The Spanish Ribbed Newt Care Cheat-Sheet
Bognookhonest amphibian care · bognook.com
Spanish Ribbed Newt — Care Cheat-SheetBeginnerThe hardiest, most beginner-proof newt — happily fully aquatic and very forgiving.
📋 At a glance
- Tank
- 20 gal+ mostly-aquatic: 6–8 in water + a small land/float
- Temp
- Cool — best below ~72°F (18–21°C)
- Water
- Dechlorinated, heavily planted, with little current
- Food
- Earthworms, shrimp/newt/turtle pellets, slugs
- Lifespan
- 10–20 years
✅ Big, bold and hard to kill — arguably the best first newt, and active out in the open.
🛒 Before you buy
- A mostly-aquatic tank (6–8 in water) with plants + a small land area
- Dechlorinated water and gentle filtration
- A cool spot (below ~72°F)
- A lid — and space for a 6–8 in (sometimes bigger) adult
A healthy one: Large and well-fleshed · smooth skin · clear eyes · actively foraging in the water.
🚨 See a vet / act now if…
- Floating or bloating
- Not eating, or weight loss
- Skin fungus, or the rib tips looking raw/infected
- Lethargy even at cool temperatures
Cool them down, reduce stress, and contact an exotics vet — most issues are reversible if caught early.
⛔ Never
- Water above ~24°C/75°F (heat causes larval deformities)
- Feeder fish (disease risk)
- Tankmates small enough to swallow
🌿 Golden rules (all amphibians)
- Cycle the tank BEFORE the animal (ammonia = 0).
- Always dechlorinate tap water.
- Cool beats warm — most amphibians are cool/cold species.
- Look, don’t handle — their skin absorbs oils & soaps.
- Buy captive-bred, never wild-caught. Quarantine new arrivals.
- Never release a pet into the wild (it spreads disease).
- A real setup costs more than the animal — budget for it.
- When in doubt, ask — no shame in learning. 💚
