Soon to be newt owner

[matt]

I hope to make both an aquarium people talk about but most importantly the most ideal living conditions for my newts
Money is not much of a concern within reason

1) From this and other websites I have found canister filters are most recommended
However they all seem to have such high flow ratings (200-350gph)
I assume this will cause a great deal of current
Can someone recommend an exact make and model unit for a 55 gallon tank?

2) Everyone seems to bad mouth betting newts from pet stores because of disease etc
Where is a good place to get my newts?
I live in Dallas, TX (we hate Bush here too)

3)I checked my local pet stores for availability of live food
The closest I could find was frozen blood worms and some kind of small shrimp
Is this equally as healthy and if not I don’t mind ordering food, because this gives me more options

4) If I have to order food what is the best kind for my newts?

5) since I will be a newbe to care of newts what kind should I go with
I hate to be vein but I would like to get an attractive species

6) I almost hate to ask this question in fear of it being a big no-no but can I mix fish with my aquarium

7) I have been looking at lots of newt aquarium pictures lately
I have noticed some have gravel and some don’t
Is there a reason for this?

8) Besides a filter what other items should have (warmer etc)?

9) After allowing the water to cycle and installing my rocks, filter, plants, etc is there anything else I should do before introducing my newts?


I hope to be an active member of this site once I get my newts settled
Sorry for all of the questions
I have been looking on the web for a while and have read so much that contradicts what I read before it
I just want to be sure

Thank,
Matt

 

[jesper]

Wow!
That is a lot of questions...
First off I must compliment your opinions of Bush, they sound healthy

I only have time to answer a few of your questions right now.

Get newts here! Talk to people(!) there are several breeders here that are willing to sell to serious keepers.

An attractive species? I understand what you mean but that depends on who you ask, I would recommend a fun species, european species are pretty attractive in the states if I understand correct. If you never have kept a newt before you better stick to the easy one though, aquatic ones for sure. Some are difficult to feed to get one that eats readily. I would recommend pleurodeles waltl, they are not the most pretty newts you will find but they eat like horses breed like rabbits and are very hardy. It might be difficult to come by over there though another one I would recommend is cynops ensicauda, talk to Tim he is the ensicauda guru around here(for info not for newts he lives in Japan...).

Food:
All kinds of worms are great, earthworms(chopped) is my favourite. Those newts I recommend eat frozen bloodworms though. Variation is important.

No fishes.

Some dont use gravel because it is a pain when cleaning. I think most persons that dont have a lot of newts
Personally I have only three aq so I prefer gravel, you get a lot of denitrifikation bacteria(good!) and can plant loads of plants, which will make the aquarium almost self-going.

low output filter oxygenpump add bacteria(first time u setup the tank) then aquasafe or something that will remove chloramine(no evaporation) and some other toxic substances.

Have to go!

Cheers Jesper

 

[matt]

Thanks for posting answers to some of my questions

The species I have in mind are Chinese Dwarf newts (Cynops orientalis) or the Chinese Fire Belly newt (Cynops orientalis).

The P waltl seems to be the most recommended to me because of the reasons you have stated, but I would like to have newts with some color and rounded tails

What are your thoughts on the newts I have in mind?

 

[jennifer]

Hi Matt, I can understand wanting a more colorful newt. However, orientalis need cooler temperatures than ribbed newts do. Since you live in Texas, this is something to consider. The ribbed newts can tolerate up to 78F during the summer, the orientalis might not. You might want to try finding Japanese firebellies (C. pyrrhogaster), which are more tolerant of warm temps.

In answer to some of your other questions:

1. Some canisters (such as Fluval 102 series) have an adjustable flow rate. Also, rocks can be used to disperse the outflow. Buy a canister with adjustable flow and suggested size for your tank. I have a fluval 102, but some people have had problems with fluvals breaking.

2. Find a breeder or watch the ads on this forum. It takes longer this way, but might be worth it.

3. For firebellies, frozen bloodworms and earthworms would be fine. For ribbed newts, they'll eat anything, even pellet food.

4. You shouldn't have to order any. See if your local Walmart sells worms (fishing dept.). If so, you're all set.

5. Consider warty newts too. They are more colorful than the ribbed newts. However, they can be aggressive, so you may only be able to have 1 or 2. Also, consider axolotls. They come in a variety of colors.

