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FAQs About Amphibian Disease/Health

How far down in the water will I go? About nee-deep!

Help with Sick Eft! – 03/18/08
Hi folks. Wonderful site you have. It's a great resource for all us avid pet owners.
<Thank you>
I have a question for you regarding my pet red eft. I'm worried that he might be sick. I've had him for almost a year, and he was quite active and happy until several weeks ago. He has always been quite a shed-er,
sloughing layers of skin regularly. But recently he has seemed unable to get all the skin off, and it has turned black in the patches he can't remove. The black covered his tail and his hind toes. The tail part has now been partially removed, but his skin underneath is wet and weeping, and many pieces remain. His toes are now gummed up with black skin. And he has become very inactive, preferring to hide all the time, and I haven't seen him eat or go for a swim in his pond in these past weeks. He seems uninterested. He's also weak; I take him out to play and he has very little energy. He has also dulled in color considerably; in the two photos I've attached, perhaps you can make out the dull brownish on his head and spine. He used to be far brighter. Do you have any ideas about what this could be, and what a treatment plan might look like?
Thanks so much for your help.
Yours,
Reed Black
<This may be due to some dietary deficiency and/or water quality issue... Amphibians are quite sensitive to both issues... Please place the following term "Notophthalmus v. viridescens husbandry" in your search tool and read... esp. on Caudata.org re.
Bob Fenner>

Re: Again: Help with Sick Eft!
Thank you. For the water, all I'm doing is adding a couple drops of "Reptisafe" water conditioner to new York city tap water -- should I be doing more?

I feed with black worms only. I've tried wax worms and baby crickets, but both are too large! I also tried brine shrimp but he didn't seem interested. Any other ideas?
<Again, the Net... I kept small Salamanders and Newts as a lad... but can't recall much re their care... I do endorse the use of vitamin prep.s, baby types as liquids or commercial ones labeled for such use>
Thanks so much for the quick response.
Yours,
Reed Black
<And yours, Bob Fenner>

Tiger Salamander, hlth. – 9/29/07
<Hello "?". Andrea with you tonight. The Shift Key for that pesky letter "i" is directly under Caps Lock on the left.>
I am having problems with my Tiger Salamanders and Water Dogs.
<Bummer. They are always so cute. Lets see if we can help.>
They are getting white spots all over there bodies and are dying. I tried to separate the sick ones from the ones without spots. The next day some of the ones I separate now have the white spots. I don't use tap water I have a water well. It seems to be coming in from in from the wild ones collected from only one pond. Is there any type of medicine I can use to cure this? It seems it is only a day or two after they get the spots that they die. Please help here is my email address xxxx@yahoo.com. Thanks for the help.
<Wow, sounds like ich, HOWEVER, amphibians cannot get Ich and Ich meds CAN harm many amphibs. It is hard to tell from what you are telling us, but if you could send a picture, that would help a great deal. Are the spots small or large? Are they fuzzy looking, flat, open, raised? Any more detail you can give would help a great deal.
In the meantime, here is a great link on amphibian disease on WWM. Read it, and the linked files at the top. You just might find an answer on what it is, and how to treat it. Until then, I'd stop taking pets out of that pond.>
<You're welcome?>
<Andrea>
re: Tiger Salamander – 9/29/07
Andrea
<No problem. Can you please do me a favor and edit this with capitalization and such so we can use it on our site? We post these on our site, and can't edit them all. Thanks so much, and no more ich medicine. A picture will really help. Also, read those links!
Andrea>
thanks for answering me. the spots are small and white and start as only a couple and within 24 hours the hole body is covered and there is no slime feeling on the dead animal.
and it seem to spread very quickly. i took all the animals out of the tank and bleached it out and it did not make any difference. i took a couple of the sick animals out and tried some ick medicine with no luck. i will try and get a picture for you. i deal with alot of different reptiles and have never seen this before if i find some thing out that takes care of this problem i will let you know and we are not taking anymore animals out of this pond. thanks again for your response

Sick Frog, Frog With Fungus 7/13/07
Hello, I am very concerned. This morning I woke up and my African frog was sick. He had weird foam type stuff around his head.
< Probably a fungus from a trauma to the area.>
I had never seen this before. I immediately took him out of my aquarium, and placed him in an isolated tank. I was wondering what the frog had, if it was a disease or virus, and if I should be concerned about the rest of my aquarium. I have a 55 gallon. If you have any ideas I would be glad to hear about them. Also I do not know how to treat the frog. Thank You Derek. Also, if you need pictures I can send some.
< Photos are always helpful but I think I have it figured out in this case. The frog probably went after a food item a hurt itself on a rock or a piece of wood. The damaged area has become infected and a fungus is feeding off the damaged tissue. I would recommend keeping the water very clean with water changes and treating the tank with Nitrofuranace. This antibiotic works against a wide range of bacteria and fungus.-Chuck>

