Fire Bellied Newts

[Floyds mum]

Hi people, im wanting to get some newts and ive got the bits to set the tank up but was just wondering about the actual set up, i know you need some land for them but just basic pics of people's set up.
Ive not had much to do with them since uni but ive always loved them.
Also can you keep just one happily or are two better?

 

[saltynay]

http/www.aquaticquotient.com/forum/showthread.php?t=58791

 

[Floyds mum]

Thanx for the reply

 

[dipsydoodlenoodle]

I've just bought one of these; I wanted two but the shop only had one. My little boy is an active one; he didn't want to be caught in the shop and he's been exploring his tank and had a bite to eat. He was even climbing the bag on his way home.

I read that when you get them for the first time they might not leave the land area; mine hasn't been out the water yet. I also read they might not eat for a few days; I gave mine a little bit and he had a tiny bit of it. I got him Sunday and it's Tuesday now so I'll feed him again tonight and see; I don't know when the shop fed him so I'm not worried about his eating.

I only have a small tank initially; I will upgrade when he gets bigger; I read a 10 gallon tank can take 2 newts, and a 20 gallon tank can take 3-4 newts. My tank at present is about 8 gallons. I have one corner filled with plants; my newt likes sitting in the plants; he climbs to the top and sits and watches; I also made a "cave" out of rocks - it takes up maybe 1/3rd of the space; there is space behind the rocks and he likes walking up and down there and I got a little ornament which looks like a rock to be out of the water; but he's not been on it yet. The water is maybe 5-6" deep at the minute.

Check them for fungal diseases when you buy them as they are prone to it; the fungal disease looks white and swolen. Basically make sure they newts have all their legs/toes and tail in tact. Just look for a nice heatlhy one.

My boyfriend read that if you only have male newts they will "call out" for a female at breeding season - I haven't read it so I don't know if it's true or not. If you do get a male and a female they will more than likely breed; they will eat their eggs and if the eggs hatch they may eat the babies as well.

 

[Floyds mum]

I've just bought one of these; I wanted two but the shop only had one. My little boy is an active one; he didn't want to be caught in the shop and he's been exploring his tank and had a bite to eat. He was even climbing the bag on his way home.

I read that when you get them for the first time they might not leave the land area; mine hasn't been out the water yet. I also read they might not eat for a few days; I gave mine a little bit and he had a tiny bit of it. I got him Sunday and it's Tuesday now so I'll feed him again tonight and see; I don't know when the shop fed him so I'm not worried about his eating.

I only have a small tank initially; I will upgrade when he gets bigger; I read a 10 gallon tank can take 2 newts, and a 20 gallon tank can take 3-4 newts. My tank at present is about 8 gallons. I have one corner filled with plants; my newt likes sitting in the plants; he climbs to the top and sits and watches; I also made a "cave" out of rocks - it takes up maybe 1/3rd of the space; there is space behind the rocks and he likes walking up and down there and I got a little ornament which looks like a rock to be out of the water; but he's not been on it yet. The water is maybe 5-6" deep at the minute.

Check them for fungal diseases when you buy them as they are prone to it; the fungal disease looks white and swolen. Basically make sure they newts have all their legs/toes and tail in tact. Just look for a nice heatlhy one.

My boyfriend read that if you only have male newts they will "call out" for a female at breeding season - I haven't read it so I don't know if it's true or not. If you do get a male and a female they will more than likely breed; they will eat their eggs and if the eggs hatch they may eat the babies as well.

Ok thanx for the info, got any pics yet? im sure he's a gorgeous boy

 

[raptorrex]

Hi people, im wanting to get some newts and ive got the bits to set the tank up but was just wondering about the actual set up, i know you need some land for them but just basic pics of people's set up.
Ive not had much to do with them since uni but ive always loved them.
Also can you keep just one happily or are two better?

the answer, to this, is down to which firebelly newt you have.

if you have a Japanese firebelly, it needs a bit of land. however the Chinese firebelly, needs no land, just a few bits sticking out the water. indeed if, these, spend any time out of the water, you have water problems.
incidentally both, i think (and defiantly the Chinese variant) are temperate! with 72 being, about, the highest they, should, be kept.
so if you have Chinese firebellys you just need a 20+ gallon tank. a few items that stick out the water. some gravel, not too much though. and a VERY low flow filter. these critters prefer stagnant water (please don't get confused with feted water), so the lower the flow the better.

