What kind of firebelly newts? There are many newts with orange or red markings on their bellies and many shops mis-label them. Photos will be great.
Sexing will depend on their species, so again photos for a positive ID will be the first order of business here.
Different newts come from different environments. But in general, clear cold water environments. Pebbles that CANNOT fit in their mouth are ideal. Some newts die from a compacted stomach after ingesting gravel or small pebbels that they cannot pass out.
Some plants are great, but not dense planting. Get easy hardy plants like anubias and java ferns tied on drfitwood. Most LFS should have those. Also makes major cleaning of the tank easier, as you can just lift them out of the tank. Although I would suggest you never disturb the tank setup once they are settled in.
No need to create a beach. Newts prefer to stay in water. But do put in a few pieces of driftwood that rise above the water. They will climb onto these if they want. Most times you might find them snuggled under the driftwood.
Lastly... great info here: http://www.livingunderworld.org/
You can probably ID your newts from the pictures there, but do check back with us here for a confirmation. Too many newts look alike and for some, only an experienced eye can tell the difference. If you do get pics for us, get pictures of their head, their bellies, their feet, a side profile of their tail, especially the tip, and an overhead shot. All these help to identify.
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