Fire Belly Toad With Infections
I have a fire belly toad with cloudy eyes and a swollen leg and have no idea what is wrong with him. Any help would be greatly appreciated. Thanks. Sarah
<Frogs are very susceptible to infections when the water is not kept perfectly clean. Start by doing a large water change, vacuuming the gravel and cleaning the filter. If things don't get better in a couple of days then try treating the tank with Myacin.-Chuck>

Firebelly Toad Changing Color 3/21/07
Hello! I am writing to you because I have a firebelly toad in my kindergarten classroom. I have two frogs in the tank, one of which was adopted from our local petstore because he was born with only three legs. Normally his color is green, but today we noticed that his coloring is much darker than usual and the frog is not as active as usual. Could it just be an off day or could something be wrong?? Thanks!!
< They do shed their external skin so this just could simply be a case of a toad getting ready to shed. Just in case do a water change and clean the filter to see if he perks up.-Chuck>

Axolotl hlth., no useful info. – 03/18/07
Hi
I have an axolotl he has been vomiting all day no its more like dry reaching because nothing comes out All my water levels are fine
<Data, not subjective evaluations>
I have large rocks on the bottom but I'm thinking maybe he has swallowed one what are the changes that he has.
<Possibly>
He also goes up for air and then tries to vomit again I have owned axolotls before and I've never seen this. Any advice would be appreciated
Therésè
<You've presented no useful information... on system, maintenance, water quality, foods/feeding... Can't read minds (that well)... Bob Fenner>

Re: axolotl 3/19/07
My ph is siting at 7.4 My ammonia levels are at 0 nitrate is at 0.05
<Good>
He is feed every 2 days aqua master axolotl food about 5 pellets we had feeder fish in the tank
<A very poor idea. Not suitable prey, and carry disease...>
but he took no interest in them so they were removed my tank is 600mm by 300 by 400 just over half full I'm using a crystal clear aquarium 380 filter with 3 stage filtration at 100 litres an hour his water is changed at 1/3 every 10 days I'm using A.C.E ammonia chlorine eliminator

and aqua plus water conditioner all my rocks are the size of a 50c piece or bigger there are no plants in he tank he has one round barrel to hide in I don't use a light and I have no water temperature gauge hope that is enough information for you
Therésè
<Other than doing away with the "treatment" above, I would try more "lively" foods... Worms of appropriate size, and insect larvae... e.g. Blackworms (Ambystoma means "cup mouth"; they scoop up their food), earthworms, mealworms... Bob Fenner>

Fungusy Firebelly 3/12/07
Hi,
<Hi, PufferPunk here<
I had wrote to you before regarding my firebelly toad that has a fungal problem, I think. You had told me to use erythromycin in the water and it has not helped at all. His upper lip is red and he still has the discolored skin near his eye and around his mouth. He is not very active and is always hiding his face or has his head way down to the ground. Any other suggestions? Thanks
<Try adding Melafix & Pimafix, in addition to the antibiotic already recommended, for an added boost. Be sure to keep it's water clean. ~PP>

Sick Clawed Frog 2/28/07
I have a clawed frog, who has stopped eating for the last 3 days. She is only 2-3 years old. I have changed her water and put her into a clean tank. She is listless and will let you pick her up, but she can still swim away. I have tried to open her mouth gently to put food in, but she won't open her mouth and take food. She frequently lets out bubbles of air, she spends her time floating on the surface. Her skin has gone very mottled and saggy. Have you any ideas what is wrong with her??? I really would be upset to lose her! Any suggestions would be welcome. Thanks Jill
<These little frogs are actually pretty tough, but can be sensitive to chemicals in the water. Try keeping the water very clean and offering some life foods such as washed earthworms and crickets. I suspect that their may be an internal problem with the lungs since you are seeing bubbles. Try increasing the water temp to 80 F and see if that helps. On Kingsnake.com you may be able to find a vet that can be of more help.-Chuck.>

Re Sick, Albino Frogs Not Blind 3/1/07
Hi again, Thank you for you're advice, she is now eating a little bit of food, 2 small pieces of pork fillet.. We changed some of her water and made it water warmer. However, she is still just floating in the corner and very lethargic. She is normally very active and gets very excited when she spots a human i.e. it means food! Thanks again, Jill
P.S: are albino frogs almost blind?
< Because they have no pigment, their eyes might be more sensitive to bright light. But they are not blind or else they would not be able to find their food.-Chuck>

