Axolotl-safe detruitus worm killer?

[GeorgeAquatics]

Hi there, I apologize if this question has already been answered, but I'm new, so forgive me.

A friend of mine is totally freaked out by what we think are detruitus worms, and isn't a big fan of coepepods either. Is there some sort of product or caudata-safe medication that will be toxic to invertebrates, but safe for her axolotls?

The list of "safe or relatively safe" products on axolotl.org includes:
Myxazin (Waterlife) - I and others I know have used this without any problems and Waterlife reports that it doesn't think it has any problems for amphibians, but they recommended a half dosage to me, which is what I use.
"The Complete Remedy" (Manufacturer unknown) - seems to only contain sodium chlorite.
Mercurochrome (see section on wounds).
Nitrofura-G (Aquatronics).
Maracyn (Mardel Labs) - contains the antibiotic erythromycin.
"Sulfa-bath" (Tetra).
Methylene blue - non-toxic in low dosages.
Furan-2 (Aquarium Pharmaceuticals) - good all around anti-bacterial medication - highly recommended.
Melafix (Aquarium Pharmaceuticals) - effective against external sores.
Panacur - at low dosage levels - effective against internal parasites, specifically roundworms.
Flagyl, also known as metronidazole - Used at a lower dosage than for reptiles, it appears to be safe for use as an anti-parasitic treatment in food (inject it into a waxworm or other convenient food). It also stimulates appetite.

Panacur (fenbendazole) seems like it could be a likely candidate, since people seem to have used it with success against hydra and planaria. http://www.planetinverts.com/killing_planaria_and_hydra.html

I've also considered "No planaria" (Betel leaf extract) but there seem to be mixed reviews on whether or not it will kill detruitus worms. Thoughts?


Thank you in advance!


George

 

[auntiejude]

Please don't use any type of chemicals in an axies tank, it's completely unnecessary. Actually, most chemicals are unnecessary in a fish tank too, they are just a lazy way of hiding mistakes...

All you need to do with detritus worms is scoop them out when you see them and keep on top of leftover food and poop. Nearly all tanks go through stages of bacteria or algae blooms, detritus worms or planaria, even hydra, and all can be cured with water changes, cleaning and removal of the pests as you see them.

 

[jewett]

Hi George,

Probably not the answer you are looking for, but I recommend simply stepping up aquarium maintenance, such as water changes and vacuuming the substrate.

Since the inverts you and your friend want to get rid of tend to cause no harm in an aquarium while the products you are thinking of using to rid the tank of the inverts all carry some risk I think it best to use the most organic option available to you, which does not consist of any chemical intervention at all.

Presence of these inverts can be signs of a healthy tank so don't begrudge their existence! The worms can even help your tank, as they are in fact helping to break down and compost organic wastes. Best to simply learn to live with them, and appreciate them even. The word is full of "bugs," including your tank

HJ

 

[GeorgeAquatics]

Thank you for the replies everyone, but in this situation, it so happens that the other options (daily siphoning, robust filtration, to keep the worms from building up to a noticeable level) aren't enough. Personally, I have no problem with any sort of non-predatory microfauna, as long as it doesn't overpopulate to the point where it becomes an eye sore, and agree about them being beneficial to a certain point, but my friend has somewhat of a phobia, and just the thought of any worms, even if they aren't visible (actually she seems especially freaked out by the thought of not being able to see them) seems to be a source of a lot of distress.

So, other than chemical options, is there anything that you might suggest? I was thinking she could start over by filling a new aquarium, drying out or boiling the filter media, and rinsing the axolotl in de-chlorinated tap water to remove any potential hitchhikers, and transfer the axolotl to the new tank? Obviously this method would mean starting from scratch with the nitrogen cycle, but other than dosing the tank, I can't think of what else would wipe out any unwanted pests.

If she decides to try a chemical, is there anything that you might recommend as safer than the rest? With fenbendazole (Panacur) being on the "Safe or relatively safe" list, do you see any reason why it should be risky, if used correctly? Or any other ideas?

