Sick Fire Belly Newt!

[kariann2u]

I have a fire belly newt that I have had for almost 4 years. He is my baby lol, he interacts with me alot normally including coming when I tap on the glass and follows me around watching me all the time....needless to say, I am attached to him! He has been healthy since I got him....he has lived in a 100 gallon tank with my fish for the entire time and has spent his whole life in the water...never wanting to be out of it. A few days ago, he started acting weird almost like he couldn't move and when he did it seemed like it was difficult and then trying to find anywhere he could get out of the water the next day and all that night. He posted himself up a few places but snails (I have a planted tank) and some of the fish were bothering him so he was unable to get comfortable. So I moved him to a hospital tank with a filter and gave him a comfy spot to be out of the water. He stayed there until some time today and then went into the water and is now hiding under a rock in there. He won't eat and he is not interacting with me at all. Today he has at least two prominent white-ish spots on his back and tail and I am not sure what it is. I have attached pictures (sorry they were as clear as I could get) and any input would help! I really am hoping to save him! Thank you!!

 

[Asevernnnn]

I am unsure about the tail, but thought I should mention that it is a Paddletail newt

 

[Chinadog]

Hi, welcome to the site.
Firstly, he's actually a Chinese paddletail newt, not a firebelly, although pet stores often wrongly sell them as firebellies.
Its hard to say what the problem is from the pictures, it is normal for males of some species of paddletails to get white spots on their tail in the breeding season, If you could get some pictures of the spots it would be easy to see if its that. When paddletails repeatedly try to escape from their tank its usually a sign that there's a problem with the conditions.Even though he's lived with the fish for four years, its really not ideal for him. It could just be that he's had enough of it and is trying to leave the water and search for a better environment as he would in nature. He would be far happier in a tank of his own away from the fish. I've posted you a care sheet for him at the bottom.
Is he still having problems moving, or has that gone away? The only similar problem I've seen with a paddletail was almost certainly deficiency of some sort caused by a bad diet. What does he eat?

Caudata Culture Species Entry - Pachytriton - Paddletail

 

[kariann2u]

Thank you for your responses! Glad to know what he really is… Yes the fish store said he was a fire belly newt. He eats blood worms and I will try to get another picture of him if I can get him to come out where he is hiding. But again I thank you very much for any help you can give me! I will keep him in the tank he is in now even if he gets better since it is better for him to do that! Oh and to clarify, The only night he seemed to have problems moving was that first night. He was trying to get away from the fish and the snails but wasn't making it very far and just seemed sort of helpless almost like he was stuck. He seems like he's been able to move since then but is definitely not his normal self.

 

[Autumncrossing]

Make sure you are feeding him something other than bloodworms.. Earth worms preferably they are much better nutritionally.