Newt help please

[Peninsula newt]

I came across this website on google.
i was looking up some information on my newly acquired peninsula newt.
im looking forward to this forum. seems like theres alot of knowledgable people here.
but i have a question.

i cycled my 2.65 gallon marina tank.
for about a month.
im housing one eastern newt in it"peninsula".
its fully equipped with a filter, gravel, and a plant. although i added some more for security.
is this an ok setup for him?
its only about the size of my pinky, and it seems pretty spacious.
and also.
i have been feeding him small earthworms. and tried newt pellets. but he doesnt seem to like the pellets. any advice on how to get him to eat them?
and if not, its ok. i have no issues giving and providing him with live foods.
i look forward to this forum

thanks in advance

 

[eldaldo]

Hello and welcome,

your peninsula newt (notophalmus viridescens) is an exciting newt. I used to catch them as a kid and they were what originally got me into keeping newts.

I would suggest is a larger tank. Your newt will probably continue to grow, and 2.5 is a pretty small tank for a newt to begin with, even if it is a smaller species. the larger the tank, the more stable the water conditions will be. even with a filter and a plant, 2.5 gallons does not have alot of buffering capacity or temperature stability. So yeah, getting a larger tank would be better. I kept one in a 5.5 as a kid, and for about 5 years recently kept 2 in a 10g. make sure that you have a tight fitting lid, and also make sure that you read up on the care sheet in caudata culture (Caudata Culture Species Entry - Notophthalmus viridescens - Eastern Newt) though it sounds like you might have already.

you will probably not be able to get it to eat newt pellets. I personally have never been successful with feeding my newts pellets. Earthworms are a better food for them anyways, though a little more time consuming.

 

[Peninsula newt]

Sure thing
my pet store had one, as it came along with their feeder fish.
i offered to give it a home, and well, they gave him to me.
super exciting.
ive never seen one here in florida.
but i hear there pretty common.
thanks for the advice.
ill just have to upgrade him to a 5 gallon.
im sure walmart sells a 5 gallon kit for like 29 bucks.
it comes with a hood. a filter. and the tank.
does this sound reasonable for the price?
and ive been feeding him worms. and some fruit flies.
he seems to like the worms the best.

as for the setup. what would you suggest?
do they go through an eft stage?
or should i do a semi aquatic?
or fully aquatic?

sorry for all the questions.
i just want the best for my little buddy.

 

[Jennewt]

Beware of filters that move the water around too much. You newt's usual habitat is ponds where there is no current. And for one small newt you don't really need filtration, perhaps just aeration. The kit sounds reasonably-priced, but you could get just a tank and screen lid at Petsmart for the same or lower price.

If he's aquatic, his eft stage (if any) was in the past. He needs aquatic with just a small island of some kind to come out on.

 

[dipsydoodle]

You could also look for tank details on ebay as well

I love those newts, lucky you.

 

[Greatwtehunter]

Petsmart has 10 gallon tanks for $14.99, most Petcos are having their $1 a gallon sale right now, Wal-mart has 10 gallon tanks for $12.97 and a screen lid for $9.95.. The tank combo you are refering to is a waste of money if you ask me, especially since you don't need the filter.

 

[Peninsula newt]

ok.
well im going to petco.
and getting a ten gallon.
and a 29 gallon.
i plan on using the 29 gallo for an mud puppy.
is a ten gallon sufficient for one more newt?
and how do i go about the small island?
i really dont want to modify the tank with a glass divider.
im no good at that.

and i dont need filtration?
his tank gets cloudy within a couple of days without a filter.

thanks everyone.
i appreciate all the advice

 

[Greatwtehunter]

A 10 gallon tank is sufficient for 2 pennisula newts.

A filter is not needed for this species. The constant water movement would probably do more harm than good by stressing the newts out as these newts usually live in calm waters in the wild. Your current tank is getting cloudy so easily because of its small size. I also noticed you mentioned trying to feed him pellets, these are notorious for clouding up your water if left in the tank for too long. The larger the volume of water, the easier it is to keep things in check.

 

[dipsydoodle]

A turtle dock would be ideal for your land area. they stick to the side of the tank with suction pads and float on the water surface so they basically take up no space