Instructions
Verify that you have a male and female newt available. Males have shorter tails with higher tail fins than females, and have a thinner, squarish body. Females have longer tails with a rounder body.
Separate the male and female into separate containers with about an inch of clean, dechlorinated water. Change the water weekly.
Place the containers with the newts in a refrigerator that is not being used for food. Using the thermostat, slowly lower the temperature of the water to between 40 and 50 degrees Fahrenheit over the course of a week. Keep them at this temperature for four to six weeks. Stop feeding them as the water gets colder.
Raise the temperature back to the normal 70 to 75 degrees Fahrenheit over the course of a week. Once they are back to the correct temperature, return them to their normal aquarium.
Watch the parents for breeding behavior. The male will develop an inflated cloaca and a blue sheen on his tail. He will deposit a white, jelly-like blob of sperm on an underwater surface, then maneuver the female over it. She will lay her eggs within a few days.
Move the eggs to another aquarium as soon as they are laid by removing the object they are laid on, as the parents may eat them if they are left in the tank. The eggs will hatch in about three to four weeks, depending on temperature. Feed the baby newts crumbled fish food flakes.
How to Make a Chinese Fire Newt Baby
Chinese fire belly newts can be bred in captivity, but the parents need to be cooled for a period before breeding. Most hobbyists keep their newts at a consistent temperature year round, so the newts don't get the cooler temperature cycle they need to begin the breeding process. Juvenile newts are often sold in pet stores and are impossible to sex, so you may need to buy several newts and wait for them to mature if you want to attempt breeding them.