Ratty Momma said:
When you say feed the newts everyday and with meals dusted 3x week ..what do you mean by dusted?
Dusted with a calcium supplement. Adults can get away without it (though it is best to continue throughout it's lifetime. Adults need much less supplementation though) but juvies/sub-adults really need it. The calcium helps their bones grow and they may end up stunted without it. Especially if it's regenerating a foot.
Asheka said:
I don't truly understand the need to separate when the newts will always be larger, but the water vibration thing I did not know. Not to hijack, but Bamboo, do you know if the larger African Clawed Frogs are the same? I use a Stingray 5 filter with mine, which causes water vibrations and such.
ADFs, like most frogs, are mouths with legs. They will attempt to eat almost anything, whether it's too big or not. This will usually end up causing limbs to be torn off and general injury. Obviously this opens the door for infections, as well as being completely unnecessarily stressful (both for the frogs, and especially the newts) As well as being unpleasant, stress also makes them more vulnerable to diseases, etc. Not only that but, as amphibians, both species naturally secrete their own toxins specific to their species. An FB newt isn't going to be negatively affected by another FB newts toxins (unless they're allowed to build up, but that's a different issue all together) but it will be negatively affected by an ADF's toxins, and vice versa.
I know I'm repeating myself but there is simply no good that can come from communally housing different species. If people are thinking that the diffrent species will keep each other company, that's not how it works. A FB newt will find no comfort in the company of ADFs (and vice versa) Quite the opposite actually. Even if, on the off chance that they don't physically harm each other, they will be constantly stressed by the mere presence of an "intruder". It's the same as housing rats with mice: for some reason, people seem to have the idea that it's fine -I guess because, outwardly, they seem similar enough -but it's just an accident waiting to happen.
As for the vibrations thing, admittedly there is no concrete evidence that it is physically harmful, but it is stressful (which ends up being harmful). Yes, ACFs are the same way. I'm not familiar with the make and model you described Asheka, but I'm assuming that it's a HOT filter, right? Would you be able to do 2 larger water changes a week, rather then the one you're doing already and remove the HOT filter? If you can't get a hold of a canister filter, I think that might be the best thing to do.
I'm really, really glad that you decided to separate them. I guarantee you, they are all much happier for it, and they will thank you with many, many years of companionship :thumbup:
