# Blue tailed fire bellied newt breeding tips please



## That guy (Jul 22, 2013)

So I’m getting a pair of blue tailed fire bellies. If all goes to plan they will be shipped out today and arrive tomorrow. Their setup has been up and running for over a month. The temp is 21.
It’s a none related male and female pair that are CB in 2011. Care wise I’m ok on and will post some pics of their setup (the light is over to establish the plants which means the lid is off. But they do have a lid that will be kept on once they are in.
I would however like to breed them at some point. The earliest I intend on breeding them would be April however it will more likely be May or June as I want them to be established before I even attempt to breed.
Raising the larvae and elfs I’m also ok on as well as I used to collect really young smooth newts and raise them to the elf stage and hibernate them in my garden and let them go in the spring when I was about 6-11. And the female will need fattening up I assume. I know it would be a good idea to get some newt egg laying strips (make my life easier).
Only real questions are how to condition them or is it just feed them a ton of food, how many do they lay (I have heard some species laying up to 200), how much could I sell the young. Like how much for a 1 year old, for a 2 year old, 3 year old and 4 year old. And most importantly how to trigger breeding behaviour. I know how the male courts the female and the fact he drops some sperm and she walks over it and takes it into her body but I assume I need a temp drop to triggered it?
I have experiance with raising young but none with breeding
Any other tips and advice would be appreciated 
Ps I will take the indian gourami and bristle nose out about a month before I start to try and breed them. The little mountain minnows should leave them alone long enough for me to get them out 

Over view of the tank


Tank from above showing the land area


Close ups on the tank



close up of the land area


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## chrisperrins78 (Nov 2, 2011)

Nice set up, the temp is right at the top end of their range. You may want to try to drop it by a couple of degrees. This will also encourage them to breed as they will go through a natural cooling period in the wild. I have a trio of them and they are kept at 17-19 degrees and they are really active. The more plants the better for breeding. Mine have not breed yet, but they are in quite a bare set up which will have a load more plants added in March. 
Hope this helps
Chris


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## That guy (Jul 22, 2013)

chrisperrins78 said:


> Nice set up, the temp is right at the top end of their range. You may want to try to drop it by a couple of degrees. This will also encourage them to breed as they will go through a natural cooling period in the wild. I have a trio of them and they are kept at 17-19 degrees and they are really active. The more plants the better for breeding. Mine have not breed yet, but they are in quite a bare set up which will have a load more plants added in March.
> Hope this helps
> Chris


Cheers:2thumb: 

I was thinking of cooling it before i get them but thought they will be ok and if I need to cool it to triggered breeding behaviour then I can cool it and get them to breed : victory:
I'm getting frogbit when I see it. 
I wasn't sure whether to get more plants so decided I'll see how the newts look but will probably get more.
Just wondering how do you cool it? the only thing I can think of are ice cubes


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## chrisperrins78 (Nov 2, 2011)

Ice would work or put them outside.


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## That guy (Jul 22, 2013)

Can't put them out side  too many cats for me to be constable (the learned how to open my fish tanks outside where I hibernate some young frog 

And we are right on the edge of a bad neighbourhood and people from their come over to where we live and cause trouble. Wouldn't be combatable. 

Can you get coolers like you can get heaters?


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## Tenaki2427 (Dec 1, 2013)

Hi 
That's awesome I'd love to have some of those :2thumb:
I am not aware of any coolers sold for tanks (although some larger tanks used for transporting fish may have them built in). During the summer I just added ice cubes slowly. You could try using a water bottle with ice in it to keep it cool.
I also topped the tank up with cool water regularly.
I do not think you need a large temperature change, as one of my female H.Orientalis may be laying soon (has been practicing egg laying) and the range at the moment is between 17 and 20 degrees Celsius and I haven't really tried to breed them. The male also seems to court the females occasionally.
You do have a lid for that tank right? 
Good luck : victory:


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## That guy (Jul 22, 2013)

Tenaki2427 said:


> Hi
> That's awesome I'd love to have some of those :2thumb:
> I am not aware of any coolers sold for tanks (although some larger tanks used for transporting fish may have them built in). During the summer I just added ice cubes slowly. You could try using a water bottle with ice in it to keep it cool.
> I also topped the tank up with cool water regularly.
> ...


 
Cheers for the info:2thumb: and I do have a lid indeed : victory:
For the last month or so I have had the lid off with a bright light above to get the plants established. Once established they should be ok with room light. Its just getting them established :lol2:

Once I get them I'll defiantly do a post and if they breed I'll do a post as well as updates on how they are doing then once old enough will do a post in the classifieds for selling some.
I really hope I can find another pair or two so I can sell the elfs in breeding pairs or trios. As these guys unfortunately will be related so I will probably sell them individually or if I can sex them maybe in female pairs as well .
But if I can get some more so I can sell unrelated ones together I'll price them individually and in male/female pairs or more money for 1 male 2 female trios or less for female pairs.
Thats what i'm thinking but really need to find out how much to sell the for


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## chrisperrins78 (Nov 2, 2011)

If you are after some more of them look at this link. The shop is in swadlincote derbyshire, I don't know if he sends livestock.
Preloved | green blue tail newts(cynops cyanurus) for sale in Swadlincote, Derbyshire
Cheers
Chris


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## That guy (Jul 22, 2013)

chrisperrins78 said:


> If you are after some more of them look at this link. The shop is in swadlincote derbyshire, I don't know if he sends livestock.
> Preloved | green blue tail newts(cynops cyanurus) for sale in Swadlincote, Derbyshire
> Cheers
> Chris


Cheers :no1:

What is the shops name?
I saw it when it was first posted but at the time it was too far away. But if he has a shop can you send me a link so I can check if he ships them out?
Thanks:2thumb:


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## chrisperrins78 (Nov 2, 2011)

the shop is called KNM reptiles and the phone number is 01283 222250
cheers
Chris


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## That guy (Jul 22, 2013)

chrisperrins78 said:


> the shop is called KNM reptiles and the phone number is 01283 222250
> cheers
> Chris


 
Cheers :2thumb:


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## bellabelloo (Mar 31, 2007)

I would remove all the fish before you add the newts as you may find the newts get rather stressed with them being in there and will try to leave the water.


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## That guy (Jul 22, 2013)

bellabelloo said:


> I would remove all the fish before you add the newts as you may find the newts get rather stressed with them being in there and will try to leave the water.


watching the bristlenose as that could be the only one that could upset them though it is a really calm one. it and the gourami keep to them selfs.

All of the other little fish at none fin nippers and are quite delicate them self's to physical assault. They won't bother the newts.:2thumb:

put the newts in the tank about an hour ago. they are happy and swimming/crawling about and the little fish get out of their way.


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## That guy (Jul 22, 2013)




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