Newt Eggs

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shop worn angel

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Hi! I've had my 2 beautiful newts for a year now. I got them when they were babies. It appears as though one of them is female ( although I thought both were male), as there are several eggs in their tank. I'm wondering how I might be able to tell if an egg has been fertilized??? This is a puzzle to me. I was also told by a very reliable pet store, that even if I made the effort to hatch an egg, it might not happen, due to the particular conditions that are required to breed little newts. If someone has any information on this stuff, I'd appreciate the help! Thanks!!!

swa
 
Thanks for your responses. I have Chinese Firebelly newts.
I'm not inclined to think that these are snail eggs, as my newts have no live plants nor live food given to them. I feed them frozen worms...can snails get into the tank via frozen worms???

I did take a look at the links, and the eggs look more like newt eggs than snail eggs. I also did research on limpets, because I thought perhaps that's what it was, only they still look more like newt eggs. I care for my newts' home regularly, so I hope this is not what's going on....I have a feeling it's newt eggs...I'll have to keep my eye on things.

swa
 
shop worn angel said:
I was also told by a very reliable pet store, that even if I made the effort to hatch an egg, it might not happen, due to the particular conditions that are required to breed little newts.
Click to expand...

I have no idea what the pet shop employee was talking about. (Even very good pet shops are usually clueless about newts, sadly.) If the eggs are fertile, you would have to do something seriously awful to prevent them from hatching! There are no special conditions required until after they hatch - that's when the fun starts. If they match the photos of newt eggs, then that's what you have!
 
Thanks for your prompt reply, Jennifer! Four of the eggs are developing in the same way the pictures on the internet have shown. It's pretty exciting! Unfortunately, I, too, am aware of the fact that pet stores don't know accurate info about these little creatures...I often do as much research as I can to figure things out based on an assortment of knowledge...joining this forum was part of that for me.

I've read on this site that I just need to keep the larvae in a shallow container once they hatch. That's going to be my next step, I suppose....

If you have any additional info for me, I'd love more suggestions. My little newts are a very important part of my life and I want to care for them in the best way I can.


swa
 
Hi, again , Jennifer!


I just took another look at the info on this site. I just want to confirm with you my next few steps. First, I'll be sure to do a 50% water change daily. Out of curiosity, must I add the dechlorinating stuff to this water, as I would for my newts in their tank??? I'll be purchasing a bigger shallow plastic tub for the eggs, too. How much water should I be filling this tub with for the eggs and also for the larvae?
Another concern of mine is the food for the larvae once they hatch. Up until now, I've been feeding my newts frozen worms ( bloodworms and tubifex). Only one of my newts likes the pellets, so i don't bother too much with those. If I chop up these frozen worms for the larvae and use a turkey baster to clean out any uneaten food as well as continue to look after the water carefully, may I feed the babies frozen worms?

I think that's all the questions I have for now.

Thanks again for your help.

swa
 
The nice thing about your newt eggs is they can take a while to hatch(2-3wks), even when they do, they won't eat right away. If you are planning on raising them, this gives you a little time to set up live food for them.

This will give you some basics:
http://www.caudata.org/cc/articles/microfoods.shtml

I personally have used both baby brine shrimp and Microworms as a first food for mine. BBS were a little more labor intensive but you will get better growth and color in your young. Brine shrimp eggs can be found at most pet stores. Microworms were much easier for me to maintain, but you generally have to order them online unless you've got a NICE pet shop nearby. Let us know how it goes!
 
Yes, you need to dechlorinate the water. I recommend both adding the drops and letting the water sit for a least a few hours, to equilibrate the temperature and allow any excess dissolved gas to dissipate.

Regarding chopped frozen bloodworms... it has been done that way, but you would have to use an eyedropper to make the pieces move around. In the early stages, larvae only respond to moving food. Garrison's suggestions are more likely to work.

Instead of one big shallow tub, you may do better with 2 or more smaller ones. At some point, you are likely to need to separate the larvae by size (both to prevent cannibalism, and also because different sizes may be taking different foods).

Final word of advice (for now): try to find a local source of live blackworms. I know they are available at some pet shops in Canada. If you find a source, then you are "home free" as far as live food is concerned. It's worth making some calls.
 
Hi, all! Onto my next few questions....


1. It seems as though the jelly sac around one of my newt's babies has deteriorated...it seems far too early for it to be in the hatching stage, although it looks slightly more developed than the rest....does anybody know what is going on here???

