Progress with the FourAmigos!!!

[fouramigos]

Hey all!
I am happy to announce that ALL four of my newts had a bite to eat tonight, even the runt!!!! The runt ate about a string or two of thawed out frozen blood worm, then I tried meal worm, nope, then a piece of earth worm, not interest either, but I know the runt ate tonight and I feel better
Two of them had at least a meal worm and piece of earthworm each, which the last one, had a bite full of thawed bloodworm, then I tried a piece of earthworm, and I thought it was eaten and gone, but it was spat up and landed on another amigo lol!
Now it was mentioned I should have some leaf litter in their home, and often people mentioned plants, I will do a better job with the 30 gallon set up, with real water plants, moss and such. But for now they are in a simple plastic container with substrate and no water...I made the mistake of adding them to my 10 gallon with a Beta fish, spooked the newts out of the water, have been terrestrial ever since.
I did have a piece of drift wood someone gave me, but it grew a white fuzz to it where it was in the substrate, so I threw that out being concerned about fungal problems...is it the substrate?
For my leaf litter, I got some nice leafy branches, rinsed them off real good, let them dry, them spray mist them with water and layed them over the rock hide outs, and I don't know how or why I think this, by they appear to be happier? This is day two, and the branches are still nice and fresh, not drying up and shriveling up, seems to be due to the misting and the humidity levels.
Anyways just thought I'd give news on the progress, I'm pretty stoked, hell I'm stoked every morning I wake up and all four are good lol, but this made my week lol! Again thanks for all the input, will keep you up to date on the 30 gallon semi-aquatic set up as it progresses and blossoms! roud:
If anyone living in Ottawa Ontario has any left over anything for a semi-aquatic set up they want to part with...please feel free to contact me
I'm adding the latest pics of the latest set up for the FourAmigos

 

[vistajpdf]

Great news! I love this species and have several tanks of them going due to the unexpected offspring 2 years ago. I still have about a dozen who have not left the land for an aquatic life and others I've urged into water who are still clinging to land and plants in those tanks.

While terrestrial, I feed them fruit flies, pinhead crickets, earthworms and waxworms when I could find them. Mealworms have a hard shell which is tough on these guys. I saw where you said regular crickets would be too small - assume that was meant to say too big? Anyway, I have a place I buy pinheads from if you're interested in the US - not sure if they'd ship to you, but I will check it out.

Good luck - you're doing a great job!
Dana

 

[fouramigos]

Thanks Dana,
I was just wondering though, what set up should I keep them in and when should I change the set up?
I've been told that if I gradually work in water to their environment, have less hiding places and no completely dry spots for them to dry off on, then they should become aquatic.
I've had them over 2 months now and they are about 3 inches long, since that last entry and feeding, only one has eaten since.
The ones you said that you just put into an aquatic tank, that were clinging to the plants and and land, I assume that is normal and that they will realize they can swim eventually? That's what mine do in water, swim crazily around until the grasp something and then try to scale the walls.
And yes I did mean the crickets would be too big lol. I will continue to try with the earthworms I got, chopped pieces, then if not I try thawed blood worms, and then if needed the meal worms, I try to find the soft ones who just shed their skin.
I just want them to be in their happiest

 

[vistajpdf]

Mine that are on land are on moist paper towels, though I've heard the coco fiber (bed-a-beast) bricks are good with water. One member feared a choking on the fiber, so I was afraid of it, but most have had much success with it. I also like being able to count them easier on paper towels...I've also contemplated a slanted tank w/ water at one end. I used this for some of mine as they were morphing back to land, but eventually preferred an aquatic tank with a land area.

I did go by size and fullness before setting them in the aquatic tanks and with yours being 3 inches, I'd think they were surely ready to try the water again. Some of mine have made the adjustment beautifully, while others freak out when urged into the water, swimming frantically, and then grasp for something under them before calming down. If I notice they are losing weight (looking scrawny), I put them back in the terrestrial set up. I also lost the highest % of newts recently, maybe 10 of my 50. Most died on land, but a few were in the water and I'm not sure if they drowned or what. Jennewt thinks they were likely the runts (they all hatched over 2 years ago) and just weaker as all but 7 are in aquatic tanks by now. I do have a few I may bring back for a couple of more weeks on land as they are never in the water of their new tanks and I don't believe they are eating. I know there's a risk of drowning. My aquatic tanks are progressively deeper. I remove the largest newts and place them in the next tank up (deeper and larger) when they're visibly much larger than their tankmates and outcompeting them for food. I like the blackworms as they wriggle around and grab the newts' attention.

Eating, in general, is always a concern, but it's common for them to not eat for weeks if they are new. They can go for prolonged periods without food, too. I never saw my original pair eat for about a month at first. Most of my newly aquatic newts are eating well - California Blackworms primarily, thawed frozen bloodworms, white worms, etc. My terrestrials love pinhead crickets and fruit flies. I used springtails when they first morphed, but again, that was a tense time as I never saw them eat at first. Now, they are all over anything I drop in their tank.

Good luck,
Dana

 

[fouramigos]

Ok,
I may just have to separate the weaker from the stronger ones, I think there are 2 of each. I will do up a terrestrial set up for the two smaller guys, so if maybe they pick up on their eating habits.
It's been a very interesting journey with these little guys, I figure if they are still alive and alert, then they are ok, and I am gaining so much knowledge about them, they've probably been the more researched of all the pets I've had lol!
It's working on the proper set up for them to feel comfortable enough to eat regularly where I'm having the problem the most I think, but now that you have mentioned separating them and seeing if it helps any, I will be doing that next. Here are a few pics of recent set ups attempted. :happy:

 

[SpaceCadetHayde]

I took a photo of my set-up for acclimating C.e.popei to the water and I can post it tomorrow when I find my usb cord. I went from having 4 terrestrial juvies to 2 fully aquatic, one semi-aquatic and only one mostly terrestrial(as much as I let him be) in just a month or so's time. The key is patience. I kept thinking worrying I'd have to change things. However, changing things just seemed to make it worse and cause more stress. Now they're all fat and happy and haven't skipped a meal in weeks.

 

[fouramigos]

Ok,
Yes pictures of set ups are always great so I could get some ideas, but as you said the changing of set ups do stress them out.
I have managed to find some better feeding worms though so that is helping, the ones I had been feeding them were just too big and I think they may have been Trout worms, I bought them at Canadian Tire as bait worms. There is at least 2 that are still preferring the meal worms over earthworms...does that sometimes happen and if so how can I get them on to an earth worm diet seeing as the meal worms are hard to digest.
Right now the set up I have for them is home made, a double decker, the basement is all aquatic with gravel and rocks piled up to a little slit which leads to their penthouse mini terrestrial flat lol!
They are making their way up and down quite nicely, they haven't touch the water since the new set up, but before this set up 2 of them seemed quite comfortable being in and under water, so there is still progress being made with them, but, they have one more "move" to make, into their permanent aquarium home once it's set up and ready to go
Thanks everyone!