Illness/Sickness: URGENT! oregon tail rotting/holes in back!

[salamanderKid76]

I need help soon! I have had 2 oregon newts (not sure of scientific name, but they are orange on the bottom and brown on top) for between 1-2 years, one died and over 6 months ago i got another and they have been fine. They are in a 10 gal tank, with 2 artificial plants to hide behind and there is 1 perhaps 3 inch goldfish that was a feeder that they never ate, and is now far to big to eat. and a small rosey red fish with them. they are in room temperature water, and i am using natural- uncolored large gravel as substrate. now one of my newts (cant tell if its the old or new one) has white fuzz growing on his tail for about this long: l l it looks like its deteriorating and has been like this for maybe 3 weeks, but i wasnt worried, i thought it would go away. I figured at first the big goldfish had nibbled his tail and it was going to repair itself. Now he will bite his own tail, even though i have just fed him. he also has 3 things, i cant tell if they are black bumps or holes, one on the back of his head/ neck and two close together in the middle of his back, close to his head. I'm not sure if the 2 things are related but they are both worrying me. Also, i've always had them completly in the water, without any real access to land and they have been fine. thats the way the pet store had them, and thats what they told me to do. Now, the one with the problems is climbing up on the filter, seemingly like to get out of the water. Any advice would relieve a lot of stress, thanks!

 

[oregon newt]

Well first species mixing is really never a good idea. The fish are probably stressing your newts alot, especially since you said they were nibbling at them. You should separate them. Now here is what i would do for the tail. First, I would keep the water really clean by doing frequent water changes. Second, the white stuff sounds like fungus. I would start giving your newts salt baths. Here is an article on them http://www.caudata.org/cc/articles/salt.shtml Third, if its tail is deteriorating it sounds like a bacterial infection and I would start treating with an antibiotic. The black holes might be the fish nipping at them. I'm not really sure though about the newt biting its own tail. How often do you feed them? He might have just been shedding. As for them trying to get out of the water, that me because they are stressed from the fish.

 

[salamanderKid76]

thats ill look into it. just so you know, the whole tail isnt deterriorating, just the little tip like 1/3 of an inch. so i guess the fungus/ baterial infection are the same problem. its probly just fungus. im not really confident in saying its the fish, because the other newt is perfect, and its not like the newts are scared of the fish or anything...they bite back HA HA. now ive put a floating hollow artificial log in that weighted on the bottom so it doesnt flip, and they seem to be really happy about that =). also, i dont think the holes are anyhting to worry about- dont even think they were holes, just sum bumps on the skin maybe. ive heard about hydrogen peroxide on a Q-tip being rubbed on fungus, know anything about that?---id be kinda scared doing salt bathes- ive always been taught salt was pretty bad for amphibians =/ thanks though!