Sick Albino Xenopus Frog Success 3/2/07
Hi, I am happy to report that she loves live earthworms and eats them so fast you miss it if you blink. I've only been giving her small thin ones as I haven't wanted to overdo it but she is putting on weight again, her skin looks healthy and the red dots have disappeared. She's also back to moving around and lurking behind things in case any more of those wriggly worms come her way.
So, thanks for your advice. Have been keeping water super clean with new filter, and increased temp etc. (Its been very cold here this winter) These frogs are sold everywhere here in England and with little or no advice on their care, except they eat Bloodworm or Daphnia. (available frozen) We were surprised how quickly she grew and how much fun she is. Very friendly (or hungry) and if you put a finger anywhere near the water you end up with a frog hanging off the end of it!
So thanks for the advice and I hope she continues to improve.
Regards, Jill
< Glad to hear that your frog is getting better.-Chuck>

Tadpole With Red Sores – 2/26/07
Hello, about a week ago, I bought a bullfrog tadpole from a local petshop. It wasn't kept in the most healthiest of looking tanks (overcrowded with fish) and the other tadpole that was in the same tank was dead. I couldn't see what killed it, though. But I figured I could nurse it back to health if it were sick but I might be wrong. It hasn't been eating (I boiled up some lettuce) and it doesn't move at all. Today, though, I noticed it swimming around more. And then I spotted a massive sore between it's tiny little legs, I don't know if it was like this in the petstore or not. But what could I use to cure it? And could it be redleg/can tadpoles get that?
<Red Led is a bacterial infection that affects many aquatic amphibians. I think it is initially caused from rough or abrasive sand and gravels rubbing against the legs then they get infected by a bacteria. I would recommend that you do a 50% water change, vacuum th gravel and clean the filter. Treat with erythromycin as per directed for treating tropical fish. Boiled lettuce has almost no nutrition. Feed Spirulina pellets or flakes instead. Much better for your tadpole.>
I've attached a picture, albeit a crummy one. I've never seen it float around like that before, either. I looked all over your website and couldn't find anything, and I've looked all over the internet. I apologize if you're repeating yourself. Thank you for your help,
Nicole L.
< The photo was very helpful.-Chuck>

Re: sores on tadpoles, Tadpoles Didn't Make It-Sand Too Coarse? 2/28/07
Hello again! Thank you for all your help, I'll definitely use that information later. Sadly, after sending my email in, I went and checked on my tadpole, but it had died. And it was incredibly bloated. But what would you suggest as a good substrate if gravel is too rough?
-Nicole
< Tadpoles are usually found over mud or very fine sand. Some sand sold for aquariums is very abrasive. This causes trauma for bottom dwelling fishes and tadpoles buy scratching their skin and leaving the vulnerable to disease.-Chuck>

Firebelly Toad With Infected Eye 2/23/07
Hi. I have 2 fire bellies and one I noticed awhile ago had what looked like a scratch near his eye and it was red. After a bit then it looked like it was starting to heal. It was as though new skin was growing but it is like a clear, cloudy skin. Now though it is going down towards his mouth. He is still eating but he does not like to be touched near that area and he is usually hiding and always has his head way down. Any idea of what that could be? Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated. Thank you.
< Your fire belly toad probably has an infection near his eye due to some trauma to the area. Keep the water very clean and try some Erythromycin in the water.-Chuck>

Getting Erythromycin For Infected Toad – 2/25/07
Can you tell me where I can find erythromycin?
< Any good tropical fish store will have this or a derivative.-Chuck>