Japanese variant needs a bit of land, as the vid shows.

 

[dipsydoodlenoodle]

Ok thanx for the info, got any pics yet? im sure he's a gorgeous boy

I do but none on the computer yet, they are still on my camera.

He keeps poking his head out from where ever he is if I sit and watch him for a bit.

As with what boboboy said about land mass; I am not arguing as I am a total newbie and he has helped me on my post; but I read in places they like some land; I read in some places they don't like land. For my tank I decided on a bit of land "just in case".

I did so much research on newts before I got him (he's a chinese fire belly) and all the research contradicted it's self. You'd find one site said they like X, then another site said they'd not like X. I've sort of decided to just make sure he's clean, tidy and well looked after; the rest will come with trial and error; I mean how much do I feed him? boboboy said to me to just put some food in and see - it's obvious really but sometimes these things need pointing out to you to take them in. I'll be feeding my newt (Issac [NEWTon]) tonight and I'll start with a little bit; if he eats it I'll put a bit more in; if he doesn't I'll take it out after an hour or so.

I also read on one site in regards to feeding that someone put their food on dry land so it didn't mess up the water; and on another site I read that someone had gotten a small feeding bowl and put it in their tank and just dropped the food into there. It's hard to get all the bits out the gravel so I've opted for a small hamster feeding dish and I'll put his food in there and when he's finished I can just lift it out again.

 

[raptorrex]

Ok thanx for the info, got any pics yet? im sure he's a gorgeous boy

I do but none on the computer yet, they are still on my camera.

He keeps poking his head out from where ever he is if I sit and watch him for a bit.

As with what boboboy said about land mass; I am not arguing as I am a total newbie and he has helped me on my post; but I read in places they like some land; I read in some places they don't like land. For my tank I decided on a bit of land "just in case".

I did so much research on newts before I got him (he's a chinese fire belly) and all the research contradicted it's self. You'd find one site said they like X, then another site said they'd not like X. I've sort of decided to just make sure he's clean, tidy and well looked after; the rest will come with trial and error; I mean how much do I feed him? boboboy said to me to just put some food in and see - it's obvious really but sometimes these things need pointing out to you to take them in. I'll be feeding my newt (Issac [NEWTon]) tonight and I'll start with a little bit; if he eats it I'll put a bit more in; if he doesn't I'll take it out after an hour or so.

I also read on one site in regards to feeding that someone put their food on dry land so it didn't mess up the water; and on another site I read that someone had gotten a small feeding bowl and put it in their tank and just dropped the food into there. It's hard to get all the bits out the gravel so I've opted for a small hamster feeding dish and I'll put his food in there and when he's finished I can just lift it out again.

yep, it can be confusing, whilst you find your feet.

ok, first the tank and environment. i would ignore "sites"/"forums" as such. look for links to people who, actually, keep them. (always the best sources of information). you will find, these guys, are totally aquatic. mind you a search here, will supply some good info.
make sure the gravel is a, fairly, big gauge. this avoids the, possibility, of one of your newts choking on any.( i have no idea if this, actually, happens. but i was warned).

feeding? well i give/gave one frozen, but thawed, block of blood worm (or whatever), every two days, for three 3 inch newts. it does not go all at once. (i have seen some left the next morning) so don't worry if they don't chomp the whole lot in one sitting.
so you have one, try 1/2 a block for the first feed. feed them in the water (dropping the food in) the most likely result of leaving food on land is, rotting uneaten food in the dry area. you can try, any number of feeding techniques. but there seems to be no need. just feed em like any fish.

honestly, if your filtration is not up to sorting the waste and uneaten food in the tank, it may be necessary, to rethink the system you are using. mind you that is a problem with tanks that have so little water to, keep, cycled. another reason to go Aquatic! lol.

