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 #1748202


Ammeratsu
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 CFBN Not Eating




My female Chinese fire bellied newt is about 3.5 inches long. She’s not eating, but still shedding. When she sheds, she doesn’t eat her skin. I got her to eat a couple of frozen blood worms, but no more.

I’ve tried giving her blackworms, earthworms, bloodworms, pheonix worms, meal worms, crickets, feeder fish, freeze-dried bloodworms, fish food.

She lives in a 20 gallon long terrarium with about 11.5 x 12 inches of land and 18.5 x 12 inches of water(Length)

I use coconut fiber substate with sphagnum and another kind of moss on top. There’s a piece of drift wood to hide under on land and a live plant(Gold Ribbon)

I have 4 inch deep water with a cave in it as well as a leafy fake plant to hide in I use large gravel in the water and there’s a turtle dock floating. I have a filter and dechlorinate the water when I add more with tap water conditioner.

The water temperature is usually around 75 and the air 70-80. The humidity is 70-80%

Also, she never ever goes on land. She always hides in her fake leafy plant underwater. When I first got her, she wouldn’t eat on land, either, and now she won’t eat at all.

Her skin is smooth and without cuts, her eyes, nose, and vent are clear, but she’s not very active

When I first got her, she hate earthworms(Unchopped because I didn’t know much). She ate one every day, then, when I moved her to her new home (20 gallon long aqua-terrarium) she ate some feeder fish and then just stopped eating for months. I thought of trying frozen daphnia or plankton, but I haven’t yet.

I recently did a health check for all her cage-mates, and they all seem healthy and are eating well.

Please help me find out what’s wrong with her or what I can feed her that she’ll eat.
05/27/08  04:16pm

 #1748407


Keechoo
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   Message To: Ammeratsu   In reference to Message Id: 1748202


 CFBN Not Eating

Who are her cagemates? They usually go on a fast while shedding and only one out of 3 of my newts eats his shed so I wouldn’t worry about that. Have you tried trout worms? 2 of my 3 would rather eat those than earthworms. The earthworms seem to be to big for them to handle while the trout worms are quickly gobbled.

I would try lowering the water temperature since they like it on the cool side. She could be staying in the water too keep hydrated but it is not unusual for them to live their life swimming. I had the opposite with mine who refused to submerge himself entirely.

If she has different species living with her it could be stressing her out which would be another reason she isn’t eating.

I’m sure someone else will come along and add to what I’ve said. Just be patient because this can be a slow forum.

Good Luck!
05/27/08  07:20pm

 #1748426


Ammeratsu
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   Message To: Keechoo   In reference to Message Id: 1748407


 CFBN Not Eating

I have two fire bellied toads with her and mandarin salamander. The fire bellied toads are in the water half the time and the salamander if never there. So should I think about seperating her if her condition doesn’t improve? Also, she as eating well until a couple months ago, and she’s always lived with the toads

And I’ll try trout worms, but where can I buy them? A bait shop or something?

Do you know any good methods of cooling? I live in the desert and it’s so hard to keep my room at room tempearture during the summer.
05/27/08  07:29pm

 #1748439


Ammeratsu
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   Message To: Keechoo   In reference to Message Id: 1748407


 CFBN Not Eating

Sorry to double post, but I think she may be shedding in excess. Since she’s not eating, she’s not growing yet she sheds almost every week
05/27/08  07:36pm

 #1748769


Dane_Zoo
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   Message To: Ammeratsu   In reference to Message Id: 1748439


 CFBN Not Eating

separate all three different species, they will not go together, if you separate them it may start eating again
05/27/08  11:44pm

 #1748787


Ammeratsu
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   Message To: Dane_Zoo   In reference to Message Id: 1748769


 CFBN Not Eating

-sigh- I think people’s opinions are too strong. I doubt it was the different species that stopped him from eating. I’ve asked breeders if FBN and FBT can go together, they say yes. Ever since I got my FBN, she’s been with the FBTs and MS. She’s ate for a couple months, then stopped.

I know what I’m doing, I just don’t know why she won’t eat.
05/28/08  12:15am

 #1748805


Ammeratsu
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   Message To: Ammeratsu   In reference to Message Id: 1748787


 CFBN Not Eating

I probably will seperate her from the others if she doesn’t improve, though.
05/28/08  12:57am

 #1748937


Keechoo
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   Message To: Ammeratsu   In reference to Message Id: 1748805


 CFBN Not Eating

I would move her to her own tank just so she could be monitored closely. It is possible the others are more aggressive to her now which could cause stress.

Years ago I had FBTs living with an FBN and at the beginning all was going well. They got along really well, eating together, climbing on top of each other, etc. A couple of years later an FBT mistook the FBN as food (I was feeding them crickets) due to her movement. The FBT took a chunk out of the FBN’s head and she died. The FBT died pretty quickly, faster then the FBN.

Another rreason to keep them apart is thattheir needs are different. FBTs like higher temperatures and lots of humidity whereas the FBNs don’t. Also they like their water temperature low. Mine are in the 60’s and sometimes lower than that. People need to realize that pet stores don’t give the right advice all the time because they just want to make a sale.

To lower the temperatures, some people use a fan blowing on them and others freeze bottles of water and put it in the tank. When one melts they have another in the freezer waiting to replace it. This is a good place to look for more information Link
05/28/08  08:00am

 #1749021


Ammeratsu
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   Message To: Keechoo   In reference to Message Id: 1748937


 CFBN Not Eating

Well, about that, I don’t really think I need to worry about the FBN and FBTs coming into contact. She’s always at the bottom of 4 inch deep water while the FBTs hover on the top and don’t even notice her.

But yeah, one I buy another tank, I’ll seperate her. A ten gallon should do fine, yes?
05/28/08  10:57am

 #1749404


Ammeratsu
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   Message To: Ammeratsu   In reference to Message Id: 1749021


 CFBN Not Eating

The problem seems to be solved. I gave her some plankton, and she ate.
05/28/08  06:33pm

 #1749425


Ammeratsu
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   Message To: Ammeratsu   In reference to Message Id: 1749404


 CFBN Not Eating

False alarm. I tried giving her more, but she grabs it and spits it out. Does that mean she just doesn’t like it?
05/28/08  06:48pm

 #1749427


Ammeratsu
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   Message To: Ammeratsu   In reference to Message Id: 1749404


 CFBN Not Eating

False alarm. I tried giving her more, but she grabs it and spits it out. Does that mean she just doesn’t like it?

While I was feeding her, she also did something really weird. She curled up into a ball, tried to bite her own tail or back foot and then turned on her back and rolled over.
05/28/08  06:49pm

 #1749654


Keechoo
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   Message To: Ammeratsu   In reference to Message Id: 1749427


 CFBN Not Eating

That is very weird. I have no idea what that’s about. Try the link I gave you previously if you haven’t already done so. People there will most likely know more and have some great suggestions.
05/28/08  09:44pm

 #1749757


Ammeratsu
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   Message To: Keechoo   In reference to Message Id: 1749654


 CFBN Not Eating

Thank you, Keechoo. You’ve been really nice and helpful and I’m greatful. I’ll go check out the link.
05/28/08  11:29pm

 #1749921


Keechoo
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   Message To: Ammeratsu   In reference to Message Id: 1749757


 CFBN Not Eating

Saw your message on the other site. Good luck! I’ll be following along because I want to see what they say about that weird behavior. Again, good luck!
05/29/08  08:28am


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