Mudpuppy Emergency!

[Markgilst]

I occasionally drop earthworms in the mudpuppy's tank, but I've never seen him eat them and they usually burrow into the gravel substrate. The worms that I use can survive a long time underwater. I have a 1 gallon tank that I use to scoop water from the tank when I do water changes.

 

[Markgilst]

It's more of a gelatinous substance with green stuff in it, kinda like a green/brown spermatophore.
I've been noticing that the mudpuppy is more active so I'm hoping that means the water is cleared up. I'll test the water soon.

Unfortunately however, I noticed that there is a little bit of fungus growing on his head. I'm hoping it's not Chytridiomycosis or anything similar, so how do I get rid of it? He was in a tank at the store with 3 other mudpuppies and one of them had a fungus as well. Not only that, but also he's also gotten rather thin! Not skinny enough to see his ribs I think, but he's gotten rather thin. I can't take a picture because I lost my adaptor.

BTW, I did try to drop 3 minnows in his tank (possible fungus source?) but he ignored them so I fed them to different creatures. Will he eat crickets?

 

[Markgilst]

I just changed the water because the ammonia readings were at 8.0! How shocking! This was actually because a cricket wedged itself between the glass and the hydeout where the salamander is and I didn't really see it, but it did kinda mess things up so I took it out and did a major water change. I added extra water too, because the tank is kind of usually less than halfway filled to prevent the mudpuppy from escaping. The algae is still in there though, but I'm really glad I did the water change and removed the dead cricket before things could get worse. I also added maybe 2-3 drops of Prime in the tank during the water change. Is this good? Oh, and I take back the mudpuppy being thin, he's not that skinny.

 

[Markgilst]

By the way, during the night, he usually sticks his head up (not out of the water) so does this mean the water quality is bad?

 

[jclee]

I also added maybe 2-3 drops of Prime in the tank during the water change. Is this good?

To dechlorinate, you should either treat the water before putting it into the tank (per bottle's dosing instructions) or treat the entire tank if you're treating the water as/after adding your tap water. Otherwise, it will not fully dechlorinate for a while, giving it time to kill of beneficial bacteria.

By the way, during the night, he usually sticks his head up (not out of the water) so does this mean the water quality is bad?

As others have said, testing water qualities is more reliable than judging the animal's behavior. With an ammonia level of 8, he's probably looking for somewhere else to go that's less toxic. Read up on the nitrogen cycle, an keep doing daily changes with dechlorinated water.

It's more of a gelatinous substance with green stuff in it, kinda like a green/brown spermatophore.

If there are worms burrowing into the substrate and dying there, along with crickets and other foods, the substance is probably decomposing food, which will also raise the ammonia levels. Be sure to clean uneaten food away. There are a lot of threads on this site in the caudata culture section about appropriate food items and techniques for feeding to prevent this. Check out Caudata Culture Home Page.

Unfortunately however, I noticed that there is a little bit of fungus growing on his head.

The link to caudata culture should also have information on saltbaths to treat fungal infections (if I remember correctly). The most likely cause at this stage is poor water quality, so stay on top of (1) removing all uneaten foods (2) daily water testing (3) daily water changes with fully dechlorinated water.

While you're working on those three things, it would be good to poke through the articles on caudata culture to read all you can about the animal you have, tips to feed/house it, and the cycling process.

 

[Markgilst]

How many mudpuppy articles on Caudata Culture are there?

 

[jclee]

Here is the species entry sheet:
Caudata Culture Species Entry - Necturus maculosus

Here is a page on water quality:
Caudata Culture Articles - Water Quality

Here is a page on cycling the tank:
Caudata Culture Articles - Cycling

Here is a page on how to do salt baths if needed for fungal infections:
Caudata Culture Articles - Salt Solutions in Treating Salamanders

Also, while this next page refers to housing axolotls, a similar set-up should be appropriate for mudpuppies, and so it might be worth reading about the enclosure discussed here:
Axolotls - Housing in Captivity

Hope that helps. They're all quick reads and loaded with info.

 

[Markgilst]

I'll look into buying some bacteria and continuing water changes, as the ammonia is still up high. Which plants are native to the same areas that mudpuppies live in?

 

[Kaysie]

Purchasing bacteria will be a waste of your money. Since BioSpora changed their formula, there are no companies that make active live-cycling bacteria. The only sure-fire way to lower your ammonia levels without a well-established biological filter is to do water changes. High ammonia levels can be deadly at worst, and seriously irritating at best.

Mudpuppies are native to most of the Eastern US. A quick search of native aquatic plants of the US will turn up all sorts of candidates.

Keep in mind mudpuppies are active predators. They need a large tank to accommodate their large ranges in nature.

 

[Jennewt]

To create THAT much ammonia, I think the worms must be eventually dieing in there. A couple of crickets couldn't be responsible for that much ammonia. You really need a tool to get out the crud from the gravel. Do you know what a gravel-cleaning siphon looks like? You need one.

If there is fungal-like growth on the animal, consider doing salt baths to treat.

 

[Markgilst]

Just bought some bacteria, I've been really careful with it. BTW, it's bacteria rings from a koi pond at the pet store, I even put the bag in the tank to adjust the temperature for the bag. How long will it take for the bacteria to take effect? Do I do any water changes in the mean time?

 

[jclee]

Cycles take a while, and especially when ammonia or nitrite are high (which can be lethal), you'll want to do daily water changes and daily water testing until you see 0 ammonia, 0 nitrite, an 5 (or more) nitrate.

This advice will apply, no matter which measures you take to cycle the tank.

I am not sure that I understand what you mean by "bacteria rings." Does this mean that someone has sold you used filter media from a koi pond?

 

[Markgilst]

Kind of, yeah.

 

[Kaysie]

Are you doing water changes? NOTHING is going to bring your ammonia levels down quickly EXCEPT water changes.

Filter media, seeded with bacteria, will start your cycle, but even WITH an established cycle, you have to do weekly water changes!

 

[Markgilst]

Will water changes affect the filter media?

 

[jclee]

If you properly dechlorinate the water first, no. If you do not dechlorinate the water, then the water change will kill beneficial bacteria that lives in your filter.

Stock up on tap water conditioner and you will be fine.

 

[Markgilst]

I already have a lot of prime. The ammonia levels are still high, so I'm guessing that the worms are defecating of dying in the tank, so I'll do more water changes.

 

[Markgilst]

Would it be okay to relocate the mudpuppy and the ceramic bacteria rings to a bucket if I do a complete cleanup of the tank? Temporarily, I mean.

 

[jclee]

That sounds fine to me. Keep the bucket full of tank water until you can transfer him, and remember to use that prime when you refill the tank. Keep your filter media damp, and in tank water, to ensure that the beneficial bacteria keeps thriving and doesn't die off. (Same for any decor or substrate that you clean/remove temporarily.)

 

[Jennewt]

I agree with jclee.

To get at the root of the problem, you'll either have to change the setup (remove the hiding places where the worms are getting caught) or change the way you feed the mudpuppy (handfeed ONLY and remove all uneaten food). Otherwise you'll just end up back in the same situation.