keep us up to date. you do know these guys can live, well passed, 10 years! opinions varie as to "life expectancy". but we have a member here, who has had one 11 years. last time i heard, it was still going strong.

again all the best. cant wait for the pictures

 

[Floyds mum]

yep, it can be confusing, whilst you find your feet.

ok, first the tank and environment. i would ignore "sites"/"forums" as such. look for links to people who, actually, keep them. (always the best sources of information). you will find, these guys, are totally aquatic. mind you a search here, will supply some good info.
make sure the gravel is a, fairly, big gauge. this avoids the, possibility, of one of your newts choking on any.( i have no idea if this, actually, happens. but i was warned).

feeding? well i give/gave one frozen, but thawed, block of blood worm (or whatever), every two days, for three 3 inch newts. it does not go all at once. (i have seen some left the next morning) so don't worry if they don't chomp the whole lot in one sitting.
so you have one, try 1/2 a block for the first feed. feed them in the water (dropping the food in) the most likely result of leaving food on land is, rotting uneaten food in the dry area. you can try, any number of feeding techniques. but there seems to be no need. just feed em like any fish.

honestly, if your filtration is not up to sorting the waste and uneaten food in the tank, it may be necessary, to rethink the system you are using. mind you that is a problem with tanks that have so little water to, keep, cycled. another reason to go Aquatic! lol.

keep us up to date. you do know these guys can live, well passed, 10 years! opinions varie as to "life expectancy". but we have a member here, who has had one 11 years. last time i heard, it was still going strong.

again all the best. cant wait for the pictures

Thanx for the info, it is actually what ive been looking for, simple and straight to the point. Im going into town this sat hopefully and i know of an exotic pets store that ill pop into aswell and have a chat with them and lfs to
Will post any pics when i get them, they/it will be ok in a smallish 29L aquarium for a week or so if its not too big?
Also i know they can reach 10yrs or so but ive wanted them for the past 5 yrs
Is sand or gravel best for them?

 

[raptorrex]

yep, it can be confusing, whilst you find your feet.

ok, first the tank and environment. i would ignore "sites"/"forums" as such. look for links to people who, actually, keep them. (always the best sources of information). you will find, these guys, are totally aquatic. mind you a search here, will supply some good info.
make sure the gravel is a, fairly, big gauge. this avoids the, possibility, of one of your newts choking on any.( i have no idea if this, actually, happens. but i was warned).

feeding? well i give/gave one frozen, but thawed, block of blood worm (or whatever), every two days, for three 3 inch newts. it does not go all at once. (i have seen some left the next morning) so don't worry if they don't chomp the whole lot in one sitting.
so you have one, try 1/2 a block for the first feed. feed them in the water (dropping the food in) the most likely result of leaving food on land is, rotting uneaten food in the dry area. you can try, any number of feeding techniques. but there seems to be no need. just feed em like any fish.

honestly, if your filtration is not up to sorting the waste and uneaten food in the tank, it may be necessary, to rethink the system you are using. mind you that is a problem with tanks that have so little water to, keep, cycled. another reason to go Aquatic! lol.

keep us up to date. you do know these guys can live, well passed, 10 years! opinions varie as to "life expectancy". but we have a member here, who has had one 11 years. last time i heard, it was still going strong.

again all the best. cant wait for the pictures

Thanx for the info, it is actually what ive been looking for, simple and straight to the point. Im going into town this sat hopefully and i know of an exotic pets store that ill pop into aswell and have a chat with them and lfs to
Will post any pics when i get them, they/it will be ok in a smallish 29L aquarium for a week or so if its not too big?
Also i know they can reach 10yrs or so but ive wanted them for the past 5 yrs
Is sand or gravel best for them?

hope i've been able to help, a little.
as for the sand, i cant say. i only ever used gravel. but i cant see any reason why not. some do use a mix, but then they have land. and we know land is not necessary. so

 

[dipsydoodlenoodle]

ok my post might be too late but I asked in the pet shop if sand or gravel was preferable and they said either. I got gravel (too big for him to eat).

I also know they can live for 10+ years; that doesn't bother me. I've been keeping fish for 16 is years so I don't mind; my current fish are all 9 years (or rahter I've had them 9 years, I don't know how old they were when I bought them).

