Newton wont eat anything (owned over 6 months)

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suztor

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I've owned two Firebelly newts (the bumpier variaty) for somewhere around 6 months if not more, Newton and Darwin.

Both were twig thin when i got them being fed fish food in a the plant holding free for all tank (with goldfish, guppies, and some other rather large bumpy brownish red salamander species) in a small pet store.

I realize i made the mistake of bringing them home and putting them in my 72 gallon tank (@ 72 degrees F) with my platties with a small turtle dock for them to bask on. they both stayed rather think ocassionally hiding in a black PVC pipe elbow i put for them in the bottom of the tank and i only ever saw Darwin eat. Eventually i did some research, much of it on this website and got them their own 10 gallon tank with a repto filter rocks and fake plants and some floaty real ones and some ghost shrimp to clean up after them started mixing in some frozen blood worms to the diet and Darwin is now triple the size he used to be and a fatty lol.

Fast forward... mom got me turtles, i put newts back in the big tank... i gave turtles backs after a week realizing i don't really want them (no time/moving soon.)

now newts are back in 10 gallon after a good cleaning Darwin is still chunky, and exploring and active and Newton is weak, thinner than ever i can see his hip bones and ribby things and even some shoulder bones, i've tried pellets, live fry, frozen blood worms and bloodworms with tweezers, fish food, and those freeze dried worm cubes oh and small crickets(all of which drowned)...
he's completely hydrophobic and will let himself dry up completely if i don't keep him some where super humid. i soak him in blood worm juice every so often hoping he gets some nutrients from it. but i have no idea if it helps...

the water is somewhere between 62 and 68 degrees being winter now (room temperature @my house) and they haven't been in water warmer than 72 ever since i've owned them.

What do i do?!?! it's been months and they are settled so it is unlikely he is stressed from being 'new' since Darwin is doing great.

thanks for the help in advance

wha

he must be getting nutrition somewhere because he's still alive after 6 months but it obviously isn't much
 
Hello suztor,
say your newts have received the best treatment! From all that you give them to eat only frozen bloodworms are acceptable!
There are two things you do right away: Planting the aquarium and start giving them live food, you can try with earthworms, there is newt resist them! Cut them into pieces and feed them with tweezers! You'll see that the Newton fattening soon!
Good luck! :crazy:
I have helped! :happy:
 
The tank is somewhat planted. I have some driftwood with java moss growing on it and two other plants that I don't know the name of growing pretty abundantly. I also have some fake plants rooted down near a submerged cave for exploring and hiding, which Darwin enjoys spending time by.

I will try earth worms, i'll see if I can get some at the pet store. Are "red wigglers" the same thing? I was told they were in the past, but you can't always trust petstore people.

What about blackworms?

Any other suggestions? Should i make it harder for him to 'beach' himself?
I'm beginning to think my boys are fairly young.
 
Yes it is true, we should not trust people in the pet shop!
Very difficult to find earthworms in pet shops, it's easier if you go to a store that sells bait for fishing.
Regarding being red wigglers, quite honestly do not know, for I know well your terms they use to refer to earthworms! But I leave you here the scientific name of those you should seek to acquire: Lumbricus terrestris or Dendrobaena.spp.
Yes you can try with blakworms too! In Caudata Culture have an article with foods that can give them and their nutritional value, try view! :wink:
 
hey suztor....I have had the same exact problem that you have had! I made the mistake of buying from a pet store and not having the knowledge to see what the problem was. My newt was very thin and small and didn't eat for months. I soon learned that it was still in its terrestrial phase so I put it in a small tank with some soil and some plants along with a small water dish. I misted the tank daily to keep things moist. Made big progress when I started feeding the newt earthworms, cut up and hand-fed with tweezers and toothpicks. Slowly its begun to fatten up and has somewhat taken to the water, though not fully. Hopefully in another month or two it will be fully aquatic. But I suggest moving Newton into a terrestrial setup and move to feeding it small worms pieces.
 