Tadpole With Cloudy Eyes 2/16/07
First off let me say you have a REALLY good website, and seem to have helped a lot of people. I hope that you can help me, my daughter and her tadpoles!
:-)
Santa brought my youngest daughter (almost 5 years old) an Uncle Milton's Planet Frog for Christmas! My daughter was ecstatic and couldn't wait for her tadpoles to arrive. Unfortunately, when they did arrive 1 was very close to death with a distended belly (appropriately named Bubbles for the large bulge in his belly), but the 2nd (named Psycho Waddles for her swimming techniques of occasionally jumping out of the water, and making a big splash) seemed fine. The problem is that the 2nd tadpole's eyes have become cloudy! They were blood red for a few days, then the redness went away, one eye went back to normal while the other clouded, but now both eyes are clouded. (Also since her eyes clouded, she has stopped growing. She doesn't seem to be getting any longer, or making any strides toward becoming a froglet. I would assume that this is because her body is busy trying to fix her eyes, or fighting an infection. What do you think?)
The "tank" that came with the kit seemed very unhealthy and too small for 2 tadpoles, none the less 2 frogs that are going to be around 3" at the their largest, so I spent a ton of $$ to make a nice vivarium for them in a 20 gallon tank with a filtration system (waterfall), a ramp to help them get out of the water , and a house for when they are frogs. but now I am starting to worry that Psycho won't make it. I really will do anything I can to help her, but I am unsure of what to do! (I called a vet's office, and they told me it was just a tadpole. I should just replace it! I don't want to. I would never, and I don't want to teach my daughters to just throw away a life because it is sick. you do all you can before you put something to sleep!)
My question for you is this. what can I do to clear up this little girl's eyes? I am using spring water in her tank, and cleaning 1/2 of it a day, and feeding her the supplied food. For now, she is in the supplied tank from Planet frog, as I didn't want the replacement tadpole (Bubbles 2) to catch anything should she be contagious. My daughter thinks she is blind, if in fact she is blind, will she be able to catch food as an adult frog? Can blind frogs feed. I mean they do depend on their sight to see food and know when to stick out their tongues, right?
P.S. Just incase she is okay, and I can put her back in the vivarium with the other tadpole.. Are Leopard Frogs the type of frog that emits a chemical into the water when they have started (or is it finished???) their metamorphisms that tells all of the other tadpoles to stop their metamorphosing? Or will Bubbles 2 eat Psycho if she is smaller and less advanced than him?
P.P.S. I really think those grow-a-frog kits and Planet Frog (and others like them) should be outlawed. the tanks are too small and not healthy!
<Tadpoles are actually very easy to care for. In the wild they are found in little streams and creeks that quickly dry up. Keep the water very clean and treat bacterial infection with erythromycin from the tropical fish store. Hopefully the eyes can be saved. They eat algae at this stage. Adult frogs eat moving insects. Blind frogs don eat at all. Larger frogs will eat anything that moves, even other frogs.-Chuck>

HELP!!! Sick maybe injured ADF 2/5/07
I have 4 ADFs in my tank along with 6 platys, 2 mystery snails, 2 ghost shrimp and a pleco. I have 1 teaspoon of salt per 5 gallons of water.
<... frogs, the snails... don't "like" salt...>
I originally had one frog and it seemed to do ok with the salt and everything else, so I decided to get the other three. I have had the others now for about 2 or 3 months. We just noticed yesterday that one of the newer ones looked like he was shedding.
<Mmm, Hymenochirus do this...>
We have seen them shed before so we didn't think anything of it, except that it wasn't trying to get it off of himself like they normally do. Then he started swimming up and we noticed that he has some kind of injury on the underside of him. Almost the whole right side (left side to us when we are looking at it) is sunken in. Almost like he was crushed. We had to run some errands and when we got back we could see the stuff that looked like his shedding skin was gone, but it looks like he has a fungus growing on his back. It looks kind of lumpy, too. I searched your site and found some stuff dealing with the fungus, though I'm not sure if that's even what is on my frog, but I didn't find anything like the injury so please if you could help I would appreciate it. Also, if I have to I would like to know of a good humane way to euthanize him if I can't nurse him back to health. Thank you in advance.

Can African Dwarf Frogs Get Ich? 1/29/07
<Hi Betty, Pufferpunk here>
I'm a beginner with aquatic pets, so I need all the help I can get. It all started when my little terrier got hit and killed by a car last March.
<Awww... that's so sad. #1 cause of doggie death is getting run over.>
That left me pet-less for the first time in 16 years. So for my birthday last June, my co-worker gave me a male Betta (named Flash) which I keep in a 2 1/2 gallon aquarium with some gravel and a few live plants. A few weeks later, I was in the pet store asking what I could put in the tank with Flash to keep him company and the store worker suggested the ADFs. That sounded good to me, especially since I have a particular affection for reptiles and amphibians.
<Not really enough room for more animals in there.>
So I bought a couple of tiny ADFs (named Slim and Chance, because that's what I thought the odds were of them staying alive under my care). But when I put them in Flash's tank, he started nipping at them, so I quickly removed them and put them in their own tank.
<Good>
They now reside in a five-gallon aquarium with a Whisper filter, a few plants, a couple of "houses" and a smooth pebble substrate.
<Perfect size for just the 2 frogs & nothing else.>
But I couldn't leave well enough alone, so a few weeks ago, I purchased a couple of serpae tetras to try with Flash, with the same results, so I put them in with the frogs.
<Opps!>
One of the tetras started bullying the other tetra, so I sent the bully back to the pet store. Anyway, that's when I saw the neon tetras, and they looked so pretty, I ended up getting two of those and putting them in with the frogs and the serpae tetra. As it ended up, I think one of the Neons was sick when I got him, so I removed the two tetras from the frog tank and put them in a bowl. The next morning I had a dead neon but the other neon looked OK, so I went to a different store and bought a replacement neon. Then the second neon started looking like it had ich (based on what I was able to learn about it from the Internet) so I put it in its own bowl and started treating it with Quick Cure. I also took the serpae tetra and the latest neon and put them in a separate bowl. Both the Neons ended up dying, which left the serpae tetra, who now looks like he's got ich too. I've started treating him but I don't hold out much hope of curing him the way my luck is running. I can handle losing the tetra but I'm really attached to Flash, Slim and Chance. Flash appears to be doing fine, especially since I've stopped trying to find buddies for him and so far Slim and Chance look OK but I'm scared to death they'll get ich and die.
<They don't get ich but can be affected by ich meds.>
They've been doing great for months, and I've discovered Slim is male and Chance is female, so that's kind of neat, although if they mate, I hope they eat their babies before they leave the egg stage. I hope that doesn't make me sound cold; I just don't want more frogs.

