I have a spanish ribbed newt...Godzilla =) as sold in the pet store so thats her name lol. I moved her to a 30 gallon and she loves it so much..swims like crazy! I just don't understand why she keeps laying eggs. She has always laid eggs at least once a year..but now she is doing it constanty..she is the only one in the tank..and the eggs are not fertile....so I have to keep cleaning the tank so they don't rot and pollute the tank. She does eat some, but it is too much cleaning lol! I was tempted to get her a male..but I am unsure if this would be a good idea. I have had her for a LONG time so she is older and I am not sure how long they live, but besides that..I have never tried to do babies like this and I would be worried about finding homes.

So back on topic. why would she lay so many eggs? Is it the larger tank?
I am not sure I can stop her for my own sanity and cleaning her slimy eggs so much ahh ha ha. but she is really lay ABUNCH..so far sh laid about 6 batches all in afew months since July I think...so I hope she isn't harming herself as the main concern. I just don't know what is going on with her.

Hmm curious. I don't know much about them. But I would assume she is using up all the calcium and other vitamins and minerals in her body to produce the eggs. I would make sure to up her supplements a little.

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Mike
"Never worry about numbers. Help one person at a time, and always start with the person nearest you." - Mother Teresa

Her eggs would never be fertile right out of her, even if you had a male. Most amphibians practice external fertilization. The specific amounts of certain vitamins and minerals may have something to do with it, but in ribbed newts frequent water changes will often stimulate breeding behavior. If she's laying more than usual it could have something to do with having more space, or it could be linked to that cage cleaning you did after the ich scare.

In any case, just be sure she's getting plenty of nutrition to make up for the egg laying. You may consider getting a crayfish for the tank to help eat the eggs. A crayfish would also dine on leftover food, shed skin, and poo. The trick would be to get one too large for her to eat, yet too small to cause her harm. You could also get a large snail, like an apple snail. Some snails will eat eggs. Cruel irony dictates the snail might lay more eggs than the newt though

Aside from that, I'd just scoop the eggs out with a net instead of cleaning it out. The more you keep cleaning the tank, the more you'll stimulate her to lay eggs.

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"Eagles may soar, but weasels don't get sucked into jet engines." - John Benfield

lol I was cleaning the eggs and causeing her to lay more how funny is that! I have been scooping too though, so I guess it will be ok..geez the eggs clog the filter and get really stuck to the stuffin the tank what a mess lol. She mainly eats mealworms (LOVES THEM) and I don't really supplement her very much cause the calium and multiviatimins comeoff in the water so she doesn't get it any ways. I use to try to with crickets and have her come to the top to get it so the powder will stay on it ahh what a struggle but she is definately good from the ich =)~ I am so glad she didn't get sick!

well I guess I could try the snail I am not sure I want to risk the crayfish harming her though. What about fish? I know goldfish can survive the cold water, but I am not sure that is good since they are very dirty (amonia and all) so I guess the best thing is scooping or removing the decoration and scrubbing cause it is really slimy and sticks too good to the stuff sigh =)

Thanks for the help. I wish I could put fish in with her though.