Fire Belliend Newts

[promithius]

Hello all. I saw some fire belliend newts in my local big chain pet store yesterday, and i though 'perfect, something dirrent to do witht hat spare tank!'

I need a little info (stuff i cant find on google!)

Is a 3g tank enough?
What are sutable subtrates?
Ideal water depth? (lfs said around 1", but that sounds a bit low)
lfs reccommended frozen foods, if these are ok, what ones should i provide for a varied diet?

I had a tinker with my spare tank today. i have got 1/2" of gravel, sloping up to about 4" at the front left, 5 1/2" at the back left. i have about 3 1/2 inches of water in. i have buried an air powered internal filter in the back left, along with a waterfall pump. the pump is setup so that it trickles water down a medium sized peice of bogwood, into the 'lake' at the right hand end.

The tank is going to be lit with 2 4" white cold cathode tubes, as to not over heat the newts. can anyone suggest some semi aquatic, easy to care for plants?

 

[RadaR]

Are these the Chinese or Japanese type?
A 3g is no way near big enough. Your looking at a 15g (20g would be better) for 3-4 Newts.
1" of water isnt big enough. 8" is good. Land must be provided by sloping, smooth gravel, or floating objects. See if you can use moss too. It should be heated to about 20degreesC.
Food...frozen bloodworm is good. Try earthworms too and crickets. If you are lucky you can get them to like amphibian pellets.

 

[promithius]

They wernt specific on what type they were, but the sticker said they get to about 10cm. I was thinking of having 1 for the moment, as the ones in the LFS are about 4-5cm. Im moving house in the next 2 weeks, and my room (shared house) will be about 2 1/2 times the size of my one now, so theres plenty of room for bigger tanks once im moved in. Cheers for the info though!

Kept it coming guys ^^

 

[The_Dude]

If they're the Japanese variety, their tail is tapered into a point on the end, and if it's the Chinese variety, the tip of the tail is more rounded. If you can tell us which, we can tell you what to do. And make sure with either, that your gravel is huge, to prevent swallowing. River rocks or sand are better alternatives. The tanks should be set up with a small area of land with moss (not peat moss, too acidic) or cypress mulch. The water can be 4" and up in depth. It's really up to you on how deep it is. There should be a hiding spot, like a small log ornament for an aquarium or something. The small land area should be at least an inch or so above the water. The land should be gently sloped into the water, creating a shoreline of sorts. The land should tank at least 1/3 of the tank, and should be accomadting to your newts abilities. Make sure your habitat has a TIGHT fitting lid, preferrably a screen, but standard aquarium hoods are ok. In fact, I suggest getting an aquarium hood with small holes drilled in it for proper air and gas exchange. Make sure they're behind the lighting. There isn't any special lighting required. Any old normal aquarium light will do. No UV or UVB, because those are known to burn newts, salamanders, and frogs. You should know this but I'm going to say it anyway. Dechlorinate the water. Any old fish conditioner will do. If a fish can live in it, so can a newt. Temperature wise, they do well just below average room temperature. 58ºF to 68ºF, but temperatures above 74º should be avoided. I'd suggest a chiller instead of a heater. Either that or a small electrical fan. They tend to work best for those who can't afford a chiller.

 

[promithius]

thanks very much, that was a real help ive had a tinker with my tank, and i have come up with the following:

its about 1/2 and 1/2 land + water. I devided the tank to about 1/3 hight with some peices of slate. the devide goes diagonally. I lined the bottom of 1 half with slate, the other has gravel up until about 1/2" below the slate 'wall'. on top of that is 1/2" of aquarium sand. i have a small water pump pumping water that runs down a peice of bogwood into the water half of the tank. the back right corner is raised about 1" above the water, with a peice of slate creating a serface, which i intend to cover with moss. I have made a small cave area with a small ceramic plant pot on the land area, which i will put a small plant slightly infront of to make an enclosed space.i have another small sqyaure of slate that i can put off on.i would take some pictures but my camera sucks once i have my lighting i will be able to take some. I am useing 2 4" cold cathode tubes to light it, so as not to heat them up.

 

[The_Dude]

Sounds good, got any pix?

 

[promithius]

ill try and get some tonight my camera is a bit naff though, and i cant use the flash, it just reflects off the glass lol

Im going to be re-doing it thought i might as well have a bash at doing it properly, so ive ordered a sheet of acrylic, some aquarium silicone and a caulk gun. im going to partition it properly, seal it all off, and do it that way. my pump keeps getting stones stuck in the fan, so im going ot hack some slate up and silicone it all down, seal all the gaps, and cut a peice to rest ontop of the pump to hide it. going to add a section for my little air powered filter too, becuase thats a bit pants at the moment, buried under the gravel. should get all my bits mon/tues, so ill post the pic's up in the DIY section for y'all to see

 

[The_Dude]

Ok! Lookingfoward to seeing the enclosure and the lil' guys who call it home.