6. Freshwater shrimp are good. Guppies or white cloud minnows are OK, but be sure they are free of disease.

7. It's personal preference. I prefer no-gravel for easy cleaning. Avoid gravel that could be ingested by the newt. Any gravel should be a thin layer. Fine sand is also an option.

8. No heater! I'd recommend a screen lid instead of hood. An island of some kind for most species.

9. Can't think of anything. Good luck!

 

[joeri]

I have both chinese firebellies and pleuros. I can't say that one is more beautifull then the other. Pleuros grow to be much bigger while the c.o. have that fancy belly and stay very cute and small.

Here you can find picture of my pleuros in case you're not totally sure what they look like.

http://www.caudata.org/forum/cgi-bin/show.cgi?985/7685

Whatever your dicission, good luck with it. Keep us updated when you've chosen.

 

[matt]

That is a very sharp looking newt!

I only hope my newts look that good.

This water temperature thing looks like a big problem.
Water always seems to be colder than ambient temperature. Is this true or an illusion, and if so lets say the room with the newts in it gets to 75 degrees what temperature would the water be?

Both marble and granite are cooler than ambient temperature. Has anyone experimented with these stones to reduce water temperature?

 

[jesper]

Hehe Joeri!
That is not a pleuro...
You linked to russ's platensis

 

[jennifer]

In my experience, my tanks are about 2-4 degrees F lower than the air temp. But this assumes a screen lid, which allows evaporative cooling. Also, if you add any motor-driven filter (submersible or canister), you'll add a degree or two to the temp.

Actually, stones are not any cooler than ambient temp, they just feel that way to the touch. Sort of a sensory illusion.

 

[matt]

I found a local store with Japanese firebellies!!
I am going to finish my tank and maybe in two to three weeks I will have some pictures for you guys.

Thanks for all of the help!!

 

[jesper]

Are u sure they are japanese and not chinese!
Chinese(orientalis) are more difficult due to their need of cooler temp. chinese fb are more available than the japanese these days and most(!) petshops dont have a clue, I have actually found more orientalis labeled as pyrrhogaster than as orientalis. I think this is due to pyrrhogaster was common in the 70-80s and most shopkeepers are oldies and just assume that these are pyrrhogaster too.

 

[matt]

I don’t know for sure
I went to look at them today and to buy a filter
They are juveniles, the largest one is only one inch long (including the tail)
Do you know of any ways to help me identify them apart besides the size?

Here are some observations that might help
The water was 74 degrees
they were in a tank along with FB frogs
they were all crowded in an area of the tank with the least amount of current
their bellies were dark red
all were in the water
and they cost $4

how long should I let the water cycle before adding my newts?

 

[jesper]

Well sounds like a carnage tank described by Icon...
If you buy these animals you will probably have severely stressed animals that you will get problems with. I would say do not buy, I have had several experiences of this. I would say wait and buy from a good breeder then you will have a nice newt experience, I bought some pyrrhogaster from a pet shop not long ago. I am currently having a BAD experience even though they were in their own tank with cool water and looked healthy they were severely stressed, I never learn!!

A brief description of these species:

Cynops pyrrhogaster(Japanese fire bellied newt) and cynops orientalis(chinese (dwarf) fire bellied newt) are quite easy to tell from each other when one knows what to look for. C.pyrrhogaster has rough skin a quite arched back with more of a pointed tail. C.orientalis is more flat and smooth with more of a rounded tail. Another distinguishing thing is the difference in size, adult orientalis are 6-9cm while pyrrhogaster are 9-13cm.

I would say go for skin quality and how pointy the tail is, pyrrhogaster are more "robust" than orientalis. The colour is more or less the same, there are differences but they are difficult to distinguish.

Cheers Jesper

 

[aaron]

I agree with Jen on all of your questions, however, I'd recommend an Eheim canister filter, model 2213. The flow-rate is 116 GPH, if I remember correctly. I work in a pet shop, and we don't even carry the Fluvals anymore because many people have problems with them. They tend to wear out faster than an indestructable Eheim. ever would. It should cost about $100, and most GOOD shops will carry it.

~Aaron

 

[joeri]

Oops, you're correct Jesper. No idea what went wrong.
This should do it:

http://www.caudata.org/forum/messages/985/6915.html?1068258067

In case it's messed up again, my avatar is a pleuro as well

 

[jennifer]

Matt, most JFB arrive to the shops at a larger size than that (3-4 inches). I suspect that they are CFB. I've certainly seen CFB in my local Petsmart "carnage tank" that were mis-labeled as Japanese.