Newt Care
A Quick Guide to Newt Care
Newt care is important if you are keeping newts in captivity. You need to do your best to duplicate their natural living conditions, and to keep them healthy. Newts enjoy spending time in the water, and they like to spend summer months in streams and ponds, when they're in the wild.
When you go out to select a newt for a pet, don't take the first one you might happen to see. Watch them for awhile, and make sure the tank is uncrowded, and the water is clean. Those are both issues that cause disease, and show improper newt care. Pick a newt that has skin that is unblemished, and has a good solid weight to him. His eyes should be wide open and bright. He should be inquisitive, and try to escape your hands. Obviously, don't buy a newt that has any tumors, sores, fungus, infections or wounds. If you are introducing a new newt to an existing tank, quarantine the new specimen for a couple weeks, in case he has something – you don't want all your newts to catch it.
Set your aquarium for newts up so that the animals can get to both land and water without any difficulty. Place gravel and plants in the water, and cover the land surfaces with fern, logs or moss. Make sure the water has shallow areas, so the newts can get back on land when they want to. Hiding places are a plus, too, like overhanging rocks or hollow logs.
Newts tend to be active at night, so when you prepare a home for the newt, care must be taken to use ultra-violet light for their habitat. You can use water from the tap in the aquarium, as long as you let it sit for a day before adding it to your tank. This way the chlorine can escape, since newts don't tolerate chlorine well. You will need to change your water two times a week, unless you have a filter. Then it can be done once a week or so.
When you clean your tank, use only fresh warm water, and no soaps. Scrub it fully, but only change about one third of the water at any time. Make sure the newly added water sits out to de-chlorinate before you add it. A good cover for your aquarium is one that has netting on it, as long as you can still secure it. Newts like to climb, and you don't want them underfoot.
Feed your newts no more often than three times weekly. Newt care booklets suggest that you must not overfeed your pets, or they will become too heavy, and it will shorten their life span. Wash your hands carefully before you feed your newts. Newts enjoy millipedes, cockroaches, water fleas, slugs, minnows, aphids, moths and other insects. They like to eat while they're in water, and they will swallow their food whole. Make sure their food can be easily swallowed.
Take care of your newts and they will provide you and your family with years of enjoyment.