Tiger salamander won't eat

[jodi]

We have a tiger salamander that we have owned for about 3 years. He stopped eating a few weeks ago and we don't know what is wrong. He appears to be fine otherwise (color and activity level). We have him in peat moss with a shallow water dish. Could there be bacteria in the peat moss or something wrong with the water?

 

[jennifer]

Have you recently switched to peat moss, or recently gotten a new bag of peat moss? Peat moss has a reputation of being (sometimes) very acidic, and sals do not tolerate this well. Here is a recent thread on this topic:
http://www.caudata.org/forum/messages/8/23045.html?1095623138
Note that the pH of 2.8 measured by Juraj is VERY acidic, something like diluted vinegar.

 

[jodi]

yes, it seems this has happened since we purchased the last bag of peat moss. So I probably should buy a new bag. If this is the problem, will the salamander be "cured" or do I need to do something in addition?

 

[dot]

If you're having a repeated problem with the substrate, maybe it's time to switch to something else.

For my tiger, I use the ZooMed (or ExoTerra) brand coconut fiber substrate. It's biodegradable and breaks down waste & odor really well. It's pretty inexpensive and can be found at Petco and probably Petsmart. My tiger loves it and I haven't had a problem with her eating while I've been using it.

 

[morg]

When I kept tigers I would just use garden soil from my back garden.[pesticide and fertiliser free]
I would put around 6inches of soil into the tank, firm it down as much as possible, and the tigers would dig numerous tunnels to hide in.

Regarding the feeding, one of my tigers would eat heartily for a few months, then stop eating for up to a month.
this was very worrying to start with, but he did this repeatedly with no ill effects at all.
By all means change the substrate type, but maybe he will resume eating by himself.

 

[jennifer]

Jodi - I agree with Dot and Morg: there are better things to use besides peat moss. I wouldn't use peat moss at all, it's just too risky. My favorite bedding material is a mixture of the coco-fiber and plain top soil.

 

[jodi]

Okay, I changed out the peat moss with coco fiber 36 hours ago. He doesn't seem to like it and does not burrow anymore. Is it maybe because it will take a few days for him to get accustomed to it? Also, if the thermometer is correct it was about 60 degrees in there (which I don't know how because our house is not nearly that cool). We have warmed it up a bit to about 66-70. He still acts good and color is good. Still won't eat.

 

[kaysie]

Sometimes they dont eat for a while. How long has it been? I wouldn't start getting really worried until he hasn't eaten for a couple of weeks. If it's cool, he wont eat as much either.

You might try mixing the coco fiber with topsoil (you can buy plain, fertilizer/pesticide free topsoil, I use EarthGro), which would probably be easier for him to burrow in.

What are you trying to feed him? Put some earthworms in with him and make sure it's dark and walk away. Maybe he's suddenly gone shy

 

[jodi]

He hadn't eaten for about 3 weeks, then we were able to persuade him to eat a small earthworm from our backyard. Now it has been about 2 weeks since then.

We've always fed him nightcrawlers and he usually gobbles those down. We have left a nightcrawler in his cage and left or gone to bed. It's still there in the morning.

???

 

[shaun]

If you're worried about the substrate, try keeping him on moist paper towel while you're monitoring his health. You should also consider other food items. Throw in some crickets and waxworms and hope they pique his interest!
Also - if your thermometer seems off, you should do a test to make sure it's accurate. If your house is considerably hotter than the tank, you might have an erroneous thermometer, and a case of temperature related stress on your hands.
If all else fails, take him to the vet.

 

[jodi]

Great News! Our salamander is not only burrowing in his coco fiber but ate a big fat juicy nightcrawler. Thanks for all of your help. This is a great site for information and support.

 

[dot]

Jodi -

Glad to hear your tiger is acclimating nicely to his new environment!