Newt wont eat

[Spongexi]

Hi i have a chinese fire belly newt hes only small about 3cm and he doesnt seem to be eating and he is getting skinny ive been putting wingless fruitflies in his enclosure but hes not eating them is there any food they especially like or could i be doing something wrong?

 

[Azhael]

What´s the setup like?
Temps?
If it really is that small, then it is a metamorph and it´s in the most delicate and difficult stage of its life. They are not the easiest species to raise because they are so tiny and very, very clumsy. You should try tiny earthworms, or earthworm pieces. If that doesn´t work, try waxworms, springtails, whiteworms or blackworms/tubifex.

 

[Spongexi]

this is his setup he hasnt been in the water but its there for him he spends a lot of time in his little hose and not sure of temp theres no heater so room temp i guess

 

[evut]

I think fruit flies might be too fast for him. Try chopping up a small earthworm into pieces (they will still wiggle for a long time). Count the pieces and put them on something like a flat stone or an upturned jar lid somewhere near the house or inside it. Hopefully he'll take some. See if you can buy lesser waxmoth larvae. Also, try not to disturb him too much.
This article might be helpful: http://www.caudata.org/cc/articles/raising_juveniles.shtml

 

[Azhael]

There is no way it will use the water. These newts like completely still water, and strong currents stress them. Also, such a small amount of water makes it almost impossible to provide excellent conditions (filter or no filter).
If it is 3cm long, it will probably be 100% terrestrial, so you don´t really need to bother with the water.

Buy a thermometer to keep control of the temp, and make sure it stays among what´s adequate for this species.

 

[Spongexi]

Thanks for the tip. I changed the water to still water and he started eating and moving around again. Do you have any other tips?

 

[dipsydoodle]

thanks for the tip i changed the water to still water and he started eating and moving around again. do you have any other tips?

This isn't meant to reflect badly on you; but it's amazing what a little change can do isn't it - glad he's doing better

 

[evut]

Just a question - do you have a lid on the tank?

 

[Spongexi]

Yep, there´s a mesh lid.