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Fire-bellied newts

  • Thread starter Warlock
  • Start date
What do you guys feed your fire-bellied newts? I got this pellet stuff, but the newt I bought about a week ago won't eat any of it. Today, he took a long look at one, and then tried to take a bite, and then recoiled. I bought these pellets because it's cold in Pennsylvania now, and earthworms and other things are hard to find. Does anyone have any suggestions? Could it be that my newt is just getting used to his home and doesn't feel like eating? How long can they go without food?
 
I had two of these newts when I was teenager. For me they were like rocks--I hardly ever cleaned their cage, and never worried about them and they lived for years and never complained, never got sick. I always fed them these sticks, probably like the pellets you are using. It's the only thing I ever fed them. I know, not much help. It would be pretty cool though to put them in a terrarium with plenty of plants, some nice driftwood and rocks and perhaps some hardy fish to round out the scene. Perhaps you could post soem pics? Anyhow, have fun with those!
 
You can get 1000 redworms shipped for around $20 or so(last I checked). Of course you have to keep them alive.
What is your set up? Petstores carry "pinhead" crickets(the tiny ones). If you have a crawlout space put them on that. They will end up in the water(of course), and the newt should see them kicking around.

Cheers,

Joe
 
I have a fire bellied frog, and a red bellied newt in my large CP tank. When my red bellied newt is lurking where I can see him, I drop an earthworm or red wiggler near or in front of him. Then he snoops up to it, and when the worm wiggles, he chomps onto one end end and thrashes all around like a alligator.

Fishing stores carry the red wigglers, or you can set up your own worm bin (do a search for Vermiculture).

Good luck.

Bill

Bill
 
I had an Eastern Newt when I was young. I do not think I had the greatest luck with them.
I would think that you could get some frozen brine shrimp and bloodworms for your newt. You can also pick up some live foods at some pet stores, such as live brine shrimp or CA Black Worms.
 
The only problem with the easter newt is that it's small(compared to fire bellies, though I have seen some tiny ones of late). The food has to be smaller, so as you said, you have to go a little more out of your way to find live food for them.

Cheers,

Joe
 
Hey,I'm really late responding to this post but I had 2 fire belly newts(in with my 3 fire belly toads)and they all ate crickets
smile.gif
Hope that helps.*Trapper7*
 
I'm also late in responding to this post. Thanks for all your help guys. I'll try to get pics up soon. So far, my newt is still alive, but I can never tell if he eats the pellets or if my toads knock them off the rocks I put them on.
 
  • #10
Need to seperate him from the toads immediately. They won't get along and the newt could be injured-not to mention both species produce toxins. I would use something live like blackworms to get the newt to feed.
 
  • #11
I thought that fire-bellied newts were the only other amphibian that could live with fire-bellied toads. They have them that way at the pet store that I go to. Are you absolutely sure about this, NFlytrap?
 
  • #12
Yep. Check out the site I posted and they have an article in there. While mixing species is possible-combos must be chosen very carefully.
 
  • #13
i've always heard that it was wrong to mix those two species but in EVERY pet store I've gone too they always had them together,so I just left mine together,and they were fine.I don't have them anymore.*Niki*
 
  • #14
Unfortunately, just like the garden centres and cp's, pet shops often have help that don't know enough about what they have. A lot of places carry pets as a courtesy, even though their strong point is something else. For instance, the owner or manager knows their birds, but never had anything more than goldfish. They will carry fish, but not know anything about nitrogen cycle or the mixingof certain fish with one another - not unlike putting a cobra lily in encloesd plastic cube with a VFT and / or a D.adelae & P. primukiflora, with very different growing requiements.
 
  • #15
Agreed with Jimscott. Also, petstores(and garden centres) are simply mean't to temporarily keep the animals like items on a shelf before they are moved out and sold(usually within a week).
 
  • #16
On a side note, I have kept my fire belly newts and toads together for well over a year. the only problem I had was when I put a particularly small newt in (It got eaten by something). There is also african dwarf frogs and a male beta in the same tank. Everyone has their own area and it's kept on the cleaner side, maybe that's why I haven't got a problem so far?
Sib
 
  • #17
Well, in Pennsylvania it's beginning to get warmer, so I can get earthworms from outside. Now my newt is eating earthworms. Newts eat so much slower than other animals. My fire-bellied toads, and other toads that I've owned in the past, all viciously grab their food and stuff it in their mouths. The newt slowly approaches, snaps at the worm, and then slowly swallows it. It's so fun to feed him worms. *Sadistic laugh*
 
  • #18
I don't have newts, but I wanted to say I got to play with one in the wild in Sequoia Nat'l park. Later found out that I shouldn't have played with the friendly, poisonious newt. A few years ago, I saw a HUGE one in Fern Canyon, in Humboldt County. It think it must have been 6" long, but it swam off before I could snap a pic.
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  • #19
My newt just molted today! I saw him acting all weird with his legs real close to his body. Then he started to writhe and eat his skin. I've seen toads do this, and I kinda just forgot that a newt would probably do it too. It was a real cool thing to watch.
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