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8 Newt Tank Mates For Your Aquarium Tank!

Although news have been a very niche pet in many locations due to it being illegal to keep newts as pets in many places but due to the wild newt populations slowly increasing, more and more areas are removing the bans on keeping them as pets.

This has resulted in more and more people from both the fish keeping hobby and the amphibian keeping hobby looking to add a pet newt to their collection.

In turn, this has caused a number of people to reach out and ask various questions about caring for a pet newt as there really is a distinct lack of information out there about them.

One common question that we have seen people recently is about what newt tank mates they are able to keep in their aquariums.

Before we go any further, we just want to quickly say that many types of newts are not social animals and they will usually be happier alone in their tank or with other newts of the same type rather than with tank mates from a different species.

Still, we wanted to publish this article going over some popular newt tank mates options that some people keeping their tank with their pet newt with minimal issues.

Will Newts Eat Fish In Their Tank?

Most species of newt are full blown carnivores so the fish in their tank that you use as newt tank mates are fair game as far as most newts care and if they get the chance to eat the fish in their tank, they will.

Thankfully, most newts have very small jaws that make it very difficult to eat most types of adult fish but this doesn’t stop them from trying to eat or at least nip their tank mates.

Due to this, we would only recommend that you add tank mates to your newt’s tank if you have a large tank where the fish will be able to avoid your newt with ease.

Most newts will only be able to eat the smaller fish or the fish fry due to their small jaws though.

What Fish Can Live With Newts?

Here is our short list of the most commonly kept newt tank mates:-

  • White Cloud Mountain Minnows
  • Rainwater Killifish
  • Guppies
  • Danios
  • Barbs
  • Mollies

Some people with larger tanks may be able to use more than one type of fish from the list above but in most cases, we would recommend against it.

Just stick to one type of fish but as we mentioned back at the start of the article, most types of newt prefer to be alone rather than have fast moving fish that may stress them out.

White Cloud Mountain Minnows

White Cloud Mountain Minnows are a very popular type of fish to keep in tanks with newts and they are probably the most commonly kept newt tank mate in the hobby.

The main reason that they are such a good choice is due to the fact that they spend most of their time in the upper levels of the tank which is where newts tend to stay most of the time as well.

This means that the White Cloud Mountain Minnows and your newt will coexist without bothering each other too much.

Another good reason to keep White Cloud Mountain Minnows as newt tank mates is that they are very easy to care for fish that can live in a wide range of water conditions.

This is ideal as it means that you will be able to keep your newt in the water conditions that they prefer without having to worry about the White Cloud Mountain Minnows not being able to adapt.

Rainwater Killifish

Rainwater Killifish are another good choice for newt tank mates as they are also a type of fish that spends most of their time in the upper levels of the tank.

This means that they will not bother your newt too much and vice versa.

Many people get put off by the bland look to the Rainwater Killifish and often overlook the species but they can be a solid newt tank mate that can work well in most tank setups.

Due to how unpopular Rainwater Killifish are within the fish keeping hobby, you may have to order them online as very few local fish stores will stock them as standard.

Guppies

Guppies are a type of fish that are very popular in the fish keeping hobby and they can make good newt tank mates as well.

They are very peaceful fish that will not bother your newt too much but they can be on the small side which may make them a target for your newt to eat.

Another thing to consider is that Guppies are livebearers which means that they will give birth to fry on a regular basis.

This can either be a good or bad thing depending on your point of view but many newts will see the fry as a tasty snack.

If you do decide to keep Guppies as newt tank mates, we would recommend that you have a breeding trap ready to catch the fry as soon as they are born.

This will prevent your newt from eating them all and will give you the chance to remove them from the tank until they are big enough to not be eaten by your newt.

Most people who use guppies as a tank mate for the newt will just let their newt eat the guppy fry though and the adult guppies will also help to eat the guppy fry to keep the population in control.

The bright colors of guppies along with their low price and wide availability make them a very popular option though.

Danios

There are a number of types of danios that can work well as a newt tank mate but some types of danios may nip your newt so you have to be careful.

The Giant Danio is a good choice as they are not known to nip newts or any other tank mates and they will often leave newts alone.

They can be a little on the big side for smaller tanks but in most cases, they will not grow too large and you can keep them in most types of newt tank.

Due to the larger size of the Giant Danio, you will usually find that your newt will not be able to eat them either.

Barbs

Barbs are another type of fish that can work well as a newt tank mate but there are many different types of barbs and some of them may nip your newt.

The Cherry Barb is a good choice as they are not known to nip newts or any other tank mates and they will often leave newts alone.

Some types of barbs can grow large though and due to being a schooling fish, they need at least six of them in the tank with plenty of swim space.

This will often rule barbs out for most newt tank setups as even the smaller species of barb usually need a larger tank than most people use for their newt setup.

Still though, if your tank is large enough, you can use a number of different types of barb in your tank with minimal issues.

Mollies

Mollies can be a great option in some newt tanks and they can make great newt tank mates.

Just like guppies, they are live bearers and will breed rapidly but many of the molly fry birthed into your tank will be eaten by the mollies and your newt.

Mollies are also available in a wide range of colors and patterns helping to add a splash of color to your newts tank too.