Fire belly newts

**Emg** · 30th Oct 2005, 03:44

I realize this is an old thread...but thought I'd share a bit about the 2 red bellied newts that I have.

I have them in a river tank setup. There's a platform with moss and plants and a section with about 2 or 3 gallons of water. I have a sponge filter in the water and a male betta and two ADFs (african dwarf frogs).

The newts are always on the platform and never go into the water. They are healthy and fine and eat very well. I feed them freeze dried tubifex worms and live black worms, which they both gobble up pretty readily. I feed them by moistening a piece of the tubifex worms and sticking it to the end of a chopstick. I hold it in front of their faces and they snatch it up. I do the same with the live black worms, (I add a liquid vitemin supliment to the water that the worms are kept in).

I've had these newts for about a year now and they are both doing just fine. Way cool critter to have IMO. They love to climb up in the plants to sleep at night. Here's a pic of them just to so you can see that they are indeed the redbellied newt.....you can click on the pics to enlarge them.....

This is the tank I keep them in. It's an older pic and the plants have grown in quite a bit and I have a different betta in there now.

I like these guys so much I may just pick up a few more....lol....to add to my collection of fish, dart frogs and other critters....

**aquatic777** · 25th Nov 2005, 23:15

reali regret never read this thread till too late. my 4 newts went to heaven 1 by 1...this thread very informative with all the tips

**Justikanz** · 14th Dec 2005, 01:04

My CFB hunting brineshrimp...

**andrewtyr** · 14th Dec 2005, 10:54

very interesting animals, I will be having a hard time convincing my parents about keeping them!

**zhiz22** · 17th Dec 2005, 18:24

bring your newt to the office

i think they make great office pets and a talking point. provided you find a place in freezer to hide the frozen worms

**Justikanz** · 17th Dec 2005, 22:25

Office would be good, as the newts will appreciate the cooler water temperature too.

But they will still prefer life food... If they dun eat, they can only be enticed by moving, wriggling bloodworms or tubifex.

I had mine sometimes eating right out of my finger.

Now they dive into the water when they see brine shrimp swimming inside...

Very attraction grabbing...

Your colleagues will be visiting you often.... Haha...

**zhiz22** · 18th Dec 2005, 12:11

The problem is that its hard to keep live food in office :P

also i have only one newt. now feasible to buy a pack of live mealworms just to feed that bugger. Any solution?

**Justikanz** · 18th Dec 2005, 21:20

Oh no.... Not mealworms! They won't eat mealworms... Which are usually too big for them, anyway. I only had a paddletail eat 1 mealworm... And it doesn't even touch it ever again... Think they are not very tasty...

They love BLOODWORMS, tubifex and brineshrimp.

You just need the live food only initially to make sure they eat and know what is food. Subsequently, they can take frozen bloodworms and brineshrimp.

Maybe Vinz can provide more suggestions, if he is reading this. He keeps newts too.

**zhiz22** · 19th Dec 2005, 00:42

yeah i can handfeed it frozen worms now.

jsut thinikign of what other variety

live brineshrimp can be quite a waste if its just to feed one newt. perhaps i mght go get frozen oens.

**semota** · 21st Dec 2005, 00:26

where can i buy newts?

**XnSdVd** · 21st Dec 2005, 23:30

You can have mine if justikanz doesn't want them. I've been looking for someone to adopt them.

**Justikanz** · 21st Dec 2005, 23:34

Hi, Shannon! I would like to have them but timing is an issue... Sorry for that

... If you need to get them out urgently, then perhaps Semota can have them, since he is looking for them. It is ok with me.

As long as they are being properly taken care of.

**semota** · 22nd Dec 2005, 12:00

Hhaa..thanks shannon, but then, my question still not answered leh..where do you get them in the first place? Are they legal? So uncle at LFS say its illegal..

**XnSdVd** · 22nd Dec 2005, 14:44

You can get them at pasir ris farmway. There is no law on them here but japan has banned the capture and export of Japanese firebellied newts. They pop up occasionally at shops but more as an odity than an actual sales item. The second one I found was actually kept with a betta. Well, she had a foot bitten off by the fish so I just bought her.

**zhiz22** · 22nd Dec 2005, 14:55

they are banned

only reptile/amphibian allowed is red ear slider

haha based on this rule, feeder frogs and bullfrogs are illegal too

**XnSdVd** · 22nd Dec 2005, 14:56

I stand corrected then.

**Justikanz** · 22nd Dec 2005, 18:16

Yes, it is illegal to buy and sell the newts. Please do not advertise the place to buy them.

**stormhawk** · 24th Dec 2005, 01:40

Oddly enough, one of the Science Centre guidebooks, I think the one on Reptiles and Amphibians, says that the small Oriental Firebelly is allowed in SG? I don't know where my copy went but the info is in that guidebook itself.

**Justikanz** · 24th Dec 2005, 01:43

Well, according to AVA's website... No reptiles or amphibians allowed for trade in Singapore.

**stormhawk** · 24th Dec 2005, 02:04

Yes yes AVA has the final word.

I'll restrict myself to my Zoids.. at least those aren't banned in anyway.

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