Parasite or not?

* Hi All,

I am hoping you can help me.

My husband bought an Axi yesterday at a show we have him set up. (we named him Gilbert) He is a year and a half old (according to the vender who is the same vendor I got my last Axi off of, so we assumed that they would be eating the same food he sold us with the first Axi. Salmon Pellets) Not sure if Gilbert is eating or not. We dropped 3 pellets in with him and they disappeared but we didn't actually see him eat them. Not sure if he ate them or they dissolved. I was hoping to keep him on a parasite free diet (no live food) but I'm not sure this if it's practical. Recommendations and advice would be greatly appreciated.

He pooped last night and my husband found 2 of these worms in the tank this morning. Are they parasites? and if so how do I get rid of them?

I have no live fish in there and no other Axolotl in with him.
I have live Marimo in with him but they were quarantined in tap water for two weeks prior to being put in with him.

No substrate bare bottom tank.
Temp is 68F
I used a Dechlorniater
I also used 5 tsp of aquarium salt to 10 gallons of water.
I have a whisper 20 waterfall filter that I have modified with plexiglass to disrupt the current. Filter pouch has carbon and 2 tsp of ammo chips in it.

Any information/advice you can give would be greatly appreciated.

Thank you,
Amy


I have attached pictures of the worm and Gilbert.

Hello I have never had that sort of problem with my axoltols but there is one thing you should know. You are not suppose to put salt in the aquarium water. It can damage the skin and gills of the axolotl. Aquarium salt is only necessary if the axolotl has a fungus and even then you only place him in a salt bath for 10-15 minutes.

Thank you will change water to remove salts. Had read elsewhere How to keep and breed your axolotl, Ambystoma mexicanum to salt water as a general tonic.

It sounds like he ate the pellets. I can't imagine that they would dissolve that quickly. If he's eating and pooping, it sounds fine. That worm looks like an earthworm to me, but that would be weird for it to not have digested. I would say to just watch him for a couple of days and make sure he keeps pooping, and keep checking for the worms. It might be a parasite that's worked its way through its system, hoping to breed and latch onto another aquatic species. If his behavior is fine and he's eating consistently, don't worry. If you get really concerned, put him in a tub of dechlorinated water in the fridge for a day or two to get his digestion moving quickly. But I don't think it's serious.

Thank you. I thought it looked like an earthworm too but its very tiny.The vial its in is only 2 inches long. If you look at the glass you can actually see my husbands finger print mark for a size comparison. Maybe 1/2 a cm long. I thought maybe threadworms?

That's a roundworm surely? I can't find anything online about them effecting Axolotl but John P. Clare from Axolotl.org has this to say:

I've yet to encounter parasitic roundworms (nematodes) in axolotls. Peter W. Scott recommends consulting a vet about internal infestations of roundworms and the possible use of levamisole injections. Panacur can be administered to salamanders at a low dosage, and is quite effective against internal worms.

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Thank you. I have read elsewhere about using fenbendazole or metronidazole for worms. Any experience with either? Fenbendazole is in Panacur. Safe dosage?

Also if he's acting normally should I worry about the round worms?

esn said:

It sounds like he ate the pellets. I can't imagine that they would dissolve that quickly. If he's eating and pooping, it sounds fine...

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Thank you. He did eat the pellets. We watched him eat off the bottom tonight.

I really doubt that it's a parasite. A normal aquarium is host to a variety of "tank critters", they are all part of the natural balance. Some of them are various kinds of worms. See:
Caudata Culture Articles - Aquarium Invaders: Algae, Snails, Worms and Other Critters

I would recommend against any kind of treatment unless you have direct evidence that the worm is a parasite (like it came from a fecal sample).

It came from his poop.

It's really impossible to say that it came from his feces when he's in an aquatic aquarium. The only way to confirm parasite loads in fecal samples is to have the sample in a clean, sterile container, and to catch it as a very fresh poop.

Chances are it's not a parasite, and is just a random tank inhabitant. They're normal and natural and the sign of a healthy tank.

Kaysie said:

It's really impossible to say that it came from his feces when he's in an aquatic aquarium. The only way to confirm parasite loads in fecal samples is to have the sample in a clean, sterile container, and to catch it as a very fresh poop.

Chances are it's not a parasite, and is just a random tank inhabitant. They're normal and natural and the sign of a healthy tank.

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Isolated in a plastic container we watched him as we ate breakfast he went and there were two more in the stool. They came out of Gilbert. This would make them nematodes yes? I am really thinking these are roundworms. They are not affecting his appetite at this time. I am however concerned about his overall parasite load and the possibility of it becoming a problem in the future.

I read the the section on tank invaders before starting this thread. I would not have started it if I thought they were planaria or flatworms.

Is the information in the post below reliable can I just have a fecal flotation test done? or should I just risk taking Gilbert to a vet?
http://www.caudata.org/forum/f46-be...-sick-axolotl/64710-thin-axolotl-what-do.html


Also I am finding conflicting information on salting the water. Should I or shouldn't I use a weak mixture of aquarium salts in the water? Planning on taking it out but keep reading conflicting information. Unless someone advises otherwise I will be taking Bdyoung's advice.

Thank you all for your help more information and advice in greatly appreciated.

Aquarium salts are fine if you have soft water, but unnecessary if you have hard water; they only serve to increase the mineral content.

If Gilbert is eating fine, I wouldn't worry much unless you have the means to go to the vet. Many get excited to work on unusual species.

thank you