Taricha granulosa juvie.

[eljorgo]

Hey there.
From the two larvae I´ve raised one died at metamorphosis and the other made it and its a full grown juvenile about 4.2cm. the problems starts here. He doesn't feed on nothing. I´ve offered very small earthworms, live blood worms and other mosquito larvae. But it haven't feed in nothing. It have morphed at 3weeks +-. And still not feeding on nothing. I´ve tried all I could and begin deserperate. I will try Enchytraeus albidus in this next friday, one friend send me it. If it doesn't feed in one week I think it will not accept more food at all and die, so could I find some other thing to give or a method to offer them to it? I am putting this juvie in some milimeters of water with the bloodworms there... bad?
Thanks,

 

[John]

Moved to the help section. Please be more careful in your choice of topic in future, thanks.

 

[merk199]

Try springtails, woodlice, fruitflies something more terrestrial. Often after morphing it can take several weeks for the little guy to want to eat. I have seen this recently with a few very different types of newts. Paitience is key.

 

[audrey]

Is the little guy terrestrial then? I would try blackworms if you can get ahold of them. You can put them in a small water dish. Shallow water with a lot of plants and a land area of some sort seems to work the best for me.....but if it has already completely dried out on land it may not want to go in the water for food. You can try very small pieces of nightcrawler cut up and put on a small piece of damp paper towel and put this right outside of it's hiding spot (do make sure it has a hiding spot). Blood worms in shallow water is ok but make sure you are doing a lot of water changes because the blood worms can make that small an amount of water toxic fast.
Good luck

 

[eljorgo]

I am very sorry John. I will keep that in mind.
Thank you both for the replies.
merk199: I know that, but his dorsal vertebrae are start to showing.
audrey: liked the sugestion of the hidding spot. Very nice indeed.
This fella was in land for some weeks and then i started to move him to water. He is in a small dish covered of java moss and water he is always contacting with water. Even that way he ignored the bloodworms and he passed one night (full dark) without eating one!
But that was in another setup. just water bloodworms and him.
Blackworms, springtails are not avalaible around here and fruitflies just those that fly.
if i put plants in the swallow water the bloods will all go under the plants and the taricha stays alone...

I have lost 2 taricha juvies before using small nightcrawler
thanks,

 

[Bellabelloo]

Is he by himself or with his siblings? I have been very lucky with my little Marms in that they took to eating thin slices of chopped earth worm and the flightless fruit flies more or less right away. I feed them in the evening when they start to prowl. The worms tend to be gone by morning.

 

[eljorgo]

Sorry Julia i didn't understand very good. This fella is alone no siblings.
Yes my T.marmoratus juvies ate very nicely earthworms. This year I had many tipes of juveniles only having trouble with these granulosa. that´s the problem... Taricha

 

[audrey]

Well if his back bone is showing that is probably a bad sign, but if it was me, this is what I would do. I would find a tub about the size of a shoe box and a rock or something you can stick under one side of it to make elevation. Then I would pour water into the tub so that it is about half full and put your java moss in that water. As for the other side I would line it with damp paper towel. Then find some kind of hide that is small and dark. I would take your bloodworms and chop them up just a little. Enough so that they still move but can not take off well into the water. If you have some vitamin powder I would definately dust the worms a bit. Put them just outside the hiding place. I would leave the newt along - meaning don't check it too often- and in a cold, dark place.
I would find a second tub the same size and every other day completely redo the set up have it all ready for him that all you have to do is pick him up and transfer him from the one set up to the other - least amount of contact possible.
Best of luck

 

[eljorgo]

Hey Audrey thanks. He is not that thin but... Its a worry yet. Thanks one that tip. You made me an idea. could i put him in a small (15 x 10 x 5cm) plastic box on an Icebox? the temperature is from 5ºC to 15ºC and fully dark... I hope the low temps and dark for 24h+ could make it nice hum?
But what I could put in such a small box? just water with the bloods?
sorry
thanks.

 

[audrey]

I think that would be too cold. When newts get that cold it slows down their digestion and makes them have less of an appetite. I would aim for somewhere closer to 21 C. That way he will want to eat. I am sorry I did not understand the other question you were asking me about the tub maybe?

 

[eljorgo]

I know I´m sorry. Sometimes I don't get explicit and my English isn't the perfect
As the question was related to the icebox, its not important now... 21ºC is our temperature here. So... well I will try to do what you told me. I might take a picture of the beautiful animal and the enclosure were he is. can you be more explicit too in the set-up you told me to do? I didn't understand the part were you said I could transfer form one to another? two enclosures? exactly the same in appearance?
thanks

 

[audrey]

Ok sorry I wasn't more clear. Here are a few pics of the set up I am thinking. As you can see I use plastic tubs....what I do is keep another one handy and every other day I set the new one up with the water and paper towel, then transfer over the plants and hide, then the newt - thus is has only a very brief time of being hassled. My personal opinion is that newts in quarantine get stressed a lot by being checked on constantly and moved back and forth when their setup is redone. This is the way I have found to keep it as minimal as possible.

 

[eljorgo]

Spectacular!! thanks. I will do it right now like that but I think he will stay in terrestrial part. My fear is that bloodworm will die in land.. I guess I will put the paper towels very very moist to avoid it.
thank you very much Audrey

 

[audrey]

It is ok if the bloodworms die, in fact you probably want them to so that they do not go into the water and get in the java moss and make it hard for your little guy to find them. You can cut them up a little bit too to make sure of it. Cut them enough so that most all worms are cut but not too much that they won't wiggle anymore. Since you are changing everything out every other day, they should not pollute the set up badly.

 

[eljorgo]

Audrey!! Sucess! Made it!! Thanks! oh so good to see that belly plumper .
Thank you very very much Audrey I shall post some pics today evening.
When sould i start to offer earthworms? He´s only 4,2cm right now.
thanks