From bad to worse...

A few weeks ago I posted a thread about my axolotls scratching their gills and that I found little worms in the tank. At first I wasn't panicking, but I'm afraid it went from bad to worse. I started with cleaning the tank (16%) twice a week, no result. Then I just started killing every worm I saw on the glass, no result. I tried Flubenol, no result. Last sunday I tried a slightly higher dose of Flubenol and still no result. A week ago I noticed my axolotls would't take food that easily anymore until they just wouldn't eat at all.

So yesterday, I started panicking...
I made a saltbath-solution (1liter water, 3teaspoons aquariumsalt), put both of them in there for 12 minutes and then I (instead of putting them back into my tank) placed them in a box with water. I started looking for a dechlorinator, but everyone kept telling me I didn't need to used those products 'cause the water here in Belgium is fine... Anyway, they really didn't like the saltbath! They kept 'splashing around' and they don't seem very relaxed in their temporary box either (I even saw Zelda shaking her head). Annabel ate a small worm a few hours ago, but Zelda just won't eat at all, she even ignores the frozen bloodworms!

So now I'm planning on cleaning the whole tank this weekend, getting rid of all the plants, replacing the sand, ... Just to start all over again. I could put the wood into the freezer (to kill the worms) and I would have to take all the 37 shrimps out of the tank. Then I could go for a good scrub with hot water.

But I just wanted to ask first: Is this a good idea? I would have to let the tank cycle all over again and my two axies would have to stay in the box all this time... I tested everything, my water is very hard (GH 15), pH a little high (8), my nitrate a little high (12.5 - 25 mg/l) and my nitrite/ammonia very low (as good as 0). Is there anything else to do? And what? I'm a little despirate here... I also have some almond leaves in my thank.

Help is much appreciated, I'm hoping on some answers here!
I'll attatch a photo of the box they're sitting in right now...
(Notice the water is a little brown, that's because I threw some almond leaves in there as well, but I took them out already. I was also wondering if it might be a good idea to put a small bottle with ice in there?)

Thanks!

*I can't see any edit-buttons, so sorry for the dubbelpost*

The worm I'm talking about is the Rhabdocoela, a friend just found it! It can't be killed by flubenol, that explaines alot...

Nobody? Really? I could really use some help here... I don't know what to use against these worms. Zelda just ate 1 worm, finally! But still, she isn't eating as an axolotl should...

you could call a herp vet. I have 0 experience treating axies. You are probably not getting replies because a) its only been a day, and this IS a forum...and b) nobody who has read it knows how to give advice yet.

I'd recommend calling an exotics vet and seeing if they have anything axie safe you can treat your tank with, or other recommendations.

btw, edit button is bottom right of the grey box surrounding the text box you type in. -------->

Have a look through this post :-

http://www.caudata.org/forum/f46-be...scussion/79080-tank-invaders-small-worms.html

The worms i think you are talking about are not harmful to axolotls.
It just means that either you feed tham a little too much or dont clean out the poop straight away.

As far as i was concerned they are not a big issue.

I have had some in my tank for years, sometimes there are a lot mostly there are not that many.

I think you may have possibly caused more harm than good.

Do a large water change and put the axolotls back.
You will need to moniter the ammonia, nitrite and nitrate carefully for the next few weeks.

Mel

Well, today I wanted to do a 50% water change. When I took some wood out of my tank (so I could reach everything to clean) I saw my sand turned black underneath it. Could it be blue algae? It had a very bad smell... Anyway, when I saw that I couldn't get rid of all the black stuff and that my water smelled just like it, I decided to clean my whole tank. I know I'll have to cycle all over again, but it's a good opportunity to make some changes to my tank as well...

@melfly: I saw some of these worms crawling on my axolotls a few times, so a freaked out a little... And there were a lot of them in my tank. I take out their poop when I see it, but most of the time it turned to 'dust' allready. And I handfeed them, so everything they don't eat right away doesn't stay in the water...

Zelda ate a worm yesterday and one a couple of hours ago! Annabel just spits them back out...

Thanks for the replies!
@bellabelloo: I'll check out the link, thanks!

Yeah the sand will turn a funny colour if you dont stir it and its deep.
I give mine a stir every so often to avoid this.

I saw a worm on florence the other day, it didn't seem to bother her at all. It wasn't attached or anything.
Mine will probably be poop related as i very very rarely see any poop in my tank, as you say it turns to dust pretty quickly.

Good luck

Mel

In my first tank, I have about 2" of sand and had lots of problems with it turning black (essentially trapped rotting matter). Now that it's only about .75", I don't get that any more.

It's most prone to happening in places away from the light (like under the decoration). So I check under these during water changes just to be sure.

Well, there wasn't much sand in my tank, but I'll use less sand now... I smelled really bad. I threw most of my plants away and I placed the wood in the freezer.

Now my axolotls are in that box, I noticed their gills aren't facing forwards that much as they did in their tank So I guess the cause of the scratching was in the tank and not from the chlorine as I was first thinking... I gave them 3 salt baths in four days (that will be enough I think?) and I clean the box they're in every day. They both ate a worm today

Now I still have one question... There was a hiding-place I bought for my axies (I don't know what it's made off), but it was made for aquarium-use. When I took this hiding-place out of my tank, I saw it turned purple underneath (it was brown before). It also seems like it has bubbles under the surface. I took a picture and attached it to this post...

I'm stil trying to find out what caused them to scratch... My waterquality wasn't perfect, but it was fine. I got rid of all the shrimps (I gave them away). I hope that when I start this all over again, I won't have the scratching problem anymore.