So please let me know if Slim and Chance could get ich. I do frequent water changes like I'm supposed to. I don't know what else to do besides worry and pray that they make it.
<Sounds like they'll do fine. Just don't add anymore fish to that small tank, especially Neons. They are a difficult fish to care for. ~PP>
Betty Williams

Cloudy Eyes on Fire-Belly Toad 1/16/07
Hi!
<Hi Sue, Pufferpunk here>
I enjoyed reading through other amphibian owners' questions but am still unsure of what to do for my daughter's fire-belly toad. Both eyes are very cloudy and have been for some time. I think I see a little blood around the edges too but that may be irritation. He/she is still feeding normally but seems to be in discomfort and is significantly less active that when his/her eyes were clear.
After reading through questions and responses, I'm pretty sure it is a water quality issue. We can take care of the water quality by cleaning the 10-gallon tank and changing the water more frequently but I would like to get advice on treatment, as the irritation or infection looks pretty severe and I would like to keep the poor toad from going blind if possible.
<Since these animals eat, sleep & drink in water that they poo in, water quality is definitely important.>
I noticed that one Crew member's advice to one owner was to put one drop of MelaFix in each eye daily but that was an Asian bull frog. In answer to another question relating to cloudy eyes, a different adviser suggested sulfa drugs in the water. Could you please help?
<Actually I was also thinking of using Melafix for the eyes (I believe that's what you meant?) Worked for some of my frogs. Be sure to dechlorinate the fresh water, after cleaning the tank. ~PP>
Thank you so much!! Sue W.

Damaged ADF 1/10/07
Hello,
<Hi, Pufferpunk here>
Your website is very helpful :)
<Thank you, we try!>
I recently got a dwarf African clawed frog. He was fine when I bought him but I think I might have somehow injured him when I moved him into the tank or something. He is missing most of one of his front feet. It looks a little red...and there are small pieces of the fingers left. I read that frogs will often repair themselves but I wanted to make sure this didn't sound like a bacterial infection.
<Yes, should grow back. Treat with Melafix in the water & keep the tank clean.>
Also, I don't know if he is behaving normally. He floats around a lot on the top...and then swims back down to the bottom for a bit...is it normal for them to hang out at the top so much? I had a couple frogs in the past and they liked to stay at the bottom and then come up for air every once in a while. Do you think something may be wrong?
<Could be difficult to swim, due to the hurt foot. It should be fine after treatment. ~PP>
Thanks SO much for your help :)

Axolotl - damaged limbs 1/6/07
Hello Crew at WWM. I have a sad but true story, and am hoping that you may have some advice to help. We have an adult female Axolotl which was attacked by an Australian Bass that was temporarily placed in her tank.
<A mistake>
Her hind feet are now gone, as are most of her front legs and a large part of her tail. She now remains in one spot in the tank, but on the very odd occasion will try and move (with difficulty), and her frilly gills still 'wave' every now and again. She hasn't eaten for 5 days now.
I wasn't sure of the likelihood of her regenerating the limbs and tail given the extent of the damage and her age?
<Mmm, one can only do their best, be patient, and hope>
The damaged limbs and tail turned white and eventually the white part 'disintegrated' over the space of two days. Is this what usually happens to damaged limbs in water or could it have been some sort of bacteria?
<Yes>
I have done a water change and am monitoring the water to keep it as clean as possible to give her a better chance of recovery. I have heard that salt baths can assist with some Axolotl infections, though wasn't sure if it would do much good given the extent of her injuries in this case?

