New to the Newt-world

[Mokomoko]

Hey all,

my wife and i purchased some newt eggs about 3 months ago, we had in total 26 eggs of which they all hatched in 2 different batches. we had them all together in a larger tank but recently split them up as the smaller ones were getting attacked....(we are pretty sure 2 were eaten)

We were just wondering when CFBN morph?
have tried to find out on this site but am probably looking in the wrong place.

if anyone can help that would be awesome :happy:

 

[Bellabelloo]

Could you add a picture and/or a description please

 

[Mokomoko]

hi, thanks for replying, here is a link to some photos

Danni's and Andrea's Newts

 

[Mokomoko]

Oh and I am just putting some photos into my album

 

[wargar]

Hi,

From the look of those photos I would say you have a while yet. One major factor will be the temp they are being kept at (usually the colder the longer). Mine tend to gain a lot more colour first and you will see the gills getting visiably smaller. Size is not always an indicator as some will morph bigger than others. The larger generally the better as the larger ones tend to do better than the smaller ones.

When they do start morphing you will need to get a lid on that tank fast as they are great escape artists.

Dave

 

[Mokomoko]

Hi,

From the look of those photos I would say you have a while yet. One major factor will be the temp they are being kept at (usually the colder the longer). Mine tend to gain a lot more colour first and you will see the gills getting visiably smaller. Size is not always an indicator as some will morph bigger than others. The larger generally the better as the larger ones tend to do better than the smaller ones.

When they do start morphing you will need to get a lid on that tank fast as they are great escape artists.

Dave

thanks for the great advice Dave

the temp of my tank is generally around 20-23 degrees C. What Temp do you suggest is best? I have been told varying different temps.

thanks again :supercool:

 

[wargar]

Hi,

You need to get the temps lower, 16 - 20 deg. There are articles on here about tank cooling. I have a ice box cooling system that works, however you can put a frozen bottle of water in there. The other thing I did was the water I was using for water changes I would store in the fridge.

Don't worry to much if temps drop lower than 16, mine have frozen over before now and been fine, however try not to let the temps fluctuate to much as this will distress them.

Dave

 

[Mokomoko]

Thanks for the info dude.

just wondering what would happen if the temp is kept constant at 20-23, will that cause my newts to die or suffer damage? sorry for all the questions.

Danni and Andrea

 

[AngieD]

I have 1 CFBN larva, and he/she is just over 5 months old, but showing signs of getting interested in the land. I have heard that these particular newts usually morph between 3 and 6 months old. I am keeping mine in a cool room to enable him to grow as much as possible, so he has a better chance of surviving 'the big event'.

Colour is not always an indicator, as different foods can affect the belly colour - whiteworms give them a yellow underbelly, whereas daphnia and brine shrimp give them the characteristic orange.

I would agree that yours don't look quite ready yet, I would try to keep them cool so they can bulk up before morphing.

One last thing - I like your tank setup

 

[Mokomoko]

Hi Angie,
Cool thats great info

Our tank setup is continuly evolving, i just yesterday changed the plastic lids to aluminium frames mesh lids that i made, it should help with keeping the temp down so the warm air can escape. in your avatar the water is pink? why is that?

thanks again

Danni and Andrea

 

[wargar]

just wondering what would happen if the temp is kept constant at 20-23, will that cause my newts to die or suffer damage?

If the temps are kept at that level for long periods of time it will cause distress to your newts. Keeping them at higher temps will also increase risks of infection and diseases.

Before I had my cooler my tank (in the very rare hot spells we get in the UK) would sometimes hit the 22-23 deg mark for short periods, and I would notice my newts appeared sluggish and be off their food.

Dave

 

[AngieD]

The water look pink because the live daphnia are in bags of pink water.
When I feed 'taddy' I get all the dirt out of his tub and then pour the bag of daphnia in slowly, the pinkness doesn't seem to bother him

 

[Mokomoko]

you guys are great

does it matter how deep the water in the tank is?

 

[Kaysie]

Not really. But remember, the more water you have, the better. It helps buffer against water quality issues and swings in temperature.

When they get to the point where metamorphosis is imminent, you will need to change the setup to something shallow and with easily accessible land. But that's not necessary at this point.