Newts: breeding, species, keeping at home, nutrition

2024 Author: Priscilla Miln | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-16 00:21

Many aquarists are not limited to the presence of fish in their aquarium, but try to diversify it with other representatives of the water element. These can be mollusks, snails, invertebrates, turtles, as well as bright representatives of the amphibian family - domestic newts. They are able to live on land and water, which is of particular interest to them.

Description

The newt is an aquatic reptile found in almost every body of water in the world. At the same time, their biological relatives related to salamanders are protected by law. Ordinary species are allowed to breed even at home. The size of the newt reaches 10-20 cm, depending on the size of the aquarium and the conditions of keeping.

Today, many varieties of reptiles are known, however, only a few of them are suitable for keeping in dwellings.

Types of newts

As already noted, there are a great many varieties of this representative of amphibians, but among domesticspecies can be identified several of the most common.

Often on sale you can find species:

1. Common newt. the inhabitant of the aquarium reaches 11 cm in length. The species is distinguished by a yellowish abdomen and a dark back. the touch is smooth or with pimples.
2. Alpine newt. Its main difference from other species is its attractive appearance with a bright unusual color. The presence of saturated blue, blue, orange stripes and gray spots cannot leave him unattended. Undoubtedly, this species will decorate any aquarium.
3. The crested newt is one of the largest representatives of the amphibian family for home keeping, its body length is 18 cm. It has a black-brown hue with orange spots on the abdomen. It is impossible not to notice the crest, characteristic of this species, along the entire length of its body. Throughout the cover are special glands that produce a substance that serves as a defense if the newt is attacked by other creatures.
4. The ribbed (spined) newt is another bright representative that poses a danger to the nearest neighbors living with him in the aquarium, and to the owner thereof. On his body you can see small orange tubercles, in fact, they perform a protective function in case of danger. If suddenly picked up, a specimen can attack with these bulges and injure a person.
5. Marbled newt has a greenish body color. Along its entire length there are spots of fuzzy texture, reminiscent of a marble pattern. On the abdominal cavity, white formations are clearly distinguishable. Hislength sometimes reaches 18 cm. However, a characteristic feature of this species is a bright orange stripe that adorns the body of the newt from head to tail.

Reproduction of newts of all species is the same.

Neighbourhood

Fish and snails are not the best neighbors for a newt. Creatures from the genus amphibians tend to walk on land. In addition, they often feed on small fish species, so, most likely, such neighbors will simply be eaten by amphibians.

Another fact of undesirable proximity is related to the temperature regime. For the life and reproduction of newts, cool water of about 20 ° C is preferable, in turn, fish live in warmer water - about 25 ° C.

However, as you know, nothing is impossible. With the right selection of individuals, taking into account individual characteristics, it is possible to equip an aquarium with different representatives of the aquatic world, where living together will be safe and comfortable for all its inhabitants. Guppies, neons, cardinals often cohabit in the same aquarium with an amphibian, and conflicts are not ruled out. The best neighbors for a newt in a home environment are goldfish. Given their size, they are not suitable for amphibian food, and they themselves are distinguished by a peaceful disposition.

Habitat organization

In view of the peculiarities of the life of the newt, equipping the aquarium, it is necessary to allocate a land area on which he can independently get out. For herstructures are best suited: stones, pieces of wood, branches, bark and other elements.

In order for an amphibian to feel comfortable at home, it is important to provide him with a water space, the volume of which will be at least 15 liters. Including sushi, the aquarium should be from 30 liters or more. It is worth noting that such a calculation is given for one newt, if you plan to buy several more animals in the future, it is advisable to immediately acquire a large aquarium.

The dwelling must be equipped with a cover so that the pet cannot escape, as a result of which it will die.

The bottom of the aquarium is sprinkled with large rounded stones. Fine soil is not recommended, as the amphibian can swallow it while eating. During the breeding season, the newt hides eggs among the leaves of aquatic vegetation, so it is good if there are live or artificial algae in the dwelling, in addition, they will be a wonderful decoration for the aquarium.

