The Puffer Forum

xrayjeeper83 wrote:well thanks for all the info


Went in today to try and feed him/her again today and couldnt find it anywhere. Guess I didnt seal the top very well cause I found it dried up on the carpet on the other side of the room

That happened to the second of the three FBnewts i had bought. the first didnt want to pig out and eat like the others, the second died of rugburn, and the third died for an unknown reason

I'm so sorry xray, I know you were trying hard for the little guy.

When we first got fire bellies, they (2) eventually squeezed between the plane of glass (all-glass top) and the side of aquarium. We found one, but it died later, I'm assuming like FrogSpawn's of "rugburn". It never recovered after the damage to its fragile skin, never ate again. It was years before we felt like trying again.

Hope everybody else settles in OK, you just moved, right? My thoughts are with you during this hectic/sad time.

Ya just moved. My most prized fish, Bloat(not that I dont love them all) settled in quickly and is actually more active now that he is in a spot where he can see me all the time.

Ill wait away and may try again with another type of amphibian

what sort of cover was on the tank? I have had bad luck in the past with them escaping. Use a tightly fitting screen reptile top. To add to the weight I have used a fluorescent strip(use low watt bulbs) or a fairly heavy flat rock.

I must have gotten lucky being that i never used a cover. the second one that died did climb out on the filters airline (i subsequently removed the filter, and continued with 3 weekly rinse outs). but i usually maintained at least an inch from the surface floating thing to the top of the tank...

the plastic top that came with the tank, it sealed well everywhere but where the HOB filter was at, i tried to seal that but guess didnt do a good enough job

sealing those are tricky. you can ask my fossilized dojo loach behind my tank ...(kidding about the fossilization part)

HOB filter! NIMNT!
No, but in all seriousness, I am positive that this is the cause of the escape. I alway use in-tank filters for newts(usually the green reptifilters) and stick the chord through under the cover(in the very corner). This plus using some sort of weight seems very effective.

also plastic covers are crap. Use a metal screen cover.

oh I know thats where he got out at, everything else is very well sealed, so much that at time i had trouble getting the top to open lol.