Small newt - best food in captivity

[rfisher]

I have 2 newts in a vivarium, taken from a garden pond last year.

They've grown quite well, left the water and now spend most of their time sleeping under some tree bark.

They have a supply of springtails to hunt, but I'd like to get them something a bit bigger as they are both around 3" long.

I reckon aphids would be perfect as they are slow to move and look quite tasty.

But I can't find anyone who supplies them.

Any other suggestions?

[anonymous-user]

rfisher said:

I have 2 newts in a vivarium, taken from a garden pond last year.

They've grown quite well, left the water and now spend most of their time sleeping under some tree bark.

They have a supply of springtails to hunt, but I'd like to get them something a bit bigger as they are both around 3" long.

I reckon aphids would be perfect as they are slow to move and look quite tasty.

But I can't find anyone who supplies them.

Any other suggestions?

Do you know what species of newts they are? make sure they aren't great crested newts. Newts will take a variety of live invert food

[rfisher]

Just common newts - no crests.

Can you suggest a suitable live food for them?

I've kept frogs and lizards before and had my own mealworm supply for them, but these guys are too small to eat mealworms.

Thanks.

[Red9zero]

I used to have a newt. I called him Tiny because he was my newt.

[Boosted LS1]

Why aren't they back in a pond where they belong? Was there something wrong with the habitat?

[Boosted LS1]

Red9zero said:

I used to have a newt. I called him Tiny because he was my newt.

Chuckle :-)

[Boosted LS1]

rfisher said:

Just common newts - no crests.

Can you suggest a suitable live food for them?

I've kept frogs and lizards before and had my own mealworm supply for them, but these guys are too small to eat mealworms.

Thanks.

Theyll be Smooth or Palmate then but best to research if you're unsure.

[Nightmare]

Flightless fruit flies and micro crickets would probably both be good options - easy to get from all good online reptile stores

I use this lot:
https://www.reptilecentre.com/flightless-fruitfly-...

https://www.reptilecentre.com/micro-silent-brown-c...

[otolith]

I’d try them with mealworms

[anonymous-user]

Boosted LS1 said:

Why aren't they back in a pond where they belong? Was there something wrong with the habitat?

They will need a variety of food, not just mealworms or flies, or do the above

[Nightmare]

MonkeyMatt said:

Boosted LS1 said:

Why aren't they back in a pond where they belong? Was there something wrong with the habitat?

They will need a variety of food, not just mealworms or flies, or do the above

Kinda agree but I assume it’s so he can observe them etc……if they’ve lasted this long then they’re obviously pretty happy where they are. I have a lot of newts in my garden and I bet a fair few would like to avoid the blackbirds, heron and hedgehogs that regularly make snacks of them!
Yeah make sure you give a variety of foods. If you have a pond then getting a load of water lice should be as easy as pulling up some weeds. Newts def eat those

[rfisher]

Update;

Got 500 micro crickets - very nice, can't jump too far, can't climb, look cool, cost £5.

Newts ate around 25 over several days.

I kept the rest in the box with some salad leaves and a spray of water.

By day 5 they had all died.

I was hoping that they would survive a while, to drip feed to the newts for a couple of months.

What did I do wrong cricket wise?

[Turn7]

https://www.livefoodsdirect.co.uk/

[rfisher]

Nice link - thanks.

Read all the hints and info bits.

Looks like I need crickets, micro mealworms, containers, progrub and some carrot.

Love my newts.

They are pretty cool creatures.

Would almost certainly be dead by now if I'd left them in the pond.

[Nightmare]

Let me know if you manage to keep the micro crickets alive for any decent amount of time - they don’t seem very hardy generally I’m afraid. I think about ten days is my best go so far

I’d forgotten about micro mealworms - they would be perfect for newts I would imagine (don’t feed them exclusively those tho cos of the calcium deficiency issue). My guess is they won’t be super hardy either but normal mealworms last forever on just a slice of bread from time to time (though I feed them vegetable peelings and ends and stuff like that as well which they make vanish in an amusingly short timescale. They’d probably be amazing composters.

[otolith]

How about culturing white worms?

https://www.fishlaboratory.com/fish/white-worm-cul...