2. I called around to try to find live blackworms, and it seems as though no one carries these. One pet store did say that they carried live wax worms and also live mealworms. Are these suitable for the newt larvae???

3. I haven't discovered any more eggs over the past couple of days...just the 14 ( 3 of which weren't healthy) on that first day. Is it normal for a very small amount of eggs to be laid??? Could Amethyst ( my newt) lay some more over the next little while???? Do newts lay some and then take a break and lay more after a little while???


Thanks for everyone's feedback...this is very fascinating to me and I just want to be sure I'm doing the best that I can for these little guys.

swa
 
1. I'm not sure what's happening. Any chance of a photo? It may be time for it to hatch. Occasionally some hatch as preemies, which may or may not survive.

2. No, those are too large. Time to look for brine shrimp eggs.

3. Yes, yes, and yes.
 
Well, it looks as though one of my little newt babies has hatched!!! I can't believe it!!!


I'm wondering how I might safely pick up these little larvae upon transferring them from one place to another...also, how might I safely pick up the eggs???

Thanks again for everyone's help!

swa
 
Congratulations on the larva! I used a pipette to transfer larvae and eggs from container to container with both C. pyrrho's and Maa's. I think a turkey baster would also work well. Good luck with them, raising newts from eggs is very rewarding, though time consuming!
Heather
 
In addition to the pipette or turkey baster, you can transfer larvae by "pouring" if they are in a small container. Slowly pour away most of the water, then QUICKLY jiggle/pour the remaining water + larvae into another container of water. Or you can catch them using a smaller container (herd them one-by-one into a tiny cup, for example). If I'm pulling larvae out of the adults' tank, I use a turkey baster, but I have to put my finger over the opening as soon as the larva is inside, otherwise it tends to swim back out.
 
The turkey baster works well!


Three of my larvae have hatched. Two hatched 2 days ago, and one hatched yesterday. All of them are still laying on their sides and don't seem to be interested in food yet. Is this normal???
 
Yes, it's normal for them to lay on their sides for the first day or two. They will not begin to eat until the yolk is all used up. The yolk is visible as an opaque yellow/white area on the abdomen. For illustration of yolk, see photos here:
http://www.caudata.org/cc/articles/series_T_ver.shtml
 
Thanks! This puts my mind at ease. The yolk is still very visible on all 3 babies. I took a look at those pictures of the development, and mine look just like that. I'll try to feed them again once that stripe is gone.
 
I can't find live blackworms, and the brine shrimp seem to be very labour intensive. I attempted to feed the 3 larvae chopped frozen bloodworms with an eyedropper, but they did not take to them (it's still too early, though, as the yolk is still visible on all of them). I have found a pet store that carries live bloodworms. He says I'd be able to get 1/4 pound of these and keep them in the fridge in cold water. I'm considering trying the live worms, but am also tempted to give the frozen ones another try once the yolk is gone.

1. How long will these bloodworms (1/4 pound) last me to feed my larvae? ( Again, at this moment, I have only 3, although I know more will hatch soon).

2. Do I need to chop up these bloodworms for the larvae?

3. How much do I feed the larvae?


Thanks!
 
LOL, common names are so confusing, even for worms. What the shop is calling live bloodworms are probably actually blackworms. (If you compare their color and appearance to frozen bloodworms - which really are bloodworms - you'll understand what I mean).

1/4 pound will last a LONG time. I'm not sure if you'll use them up before they run out of shelf life. If you keep them rinsed daily, they will last for at least month and maybe longer.

Yes, you need to chop them until the larvae are big enough to tackle them whole. The pieces stay alive and wiggly even after they are cut. Initially, you just need a few pieces scattered around the bottom of the tub/tank - enough for the larvae to find a piece without looking very hard, but not so much that they muck up the water or irritate the larvae.
 
Sounds good...I think I'll go that route. To keep the worms, I'd just need to store them in a closed container in the fridge in cold water and change the water daily?????

Also, when must I put a lid on the tubs for the larvae??? I've read on the site that that needs to happen upon metamorphosis, but that every species is different regarding when this takes place. When can I expect my Chinese Firebellies to transform? When this happens, can I just poke holes in the lids of the bins for air? No filter is needed if I am keeping the water level shallow and doing water changes daily, right??? Also, I have no plants or land masses in the bins right now...when should I put these things in the bins? This is all so new to me!!!!
 
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