My main concern is that she is not interested in her food. She is hand fed, usually frozen blood worms, and she normally loves her food. Since she was attacked, I have literally been holding food right up to her mouth, but she turns her head away. Is there something else I could feed her or place in the water at this time to help her eat?
<Perhaps some live (other) insect larvae and/or freshwater worms (tubificids)... an occasional earthworm/nightcrawler of small size... I would administer a vitamin/food stimulant product (these are packaged/sold for aquarium use... either marine or freshwater, doesn't matter here... And I might consider adding a source of useful iodine/ide... to possibly aid repair, conversion...>
If you have any other suggestions that would help in regards to her comfort or the healing process I'd be grateful. Thank you.
<Life to you my friend. Bob Fenner>

Bloated Frog 1/3/07
My albino African claw-toed frog, Bridezilla, is normally quite large. However, she is now quite swollen with what appears to be fluid (she ripples when she swims). She is otherwise engaging in all her normal behaviors, eating, swimming, snuggling with one of the koi in the tank (they are buddies) and taking food from Frogzilla, a regular African claw-toed male, who is much smaller than she. I am very fond of my frogs, so am trying not to panic about her water retention. Help! Thanks, Sharon Kaczorowski, Delaware
< These things are almost always diet related. Food sits in their gut and bacteria break it down instead of the frogs digestive fluids and cause gas. Try raising the water temp to increase the frogs metabolism. Then go to Kingsnake.com and try to find a frog vet that can give you more specific recommendations such a medications.-Chuck>

Rubber Eel Amphibian With Internal Infection 12/24/06
Hi There, I came upon your webpage hoping to find an answer to my question. I have a Caecilian (rubber eel) in a 10 gallon tank with a small Cory fish. I've had it for about 4-5 months and it was doing fine. Recently, I've been observing erratic behavior: it floats motionless on the surface, just hanging, or it lets itself get sucked onto the filter. Before, it would burrow or curl around a rock or the one small plant in the tank. Other behavior includes, what seems like, the amphibian contracting its entire body and gaping its mouth wide open and sinking to the bottom of the tank. It then frantically gulps and repeats to contract and tighten its entire body and gape its mouth. It also has been gulping for a lot of air at the surface and has stopped eating (I've been feeding it live bloodworms). I don't have a heater for the tank, and I know they should be kept at 74-78 F. It was fine during the summer, but now it is considerably colder. I hope you can help me with this, since information on these creatures is scarce. Thanks,
Lidia
< Tropical amphibians need adequate heat to properly digest their food. The food is rotting in his gut and the bacteria are causing this gas/bloat problem. Heating up the tank to 82 F should get the digestive juices going and start to retard the bacteria in the stomach. In the future if you are going to keep him cool the stop feeding him when the weather starts to cool.-Chuck>

Dumpy Tree Frog Peeling 12/21/06
To whom it may concern. I'm beginning to freak out! My 7 month old white dumpy tree frog seems to be peeling! I took him out of the tank take a closer look and it seems that he is a bit bloated and has a bump (or just a new bump) under his mouth. It also looks like he has "left-overs" around his mouth, as if its peeling there too, but its a much darker color (looks blackish, kind of like if something had been burnt). I don't know what to do, I've searched the web but can't seem to find my specific answer questioned. Please help! I appreciate anything. Sincerely,
Nina Morato
< Assuming that everything else is normal and as it should be, it sounds like your frog has been poisoned. As you place live insects in your terrarium not all of them get eaten. The ones that live may be eating some of the terrarium plants which may be harmful. When they get eaten by the frog they carry the poisons from the plant. The "leftovers " may be the result of your frog trying to vomit the poisonous item out. Go to Kingsnake.com and look for a reference to a vet in your area. I would say for now get him into a very clean and very damp container so he does not dry out. Used cool distilled water to spray him often so his skin does not dry out and get infected if he survives.-Chuck>

Bloated African clawed water frog 5/8/06
Hello:
I appreciate any help you could give me. I have a 15-16 year old African clawed water frog named May.
<This is an unbelievably "ripe old age" for Xenopus>
She is 6 to 8 inches long. She has been very hardy and healthy. I have never done anything special for her. She eats Reptomin pellets. That's all she has ever eaten except when I once made the mistake of putting goldfish in her tank. She has lived through several near disasters. I haven't been diligent about cleaning her water. She has tolerated the lack of good care all of these years. Now she is bloated horribly. But she acts normal, still wants to eat, moves around, comes up to the surface. She has been bloating slowly for several months, maybe up to six months. I have had personal crises so I haven't been able to focus on her.
I have read online that I could maybe use Maracyn 2, maybe aquatic salt, melafix, stress coat. Her water had a lot of "stuff" on top of the surface recently. My daughter recycled her water, using Genesis in the tap water she added. We have always used Genesis to remove the chlorine.
What is the best way to treat May?
<... I'd go with the Minocycline... the Maracyn2 product>
How much longer can I expect her to live? We have never used soap to clean her tank, but is there something I can use to disinfect it since she might be suffering from some bacteria?
<Mmm, best to just use clean water, rock salt...>
If I use Maracyn, how do I know what dose and how long to treat her?
Thank you for any help.
Maria C.
<Three treatments, change water and re-administer every three days. Bob Fenner>

