone! & the one has quite a bit of weight but a new injury & is housed seperatly now. The other I feed either ghost shrimp or bloodworms daily, he/she is the aggressive one and is definitely not afraid to eat! The heftyone one wont eat anything besides bloodworms, and wont eat at all at the moment. Im in the process of cycling their new tank, it has nice large rocks, is colder, etc. The skinny guy is still with the fish actually seems pretty happy. He chases fish all day and is always eager to come to the surface and eat, and actually (oddly enough) seems to like my hands and will crawl onto my arm if its in the tank. Im glad i finally know theyre of the warty type, no wo inder the one is such a brat! They have plenty of hiding spots all over the tank, ive even added more now.

 

[FrogEyes]

Definitely P.chinensis.

 

[kat25]

So now that i know these aren't the nicest little buggers, where do i find information to treat my newt who has all the nips and cuts? :/

 

[Jan]

If the nip marks do not look infected, I wouldn't do anything as these should heal. I would follow Azhael's advice; environment, feeding and proper husbandry are required.

 

[kat25]

They didn't look infected until today... but now the foot is clenched up and some white strings were hanging off its back. It has been moved to a quarentine without the fish or gravel. I'm not really clear on how to salt bathe if that's the appropriate thing to do?

 

[nwmnnaturalist]

They should still be permanently separated from the fish and the gravel. They can be harmful to each other by passing diseases, injuring one another and your fish will likely get the bum end of the deal. Gravel ingestion is potentially fatal.

 

[kat25]

As I said, I'm in the process of setting up their new tank