I really like my little newt; I turn his filter off at night - as it's in my bedroom and when I switched it on this morning he looked so unimpressed and tired. Just like a normal person does in the morning. If I put my hand in his tank for whatever reason he runs away and looks from a "safe place" and then keeps moving out of the safe place to see since he's so nosey.

 

[Arthas]

ok my post might be too late but I asked in the pet shop if sand or gravel was preferable and they said either. I got gravel (too big for him to eat).

I also know they can live for 10+ years; that doesn't bother me. I've been keeping fish for 16 is years so I don't mind; my current fish are all 9 years (or rahter I've had them 9 years, I don't know how old they were when I bought them).

I really like my little newt; I turn his filter off at night - as it's in my bedroom and when I switched it on this morning he looked so unimpressed and tired. Just like a normal person does in the morning. If I put my hand in his tank for whatever reason he runs away and looks from a "safe place" and then keeps moving out of the safe place to see since he's so nosey.

Ok um,im thinking to move my newt into a new tank i think about 10 gallons.....any tips?

 

[dipsydoodlenoodle]

Is it a japanese fire belly or a chinese fire belly?

I think boboboy said japanese fire bellys don't like "land" - most tanks I have seen with newts in have a piece of bogwood so the newt can climb out of the water if needed.

In my tank I have 3 pieces of rock; they form a cave and then a piece of land just slightly out of the water. If you do put land in make sure they can climb/walk up it to get out of the water.

I have a Japanese fire belly and he doesn't like coming out of the water; he has poked his head out of the water twice but he's never been all the way out. I also have a Chinese fire belly and it stays on the rock and swims on the surface of the water; it's been down to the bottom of the water once but it seems to like swimming on the surface and sitting in the plants.

I did get real plants to go in the tank; but I got rid of them and replaced it with plastic plants; if you put plastic ones in make sure it's not "sharp" as I read somewhere that sometimes they get a little excited and can hurt themselves on it. Apparently plants are good for the newts as they like to hide in them - my two certainly do.

When I got my first newt I asked if they preferred gravel or sand and I was told either. I have gravel in (as you will see from my reply to your other question); just make sure that the gravel is too big for them to swallow. I think it's said to put but pebbles in - but in all honestly I didn't like them; so I tried to find big gravel.

Have you any photos?

 

[Arthas]

Is it a japanese fire belly or a chinese fire belly?

I think boboboy said japanese fire bellys don't like "land" - most tanks I have seen with newts in have a piece of bogwood so the newt can climb out of the water if needed.

In my tank I have 3 pieces of rock; they form a cave and then a piece of land just slightly out of the water. If you do put land in make sure they can climb/walk up it to get out of the water.

I have a Japanese fire belly and he doesn't like coming out of the water; he has poked his head out of the water twice but he's never been all the way out. I also have a Chinese fire belly and it stays on the rock and swims on the surface of the water; it's been down to the bottom of the water once but it seems to like swimming on the surface and sitting in the plants.

I did get real plants to go in the tank; but I got rid of them and replaced it with plastic plants; if you put plastic ones in make sure it's not "sharp" as I read somewhere that sometimes they get a little excited and can hurt themselves on it. Apparently plants are good for the newts as they like to hide in them - my two certainly do.

When I got my first newt I asked if they preferred gravel or sand and I was told either. I have gravel in (as you will see from my reply to your other question); just make sure that the gravel is too big for them to swallow. I think it's said to put but pebbles in - but in all honestly I didn't like them; so I tried to find big gravel.

Have you any photos?

Oh,big mistake. I got a 25 gallon (I just took out the tank today and found out.) So,how much can I fit? I plan on getting at least 1 more. I got the chinese one. Right now hes in a 1 gallon tank. When I get the design of my 25 gal tank done i'll get a pick. By the way,my chinese firebelly is fat and plump. Thats good,right?

 

[Arthas]

Oh,How do I tell from male or female? I heard something about a coacal or something. Can you take pics and show me? My son thinks its a male because he said its "Big." Hes only 2,its about the size of his hand. (Like 3 Inches)