ARGHH!!! Why my newt tank stinks??!!!

[Don90]

Hi all, I keep 4 newts(cynops orientalis) in a 2ft tank. Recently it started to stink!!

The newts poop so much everyday! like big pellets.

The filter can't filter their shit, I have to clear the shit myself with a siphon filter.


I feed them frozen bloodworms everyday as well.

I even have 2 filters in the tank, one submersible, one mini external (eden 501)

But why so stink??!!! I even found a snail today!!!!

How to get rid of this problem??!! I have to clear their shit everyday and do water change as well. So troublesome

Anyone can advise me on what to do??

[ranmasatome]

Did you not know the newts would shit??

[godprint]

try filtering with carbon?

i think it removes the foul smell

[Goondoo]

Did you not know the newts would eat??

[Merviso]

Hi Bro,


I'm also keeping 4 newts but in a 1 feet cube tank, and also using eden 501 filter. I did notice their shit on the land area, but did not really feel that the tank is so stink.

Could the stink comes from some other sources, like rotting uneaten food, dying plants, or just bad air circulation? Maybe you like to show us some picture of your tank so that we can have a clearer picture of your setup.

[Don90]

try filtering with carbon?

i think it removes the foul smell

My filter has the active carbon thing in it, unfortunately it does not get rid of the smell.

Did you not know the newts would shit??

??!!! What I didn't know was that the filters were unable to filter the shit.

Did you not know the newts would eat??

what's with the hostility?

Hi Bro,


I'm also keeping 4 newts but in a 1 feet cube tank, and also using eden 501 filter. I did notice their shit on the land area, but did not really feel that the tank is so stink.

Could the stink comes from some other sources, like rotting uneaten food, dying plants, or just bad air circulation? Maybe you like to show us some picture of your tank so that we can have a clearer picture of your setup

Hi, thanks for the reply.

Does your filter do all the work, or do you have to manually clean the shit?

My setup is pretty much an aquatic setup. I might post pics later.

[Merviso]

Hi, thanks for the reply.

Does your filter do all the work, or do you have to manually clean the shit?

My setup is pretty much an aquatic setup. I might post pics later.

Actually I only saw the shit on the land area, and I just let it be.

As for the water area, I actually did not notice their shit in the original form. It could have been broken it into small pieces by my 4 goby or by the snails, and either suck into the filter or sunk into the gravel.

[Don90]

I think its ammonia thats causing the stink, cos the tank not cycled yet.

haha, trust me, their shit is BIG. And it sinks.

BTW What kind of fauna do you keep your newts with?

and what's the water temperature like?

Thanks

[Merviso]

Ok, just reach home, open up the cover of my tank and smell. I can surely see a few patch of the shit here & there on the land, but luckly it did not smell that bad.

I now have just 4 goby in my tank, something similar to knight goby but not as nice looking, that I had saved from a pack of feeder. Try putting some guppy feeder inside also but they all end up dead. I saw them peck a bit on the skin of the newts, so guess that died from the newt's toxin.

I feed them tubiflex worm and mealworm cut into half. How about you?

My temperature is a bit on the high side. About 28c to 30c. Did put a fan of the outside but dun think it is effective enough. I'm now in the process of setup a L1.5 xH1.5 xD1.0 ft vivarium tank for the newts and was thinking maybe I can setup the fan on the top cover inside the tank. Not sure if it is workable, but I least the humidity should be be affected.

[Don90]

I feed the newts frozen bloodworms. Maybe next time can try brine shrimp.

As for temperature, the highest mine can go is about 26 degrees. Night time they get direct air-con so its about 19 degrees at night.

I used to have some hydrilla, so the newts can climb on to it since I got no land area. But because they don't have any lighting, the plants died.
Maybe the rotting plants made the smell worse.

The reason I feed them everyday is because one newt looks malnourished.

haiz, now still so skinny. The rest are overweight.

Next time might try to add chiller inside the tank though, might post a picture during the weekends.

[Merviso]

Wow! 19 to 26 degrees and you are still thinking of adding a chiller! Your newts will love you very much!

I have one newt who stay in the water most of the time, one who is half land and half water, and the other 2 seems to be on land 90% of the time. That's why I will create more land area for the new tank. I love to see them roam around on land like a mini crocrodile. I have a crypt planted emerged and it looks like a mini tree, so now I would like to plant more. More moss will added too and hopefully with more plants inside, it will act as a biological filter as well as improving the air quality inside the tank.

Some of my newts will refuse to eat everyday too. So I just throw into the tank and let the goby finish the food. My current tank do have some tubiflex worms living in the gravel. I just let it be and it becomes some snacks for my newts and goby when ever they feel like eating.

I'm now setting up the foam background for the new tank. Hopefully I can finish doing up by Saturday. Can't wait to see my newts in their new home!

[davwong]

How about adding a small fan blowing across the top of the tank, I am using it on my whites tank and it help.

[vinz]

...

I have kept 4 Cynops orientalis in a small tank before. Never before has it stunk. No more than then the usual fish tank fishy smell... in fact less smelly, because there are no fish in there. They were fed frozen bloodworms every alternate day and the tank filtered with an Eden (should be a 501 or the one half the size).

I've never seen their shit (I'm not saying they don't shit, just never seen any of their poop around). If I'm not wrong, newts have very efficient digestive systems... you will seldom see pieces of poop lying around. I've not even seen it from the much bigger Paddletail newt.

So, based on my experience, you might not have Cynops orientalis. I need photos to help you ID them. The smell may be from something else. Or, you might be over-feeding.

[vinz]

Did you not know the newts would shit??

Did you not know the newts would eat??

Guys, we can do without the smart-aleck remarks.

[Don90]

Hi, mine are definitely C. orientalis.










The shit is in one of the pic, but the shit is small because part of it has disintegrated. But in any case, none of my filters can suck the shit, so I hav to use "mr cleaner". Hence the high water level.

Haha, my tank used to have this plant they like to cling on to, but the plant rotted, so now they hang around the filter.

2 days back, one of my newts escaped from my tank, luckily I found it in time. It was dehydrated but luckily it recovered and is now eating well.
Btw, newts shed skin.lol

[Mez]

Firstly, why are you still using the filter that dosn't do a proper job? Best just get one that does rather than two that dosnt...dont you think?
Also, second, if the waste is that smelly, you may want to consider the likelyhood of internal parasites, this is often a common sympton in reptiles and amphibians..
Good luck.
James

[Justikanz]

Is it a new tank? A tank that is not properly cycled will bound to stink. Also, how much are you feeding? Overfeeding will also stink up a tank, especially new setups.