BellaOnline Forums Home and Garden Fish Fire bellied newt feeding - Newton won't eat!

Well, there was a sale on 5 gallons with a screen top at one of my favourite LFS'. So, of course, I had to buy one. I've set it up as a mini river tank, with 3 African Dwarf Frogs and a fire bellied newt named Newton (SO original! lol!).

There's a nice big "rooty" (lots of swimming room underneath for ADF's, flat portion just out of water on top for Newton) piece of driftwood in there, natural looking gravel, and some small river-type stones for texture. I've planted some Windelev into the driftwood for some low-light greenery and nutrient-sponging. I've read articles about ADF's that say they don't require filtration, if you're super-anal about water changes, so I'm going without. Figure I can pick up a box sponge filter if need be and season it in my established community tank.

So Newton has been in residence for two days now. He mostly likes to stay on top of the wood, or he tangles himself up in the Windelev, floating at the surface.

Problem: Newton won't eat! I'm feeding him and the ADF's thawed bloodworms and brine shrimp. The ADF's LOOOOOVE it. Newton won't go for it. I've dangled the worms in front of him on a toothpick, dangled them in the water in front of his face even, and he looks at me like "you MUST be joking!". So it's been two days now, and Newton won't eat.

Any suggestions???? EMG - you have these guys, right?

Yeah, I have two and one of them tends to eat more than the other, but both are doing well.

One bit of info...I know these newts are sold as aquatic but mine Never go in the water. They prefer to stay on the platform in the moss and under the plants. I think if you provide a good ground spot for him with plants that hang over where he can feel secure and safe, you might get him more interested in feeding. I have plenty of cover for mine..in fact, I had shifted them over to a 5 gallon viverium and while they were in there they had almost no interest in feeding..apparently they didn't like it there weren't as many taller plants for them to hide under, just a piece of bark to crawl under and that's pretty much where they stayed. I kept them in there for a couple of weeks and once in awhile one of them would eat, but not the other. So..I put them back in the 5 gallon river tank and now they are happily devouring the black worms and fd tubifex worms that I offer.

It may just be that he isn't likeing his home...try one of those platforms that stick to the side of tanks...and put some nice moss and good cover in there for him and he may come around. Don't worry too much, apparently these things can go for quite awhile without eating.

Thanks for the advice EMG.

I've taken some pothos cuttings and have draped them around his Log Island (which is quite big - plenty of room for him to move around on it). He perked up quite a bit when I did that. I also added some Windelev (submerged, of course) to root into the driftwood too. Part of that floats near the top of the water, and Newton seems to like hanging out on top of that peeking out of the water. The ADFs love hanging out in there too.

So Newton still doesn't eat much, but he is eating (mostly mealworms - can't really interest him in bloodworms, but I think he's had a few nonetheless). He cruises around the habitat lots though, in and out of the water, which I take as a good sign. He's not looking emaciated, dehydrated, or sickly.

My ADFs are so cute!! When I wiggle my finger so it catches their eyes, they'll "hop"/shuffle over and will try to eat it. They're like little spastic aqua men!

Jk...be careful with the mealworms....it is said that if the critter eating them doesn't chew them up enough and they survive the trip to the stomach...they can start munching on the inside of your friend. <img src="/images/graemlins/tongue.gif" alt="" />

Try cutting the heads off before feeding them to the newts...just to be sure... <img src="/images/graemlins/wink.gif" alt="" />

Eeeeewwwwww!!!!!

Thanks for the tip. The meal worms were a "last resort" food - figured he couldn't resist live critters. He's much better at taking the thawed blood worms off the tip of a toothpick now. I just make sure he's in the water hanging off the Windelev, head under water in his "hunting" pose, then I dangle the worms in front of him and he slurps 'em up just fine.

Lol...voracious little things aren't they !

hehe! totally.

Thought I'd share an update on Newton - he's eating like a pro now!

He'll slurp bloodworms and brine shrimp off the end of a toothpick no problem - in and out of the water. Usually he'll sit on his "Newt Island" log amongst the pothos (which have rooted realy well, just floating on the water/draped over the log). I scoop up some worms/shrimp on the end of the toothpick and bring it in front of his face. He slurps it right up, like off the end of a spoon! He sometimes grabs onto the toothpick with his forearms and won't let go, kinda shakes it around.

Well, a few weeks ago he figured out that after I was feeding him, I was squirting more worms/shrimp with a turkey baster into the tank for my 3 ADF's. So now Newton will hop off his log and swims to the bottom, and hangs out with the frogs eating on the bottom! The frogs will kinda pile onto him a bit, but it doesn't seem to bother him one bit.

He's totally cute!

JK...sounds like a cool tank you have there.....can you share some pics of it ? I'd love to see that floating log !

Yeah, red bellied newts are fantastic ! I adore the two that I have...they certainly are the cutest things..and way cool looking too !

Here's a few thumbnails of my newts and the tank I keep them in. They love to climb up in the plant, usually at night. There is a male betta and two ADFs in the water...click on the pics to enlarge....

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Do you need a filter for a newt? I've heard conflicting advice when I googled "fire bellied newt"