Newts - Anyone have a clue. Agression?

[texascowboy1979]

I bought two newts a few weeks ago. they are in their own tank doing well.. but one is always out of the water... and the other one is like a fish... always in the water... Well, the one out of the water is starting to look dry... so I put him in the water... and the other newt came right up to him and tried to bite him... nip him really, not bite. Are newts supposed to be separated? Or mabye I have two males that cant get along and one has become the alpha? I have no clue, can anyone shead some light on this matter?

 

[Hedorah99]

What species are they? I currently have a 3.1 group of Notophthalmus viridescens ( Spotted Newts) and several groups of Notophthalamus peristriatus (Striped Newts) with several males and only males in each tank, and have never experienced aggression beyond the larval stage when they are eating everything that moves. In your case, separation sounds like a great idea.

 

[texascowboy1979]

they are fire belly newts... they are never in the water at the same time... the other one is always on land.

 

[bigdog999]

Check on line and verify that they are fire-bellies. Pet stores sell a number of different species as fire-bellies. My current newts were bought as fire-bellies, but was later classified as paddletail newts. Paddletails are larger and far more aggressive newts. I've seen my newts fight on occassion, but with no bad results. Now they cohabitate pretty well.

You don't say the size of your enclosure. You need to either provide my hides or a larger enclosure. One of my newts speed some time out of the water but not all the time.