Spanish newt - important subtleties of content and care

For lovers of exotic animals, the perfect new domestic pet will be the Spanish newt, which easily gets used to people. There are no difficult to fulfill requirements in the content of such amphibians, and they can be planted in an aquarium with fish , observing certain rules.

How many live tritons at home?

In the wildlife amphibians are easy prey for other animals, and the constant deterioration of the ecology reduces the number of newts, therefore some species are already included in the Red Book. In nature, such amphibians live on average 6-7 years. Spanish newts in the aquarium can live up to 23 years when creating suitable conditions and care. There is evidence that some individuals "celebrated" and 30 years. It is worth noting that throughout life amphibians remain active and prolific.

Spanish newt - content in the aquarium

In one tank, you can populate several individuals, and it should be borne in mind that a Spanish Triton should account for 15-20 liters of water. To maintain the purity of the liquid, use a filter, and the aeration of water is not mandatory, as the animals breathe on the surface of the container. To keep newts in the aquarium, it is important to monitor the temperature regime. Since this amphibian is cold-blooded, it is comfortable for it to have a temperature of 15-20 ° C.

How to equip an aquarium for a newt?

There are several recommendations that need to be considered for arranging a good habitat for an amphibian:

1. For the Spanish newts, shelters are of great importance, for example, a grotto of stones or a coconut. Please note that the used items should not have sharp corners.
2. To keep the Spanish newt it is better to put on the bottom of the tank a natural unpainted primer . The fraction must be such that the animal can not swallow a stone. Amphibians can be kept without soil.
3. You can plant live and artificial plants , but the first option is preferable. Anubias, Javanese moss, Bolbitis, cabombu and so on can be cited as an example.
4. When the air temperature is high, use special fans to cool the water. An easier way is to put ice bottles in a vessel.
5. The Spanish newt does not need obligatory illumination , but if the aquarium contains live plants, then the lamp is recommended. Note that the light source should not affect the water temperature.
6. Install in the aquarium a raft-land, for example, which can be made from a piece of Plexiglas, polystyrene or cork. Another option - attach to the wall of the vessel snag, wrapped in Javanese moss. The raft must be placed slightly below the water level so that the animal can climb it.
7. Since Spanish newts can escape from the aquarium, it is recommended to use a tight cover.

Spanish Triton - content in an aquarium with fish

The amphibian is peace-loving, so it feels good alongside some species of fish. The only condition is that he should be constantly fed, otherwise he will start eating his neighbors, showing aggression towards his fellow men. To peacefully exist a Spanish newt in an aquarium with fish, it is recommended to give preference to peaceful, nimble and not large species that can live in cool water, for example, guppies, neons, cardinals, glass perches and others.

How to care for a newt at home?

It should be borne in mind that the animal is not tame, even if it emerges to meet its master. Taking a newt in the hands is not recommended, because there is a big difference between the body temperature of people and amphibians. If you do not take this into account, the pet can get overheating or even a burn. Caring for newts at home implies the creation of suitable conditions and proper feeding. It is worth pointing out that animals well restore lost limbs.

What do newts eat at home?

It is impossible to tolerate the starvation of the amphibian, so that he does not begin to attack his neighbors. Even such animals can eat their old discarded skin. There are several important points about what to feed an aquatic newt:

1. As the basis of the amphibian diet, it is recommended to use live bloodworm, flies, rain and flour worms, snails and crickets. It is important to note that you can not constantly feed the newt with a live bloodworm. Worms can be harvested in the summer and frozen them, and before serving, keep them in salty water for disinfection.
2. As a treat of the Spanish newt you can enjoy raw liver, seafood, fish and bird giblets. These products should be changed and then thrown into the aquarium. If the amphibian only adapts, then it is better to feed it with tweezers.
3. In no event, even in small quantities, meat can be given to the pet with fat or skin of birds, since even a minimum amount of fat can seriously damage the health.
4. For amphibians it is important to use vitamin-mineral supplements, which dissolve in water. There are special solutions and pressed briquettes of powder of various shapes that dissolve in water for a long time and saturate it with useful substances.

How often feed a newt?

Until the animal reaches the age of two, it is necessary to feed it daily. It is interesting that the volume of food can not be limited, since the overfeed of the amphibian does not threaten. It is allowed to offer food until the pet himself refuses it. If you are interested in how many times to feed a newt, then adults should be treated 2-3 times a week. The best solution - during feeding the animal is recommended to be moved to a separate terrarium or pelvis, so as not to pollute his house.

Reproduction of newts in the aquarium

The onset of puberty often depends on the temperature regime of the content. In most cases, newts are able to continue genus after a year of life. At room temperature, mating games are observed between September and May. Reproduction of newts at home occurs approximately like this: a male clasps the lady with front paws and starts to "carry" her on her back along the aquarium. After a while, the spermatophore is transferred, resulting in fertilization.

A couple of days after this, the female begins to lay eggs and this process lasts about two days. At a time, the Spanish newt lays up to 1000 pieces. eggs. It is important to remove them from their parents, as they can eat caviar. Young newts appear from the caviar after 10 days. Starting from the fifth day of life, they should be fed with plankton. The best temperature for developing newts is 22-24 ° C. Already after 3 months. individuals will reach a length of 6-9 cm.

The Spanish newt - how to distinguish a female from a male?

To understand who the boy is and who the girl is, it's better to wait until the amphibian reaches puberty, it happens about a year later. To understand the Spanish newt at home in the aquarium is a female or male, consider the following symptoms:

1. Female representatives are massive. An important feature is the presence of a "square" head.
2. The male of the cloaca is represented by a hemisphere, and in the female it hardly protrudes. Men at the base of the tail have cloacal folds.
3. You should pay attention to the front paws, so in males they are longer in proportion to the body and more bent. There are noticeable calluses on them. They need it in order to keep the partner.
4. There are no fundamental differences in the color of Spanish newts.

Spanish newt - diseases

It is important to take into account that amphibians negatively react to a change in habitat or conditions of detention. When buying a new individual does not need to immediately attach it to a common aquarium and should carry out quarantine. Possible diseases can be divided into three groups:

1. Intestinal . When swallowing decorative parts, stones and other decorative elements, a disease of aquatic newts is possible, such as obstruction of the stomach. With constant stress, anorexia may develop. In the presence of parasites, pneumonia may occur.
2. Fungal . First, the diseases of this group manifest themselves externally, but after a while the problem can shift to internal organs. More common in newts is saprollegiosis and mucorosis.
3. Infectious . As a result of the ingress of toxins and microbes into the blood, sepsis and a disease such as a "red leg" can develop. Not rare is a problem such as dropsy, which is due to the accumulation of fluid in the body.