African Frogs Died 11/01/06
Hi, I had three African Dwarf Frogs, they just died. They were fine last night and when I returned from work today they were are all the bottom of the tank covered in some sort of grey mold.
< This is a fungus that feeds on dead tissue.>
I checked the pH of the water and it was neutral.
About a month ago, I introduced a fourth frog and two weeks ago, I noticed it was missing. I still haven't found the fourth frog.
I was just curious if you had any idea as to what this could be or why they may have died. Thanks, Clio
< The fourth frog probably jumped out on is dried up on the floor somewhere. The others probably died from poor water quality. Frogs don't really care about pH, but the are sensitive to poor water quality such as water with high nitrogenous waste. Check the ammonia, nitrites and especially the nitrates.-Chuck>

Fungusy Frog 10/10/06
Hey there, I'm writing again! I just wanted to say thanks for all your help first--this website is great.
<Thanks, Jess! Pufferpunk here>
My question is concerning one of my African Dwarf Frogs. I bought 2 of them about a month ago, & they've been doing extremely well in my tank (active, eating well, clear eyes, etc.). However, about a week ago I noticed that the color of one of my frogs was lightening. When I bought it, it was brown & speckled, but now it's a light, grayish speckled color. It's still eating normally, & it's still pretty active, but I've also noticed about 2 days ago that there's 1 or 2 little cotton-like & cloudy growths coming from its
lower abdomen/leg area. I'm not really sure if the frog's just shedding or something, but I'm worried because its eyes are slightly cloudy (though I wasn't sure if that has something to do with it changing colors). Should I treat the tank (which also contains livebearers, tetra, & a Gold Inca Snail) with some kind of anti-fungal or anti-bacterial treatment? & if it does have some kind of bacterial infection, does that have something to do with its transformation of color over the last week or so? (It started transforming colors well before the cotton-like growth appeared.) & one last question: My other frog remains completely normal at this point. Is it going to be okay if something is wrong with frog #1?
<Frogs can change from light to dark & they do shed. It couldn't hurt to try using some Melafix in his water, just to be sure. It's totally natural. ~PP>
Thanks a lot & hope to hear from you guys soon!
--Jess

Help- African dwarf frog with curled toes. Nutritional deficiency likely 10/3/06
I am very impressed with your site. I would appreciate some help if you can. I've had my African dwarf frog for about a year. It's fingers and toes have been slowly but severely curling.
<Interesting...>
 It looks as if it is holding a small ball in both hands. The back feet look as if they were holding a pencil. The frog can still swim just fine, but it can't straighten it's fingers or toes at all anymore.
<Am wondering what would cause such a "clubbing" of feet?>
It lives in a 5 gallon tank with goldfish.
<Oh...>
 I feed it tadpole bites
<...>
and it also eats the fish's flake food. Wouldn't want to have an uncomfortable frog-any ideas? Thank you, Jennifer
<Likely a nutritional deficiency at play here... need more (animal source, Tryptophan, Lyseine, Threonine...) source protein, and vitamins than the foods you've supplied. Please read here:
http://www.wetwebmedia.com/FWSubWebIndex/amphibfdgfaqs.htm
Bob Fenner>

Bloated Newt - 09/13/06
My sister has 3 Firebellied newt's. Just before we went on holiday about 10 days ago we noticed that one of them was looking a bit fat. A friend has been feeding them while we were away. They will only eat bloodworm. When we came back yesterday he now has bloated up to about 3 times the side he normally is. I read one of the other posts on your website where it said that you just need to let is run it's course but he just looks so big around that neck that looks like it will choke him. How long do you think that it will take to go down? We have now separated him off into a tank with shallow water on his own as he just floats in deeper water. Thanks, Sarah
<Your newt may have eaten some decaying food that is rotting in his gut. The bacteria is multiplying and producing gas that is causing the boat. Usually they are able to vomit up any bad food. Sorry don't have a solution but I would suggest you check out some newt/amphibian websites. Start with Kingsnake.com and see if you can find a chat group or communicate with a vet that may be able to help.-Chuck.>