Thank you again for the replies, I appreciate it.

 

[auntiejude]

Using something like Panacur to get rid of detritus worms is the equivalent of using a machine gun to swat a fly.
All that is needed is water changes, spot cleaning and removal of the worms as they appear.
And if your friend really can't handle a few detritus worms then maybe aquarium pets are not the ideal pet for her. ALL tanks get occasional invaders and blooms, and an aquarium owner has to deal with them. I'm not being mean, I'm just trying to help figure out what is best for the axies and for your friend.

 

[Hellvetica]

Yeah, as most users above said, there is kinda not much that can be done to remove those types of worms safely and instantly. Unfortunately it is definitely time consuming. Unless your friend had a quarantine tank set up for the axie, I wouldn't recommend treating the main tank's water. Nor would I recommend dumping an axie into a newly set up quarantine tank, seeing as the stress and early cycling could cause more serious issues than the worms.

The next best thing I could think of is to maybe add an extra sponge filter, or (even though is not necessarily the most practical option) a UV sterilizer. The extra filter power would help filter out larvae/eggs of the little worms, as well as help assist and getting rid of their main food source. The UV sterilizer is probably the best option if you have the right set up, it could easily kill the worms and prevent future break outs. Though again, it's something that typically has a large price tag, and definitely a bit over-the-top for an average axie keeper.

Protein skimmers could also be an option similar to the UV sterilizer, but I'm not sure if that would be anywhere near as helpful. Especially when you consider the price of those devices as well, haha. Would most likely just help in depleting the worms' food source instead of effecting them directly. (i have no experience with protein skimmers, so take this with a grain of salt)

I am sorry for your friend's unfortunate circumstance, sometimes murphy's law just has it out for us.

 

[GeorgeAquatics]

Thank you for answering my questions. The UV filter is something I hadn't considered. I knew that they worked for removing bacteria, algae and pathogens, but do they really also work against worms? I've been searching online and the closest thing I could find was that UV filters are sometimes recommended to wipe out the free-floating version of anchor worms, but adult detruitus worms.

I've been keeping aquariums for over 10 years now, with all sorts of fish, invertebrate and amphibian species, have over a dozen aquariums running at the moment, and I also own an aquarium and terrarium supply company, so I would say that I'm well aware of how to nitrogen cycle and of course would never recommend any of my friends or customers to keep any living animal in an un-cycled tank.

I believe that she does have multiple tanks running currently, though, so it shouldn't be very difficult to clone the filter media, or move an extra filter to the quarantine tank.

Thanks again for the constructive suggestions.

 

[GeorgeAquatics]

Using something like Panacur to get rid of detritus worms is the equivalent of using a machine gun to swat a fly.
All that is needed is water changes, spot cleaning and removal of the worms as they appear.
And if your friend really can't handle a few detritus worms then maybe aquarium pets are not the ideal pet for her. ALL tanks get occasional invaders and blooms, and an aquarium owner has to deal with them. I'm not being mean, I'm just trying to help figure out what is best for the axies and for your friend.

More unhelpful than mean, I would say. As the breeder and supplier who gave my friend the axolotls, I feel I have a responsibility to find out all the options, (including possible chemical warfare), when it comes to giving advice.

It certainly wouldn't be my first choice, like I said, I would personally go with more siphoning and filtration, and forget about them once I couldn't see them, but this isn't about me, or any moral judgment on my part.

I certainly don't agree that not wanting worms means that someone shouldn't have pets.

 

[GeorgeAquatics]

The tentative plan is to move the axolotls to a different tank (cycled, of course), dose the empty aquarium with fenbendazole, add activated carbon/charcoal to the filter to soak up all of the medication, (to avoid exposing the axolotl unnecessarily) then possibly wait for the tank to cycle again, (having trouble finding a clear answer on whether or not fenbendazole is harmful to filter bacteria, but it seems that it may be fine). Does anyone see any practical reasons why this wouldn't work?