# My fire belly newt wont eat!:( HELP!



## ConnorM (Mar 7, 2009)

i bought a female fire belly newt 3 onths ago. About a month ago it ate its first meal but wont eat anything else. i have persistantly tried to feed it but it is refusing any food offered. its starting to get skinny and is hiding alot. it is also darting for cover every time i open the tank. i need help!
thankyou 
connor


----------



## tp_1986 (Dec 29, 2008)

Hi, 
what have you offered it to eat? and how often? 
when one of ours was alone, we never used to see it eat and came to the conclusion it was lonely - but I'm sure others will let you know if that could be the case! Its behaviour certainly changed when we got some more friends for it.


----------



## ConnorM (Mar 7, 2009)

thanx for the reply.
i have offered her mainly bloodwork but also shrimo brine, weird small bllack worms. about every 3 days. sometimes every 4-5. but she has not had any. but about a month ago she accepted a small bit of bloodwork out of a pipette. but only a small bit.
i have ordered a male for her, but probably wont get it for a few weeks. will this encourage her to act better?
thankyou!


----------



## revan (Jun 9, 2008)

Ok first thing is the newt comfortable in the water? Or is is on land most of the time?

In my experience a newt under water doesn't get stressed as easily by human interaction. My first fire belly never ate for 28 days, mainly because I kept disturbing her, and kept picking her up etc. She now eats daily. Leave the newt for 24 hours without any interaction, and sneakily put the worm up to him/her. Remember not to touch the newt as this increases the stress, and you obviously have a stressed out little guy. 

Most pet shop newts are severely stressed, as they have been treated disgracefully. 

My first newt was very thin after a month on no food, however as long as you can solve the problem the newt will recover, my one is now closer to the overweight on the bmi :lol2:


----------



## ConnorM (Mar 7, 2009)

it is mostly on land.
ok, i do have quite alot of interaction with her so that may be where i am going wrong.
thankyou


----------



## revan (Jun 9, 2008)

ConnorM said:


> thanx for the reply.
> i have offered her mainly bloodwork but also shrimo brine, weird small bllack worms. about every 3 days. sometimes every 4-5. but she has not had any. but about a month ago she accepted a small bit of bloodwork out of a pipette. but only a small bit.
> i have ordered a male for her, but probably wont get it for a few weeks. will this encourage her to act better?
> thankyou!


I'd suggest live, or frozen bloodworms, a varied diet is a good diet, however my newts have a keenness for bloodworms.

Getting another newt was not the best idea, until you have shown you can keep one newt healthily and safe, a second newt should be out of the equation.

She is acting good, if she is stressed the specie refuses to eat.


----------



## ConnorM (Mar 7, 2009)

Ok thankyou.
its getting quite annoying now as all i want is for her to be happy.
thankyou


----------



## ConnorM (Mar 7, 2009)

Whats the best thing for me to do to get it eating?


----------



## spend_day (Apr 10, 2008)

due to the small size of what you are feeding it coupled with its preference for land i am assuming this is a juvenile, and probably still going through it terrestrial phase, either that or there are water quality or stress based issues.

for young newts i would suggest a mainly terrestrial set-up with a large water bowl with easy access, this terrestrial phase can last up to 2 years. 

can i also know the temperatures, and if u have tested the water (PH and nitrate's) and is there anything that could be stressing it out (e.g. fish, poor water quality, strong water currents from a filter etc etc)

try chopped/whole small earthworms they seem a firm favorite


----------



## millie_moo (Oct 31, 2008)

i had a newt that refused to eat, the little bugger. have you asked what they were feeding it at the shop you got it from? i was well suprised when i found out they'd been feeding them fish food and that they'd been eating it! so i bought some and managed to 'ween' him off the fish food and onto bloodworm.


----------



## ConnorM (Mar 7, 2009)

the water temperature is about 71F.
i have about an inch of water with rocks stacked out of the water, next to it i have a large peice of floating bark. so i have quite alot of terrestrial space. The stacked rocks cover the exit flow of the filter to stop a fast current. at the back i have a plastic climbing plant where she normaly hides and sleeps in. SHES GOOD AT CLIMBING! 
thankyou for the reply!
connor:2thumb:


----------



## spend_day (Apr 10, 2008)

ConnorM said:


> the water temperature is about 71F.
> i have about an inch of water with rocks stacked out of the water, next to it i have a large peice of floating bark. so i have quite alot of terrestrial space. The stacked rocks cover the exit flow of the filter to stop a fast current. at the back i have a plastic climbing plant where she normaly hides and sleeps in. SHES GOOD AT CLIMBING!
> thankyou for the reply!
> connor:2thumb:


71 is right at the top of there tolerance levels, i would maybe try and drop a few degrees, do you know how old she is?


----------



## ConnorM (Mar 7, 2009)

hi,
i have dropped it to about, 21C/67F. is this ok to use on an extended basis?
i have no clue at all about how old she is,
sorry
thankyou:2thumb:


----------



## spend_day (Apr 10, 2008)

ConnorM said:


> hi,
> i have dropped it to about, 21C/67F. is this ok to use on an extended basis?
> i have no clue at all about how old she is,
> sorry
> thankyou:2thumb:


67F/19.7C is a much better temp.


----------



## ConnorM (Mar 7, 2009)

great.. thankyou!


----------



## pugant06 (Jan 23, 2009)

Watching this thread with interest. I now have six of these in a 3' tank. The larger two are 99% aquatic. However, the four smaller ones spend most of their time on the cork island. The aquatic ones eat all that enters the water but the terrestrial ones i have to dangle a bloodworm in front of their noses with tweezers. Sometimes they take it but more often they dont. I think patience is the secret with these if juviniles and still not aquatic. I thought i was going to put something in the tank that just needed the occasional partial water change & feeding every 3rd day - WRONG. However, i must stress that you should NOT handle at all while yours is showing a reluctance to eat if due to stress. Some good info has already come your way from more experienced keepers. So its fingers crossed and good luck with yours - Tony


----------



## ConnorM (Mar 7, 2009)

oh, thankyou very much!
that has confirmed pretty much that she is a juvenile, i havent even gone near the tank now for about 3 days, so hopefully this has given her a bit of time to calm down. i may try and tempt her with some food in the next few days.
thanks alot
connor


----------



## revan (Jun 9, 2008)

if you've left her for 3 days, try now.


----------