Humm mr newton is turning out to be lots of work! lol I tried giving him some chopped up angle worms (look like smallish earthworms to me) with tweezers he definantly looked interested and bit into it a few times then stopped and rubbed his face allover the ground! *sigh* he didn't like the taste? if i touched his face with the worm he did the same thing!

there was obviously nothing wrong with the worm because Darwin devoured all his bites and watever newton didn't eat too after trying for an hour and a half of persuading him. I'm probably going to try again today.

srfr72 I'd begun suspecting that exact thing, do you think a 2.5 gallon terrestial set up is too small for just one FBN? I happen to have a spare 2.5 around.

If I seperate them will I beable to put them back together later with no issues?
 
It is very likely that the reason for the strange behavior of Newton is because of what he said srfr72. To me not even occurred to me that could be it! Just out of curiosity and measures the Newton? It is easier able to determine the likely age of the animal in you say its features!
But perhaps even better, suztor, you do it again that made srfr72. It is enough to give you a plastic box where you will make a terrestrial setup with a pool, do not need big things!
 
The more I think about it I probably need to set up my current tank to keep both my newts together and comfortable. Time to revamp once again! The boyfriend puts up with all my crazy animal charades but i have to be careful of how much i push the limits... (I want a cat some day when we move :lol: I have to pretend I'm not going to build the cat a kitty play mansion)

Newton hasn't drowned yet with how inadvertently awful I've been to him so I'm not too concerned about the water around him but i am thinking of giving him a better land set up, something he would be more comfortable with.

Are spider plants toxic? I have a few small ones i can plant in the terrestrial side.

this thread is very helpful actually for the feeding terrestrial stage newts
http://www.caudata.org/forum/f46-be...lp/54589-terrestrial-feeding-issues-help.html
 
YAY! he's had about an inch of worm!!!!!!!! (in halves) first confirmed food in months!!!!!!!:D:D

I've placed 2 more ~1 cm pieces near him to see if he will have them.

He wont take it from the tweezers but he eats it if i set it down near him and walk away.

i don't want to disturb him but Newton is between 5-6 cm although probably closer to the 5 mark.

I'm so happy now!
 
Well he is already eating is not bad! :happy: And yes it gives you a little more dry area! ;)
And yes with that length is indeed still a juvenile animal! The newts do not eat plants, so you can put whatever you want to still be careful! :talker:

cheers
 
suztor said:
and bit into it a few times then stopped and rubbed his face allover the ground! *sigh* he didn't like the taste?
Click to expand...

My terrestrial newt does this all the time...he will only eat when had fed however.
 
It sounds like these little fellas do like to be molly coddled. I can't wait for mine to grow to that stage so I can feed them.
 
@firefly at least you are expecting it! I was expecting a self feeding adult, not a diva terrestial youngster when I got him lol.

Should I try more worm today or should I try every other day?
 
If he has lost too much weight, you can try to feed him every day, for a couple of days. You can also catch earthworms yourselve (when it's not freezing anymore :p) This is a lot cheaper, I do it all the time
 
The advice I received is to not be tempted to give them great big meals once they begin eating, go slowly to build him up!
 
Freezing? i wore a short sleeved shirt today, no jacket and thin work pants lol.

Earthworms? in Phoenix? really? never heard of that....should find out if we have any.:confused:
 
My terrestrial newt was quite thin too; I fed him every other day until he got a bit bigger and once I was sure he was eating and had put weight on then I moved to every 3 days.
 
Thanks for the help everyone! it is very much appreciated!:eek:
 
after all this fussing of trying to get newton to eat... and he wont go in the water and this that and the other.... i'm hand feeding him brine shrimp (very difficult task mind you!) then suddenly he decides he's had enough and scurries INTO the WATER!!!!!

sigh now i'm just even more confused about what to do with him...

Either way i'm collecting supplies to build a split 20/80 land and water vivarium(?) with real substrate for the land instead of platforms and such

does anyone know anything about lace rock? i'm thinking of using a nice peice i got as a divider between land and water(silicone backed of course because i don't think it is impermeable)
 
I hand feed mine brine shrimp too lol. Use a pair of none sharp tweezers if you aren't already; it'll make it easier :)
 
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