The highest water temperature that a newt can tolerate is +22 °C. If it is higher, the creature may suffer greatly, so on especially hot days, it is necessary to additionally cool the liquid, for example, by adding some ice.

To purify the water in the aquarium, a special filter is installed and 1/5 of the water space is changed weekly. In this way, you can protect the newt from infection with various kinds of diseases caused by decaying food residues and the result of their vital activity.

Care

Observing a number of rules and recommendations, the care and reproduction of newts will not be difficult.

It is necessary to follow these recommendations:

1. The minimum amount of water per individual is 15-20 liters.
2. Because newts are cold-blooded animals, sudden changes in temperature should not be allowed in their habitat.
3. The acidity of the water should not be higher than 8 PH, and the hardness should be between 10-12 dGH.
4. For lighting, it is best to choose fluorescent lamps that will not heat the water.
5. Stones in the aquarium should not be smaller than the head of a newt. Otherwise, the pet will swallow them.
6. It is important to maintain the correct water temperature for the amphibian to avoid overheating.

How long they live and wintering

Many people wonder what is the difference between a lizard and a newt. How long do the latter live? Answer: the lizard has lungs and lives on land, its body is covered with scales. Triton is an aquatic creature whose body is covered with smooth skin.

In the wild, newts live 7-10 years. Due to the small size of the amphibian, they often fall prey to other larger animals. In addition, due to environmental pollution, many species of newts are on the verge of extinction. At home, the life of an aquatic inhabitant is doubled - up to 20 years.

When deciding to start this type of amphibians, you need to consider that they survive the winter. It lasts from the end of October for two weeks. During this period, the triton is inactive, chooses a place for itselfwinter quarters, and stays there all the time. The optimum temperature of the content during this period is 15 ° С.

Feeding

One of the main questions of interest to owners: what is the difference between a lizard and a newt in terms of nutrition and what to feed the latter. Let's find out: lizards are omnivorous creatures, some of their species prefer plants, others prefer insects and fruits.

The diet of the newt includes small bloodworms or fish, crushed earthworms, you can also include minced meat from the liver or fish.

In order for amphibians not to lose their external qualities, it is necessary to add micronutrients and minerals to food. There are synthetic amphibian foods on sale in pet stores, they are enriched with calcium, phosphorus and other useful substances. Newts are indifferent to plants.

Unlike adults who are fed every day, newborns need food more often as they are actively growing during this period. At first, in addition to minced fish, they are recommended to give small crustaceans and insects. And when they grow up a little, include tubifex and bloodworms in the diet. In order not to pollute the aquarium, it is better to feed the newts by presenting food with tweezers.

Cultivation of newts at home

After wintering, in the spring, the males of the animal have increased activity, which indicates the achievement of puberty and readiness for reproduction. Individuals of different sexes are moved to a common tank. Since domestic amphibian species are among the most prolific, reproduction is fairly rapid. In newts, this is internalfertilization.

After the mating ritual, the male emits spermatophores into the water, and the female, in turn, picks them up with her cloaca. Fertilized eggs are located in places where algae accumulate. After about 20 days, newt larvae appear. They already have gills. After about three months, small individuals grow up to four centimeters, during this period they form lungs.

Diseases

The most common problems for this species of amphibians are associated with the digestive system. Their reason lies in improper feeding and the use of soil along with food. For example, dropsy is characterized by the accumulation of excess fluid in the tissues. The presence of parasites in the food that the homemade newt consumes, if it enters the stomach, provokes an inflammatory process and pneumonia.

It is not uncommon for domesticated individuals to be susceptible to fungal diseases affecting the outer tissue. Most often it is mucosal. When microbes enter the blood of an amphibian, sepsis can develop.

If you properly care for the newt, keep the aquarium clean and provide it with proper and timely nutrition, you can not only keep it for many years, but also actively breed.