Baby Newts

NSS · #1 (**permalink**) 02-09-2011, 05:10 AM

Hi.
We have a small 2mtr x 1mtr pond and we found some baby newts from about 10mm long to 25mm long. What will they feed on as the 1 Goldfish in the pond seem to eat all the small wildlife in the pond.
Is it a bit late in the season for newts to hatch? or are they just small because there is no food in there?
Have removed a few into a tank with Daphnia in last week to see if they would feed on the young and was quite facinated watching them eat.

Also have 2 baby Goldfish in there that I saved from 2 big Goldfish the other pond.

Billabong Karen · #2 (**permalink**) 02-09-2011, 08:51 AM

Hi, I have very small newts in my pond too. I think they will overwinter in the pond, and have a head start in the spring.

I would strongly advise putting all your fish in one pond, and keeping the other simply for wildlife, as you are right - the goldfish will eat everything...

Dogghound · #3 (**permalink**) 02-09-2011, 09:42 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by NSS

Hi.
We have a small 2mtr x 1mtr pond and we found some baby newts from about 10mm long to 25mm long. What will they feed on as the 1 Goldfish in the pond seem to eat all the small wildlife in the pond.
Is it a bit late in the season for newts to hatch? or are they just small because there is no food in there?
Have removed a few into a tank with Daphnia in last week to see if they would feed on the young and was quite facinated watching them eat.

Also have 2 baby Goldfish in there that I saved from 2 big Goldfish the other pond.

Smooth newts develop much more slowly in ponds with fish, as fish predate most of their prey which at this age is zooplankton like daphnia, cyclops etc. If they dont get eaten they will probably overwinter then emerge next year (usually around May for overwintering metamorphs).

NSS · #4 (**permalink**) 03-09-2011, 06:55 AM

Thanks for all the replys.
Will put the 1 Goldfish from the bottom pond into the top pond, catch the baby sticklebacks that we saved when their pond in the field dried up and let them go into the canal.
Was thinking of breeding the Daphnia in the tank during the winter for food anyway and putting some into the pond for the newts every week or so as they should breed all winter indoors with the tank kept about 70deg.

Thanks again.

NSS · #5 (**permalink**) 18-11-2011, 08:02 AM

Hi All.
Thought I would send an update.
Baby newts now gone to bottom of the pond, not seen one for weeks now, Sticklebacks have been put in stream, Goldfish that was in the same pond has been put in the other pond, the 2 large Goldfish had more babys end of August.

The Daphnia are outside in a plastic bucket and are still breeding, got bucket in the best place to catch the sun (when it appears).

N.

Billabong Karen · #6 (**permalink**) 18-11-2011, 08:31 AM

That all sounds very positive! My newts all seem to be at the bottom of the pond too, in fact the pond is very definitely entering into its dormant winter phase, plants dying back and very little life to be seen apart from the occasional pondskater. The blackbirds are still bathing at the shallow end of the pond though.