Medications With Snails And Frogs 9/9/06
Dear WWM Crew, Want to first say what a great site you guys have, and the patience you have for all the numerous questions you guys answer! I have tried looking through the google search and forums regarding my question, and wasn't able to find my answer, so I am asking you. My first question is regarding my black mystery snail. I recently gave it a soft leaf vegetable (Chinese vegetable called Xiao bai cai which literally means small white veggie) and it is consuming the entire thing. I was wondering if you can actually overfeed a snail, or will they stop eating once they are full?
< They are exposed to all kinds of veggies in the wild and I am sure they quit eating when they are full.>
My second question is regarding the medication I have been applying to my fish tank for fin rot. I checked the applesnail.net site, but their link to fish pharmaceuticals led to a dead link. I am using Melafix (active ingredient is Melaleuca) from Aquarium Pharmaceutical Inc., and was wondering if it will affect either my black mystery snail or my African dwarf frog? Thanks a bunch! And keep up with the awesome work! Anson
< Invertebrates and amphibians really don't like medications. Melafix would not be my first choice to treat fin rot. Stronger medications may harm them. I would treat the sick fish in a hospital tank with Nitrofuranace of Kanamycin.-Chuck>
I have a male Bristlenose catfish, two years old he is four and half inches long. He is in a 300 litre tank, he used to be kept with Neons, glowlights and platies. He was very happy, I fed him on catfish pellets, algae wafers, bloodworms, brine shrimps and daphnia. Now he is living with tinfoil barbs.
he's not as happy and hides under the filter, he is only getting the catfish pellets and algae wafers, as the tinfoil barbs eat everything else first, I have noticed that he is not cleaning the tank as well for the past week. And he has a lump on his snout in front of one eye, I have telephoned all my local aquatic shops, no one seems to have heard of this before, I'm very worried, to me is looks like a cyst, apart from this his colouring and general condition is very good. I hope you can help me, as the children are very fond of catty! Wait to hear from you, Sue
< As your Pleco roots around for food he probably injured himself on a piece of wood or rock. The area may be infected. I would recommend treating him in a hospital tank with Nitrofuranace or Kanamycin as per the directions on the package.-Chuck>

Fungused Frog 9/7/06
I am incredibly irritated with Petco right now. After going through the archives on your site (your suggestion was correct, nearly all of my questions had been answered and more) I discovered that not only can my African Dwarf frogs not tolerate aquarium salt (which I specifically asked the attendant at Petco about--not wanting to hurt either my Betta, Chester, or the frogs) they can also not really be around my Betta. Which was very confusing as several Betta enthusiasts have suggested this type of frog as a good bottom feeder to compliment Betta fish.

Chester is in general much more passive than my other male Betta (obviously in another tank) and snapped a little at them but seems to get along well with them right now.
I noticed a cottony growth on one of my ADFs (Bender) right before searching on ways to fix this. Promptly afterwards I found out he couldn't handle salt so I did an immediate water change and then came back to look at more things for fixing this. I planned on getting a quarantine tank soon. I don't want to do so many changes because stressing him out won't help any, but are there medicines that are safe for other fish and can he be by himself?
<Melafix>
Will he spread this infection to Fry (the other frog) or Chester?
<It's possible.>
I don't want him to be lonely in a quarantine tank (even if he doesn't seem to really give a flying hoot about Fry). Would you suggest getting a one gallon or so to move them both into permanently?
<Not necessary, if they are OK with the Betta.>
You are one of the most knowledgeable sites I've come across for pets of any kind and if anyone can help me out, I hope it's the team at Wet Web Media.
<Awwww,... shucks, happy to help! PP>
Thank you,
Meghan R.

Re: Fungused Frog 9/8/06
I'm positive they're Dwarf Frogs but thank you for clearing up the confusion.
<Sure>
Shortly after I sent you an email, I went back to look at Bender again and discovered that it seemed like the whole cottony growth had come off of him, it was floating around the tank before I sucked it up and got it out. Is it possible he was shedding his skin? What does that look like?
<It's possible the shedding skin could've fungused but it looks like shedding skin, not fungus.>
And thank you so much again, your response was quick and the answers helped a lot!
<I'd still add the Melafix. ~PP>
--Meghan R.

Firebellied toad hlth. - 09/01/06
Hi.
< Howdy! >
 I recently bought two young fire-bellied toads. I have had them for about one week, and they seem to be doing fine. But today one of them has started making weird faces and rubbing his front feet over his head and kicking his back feet around as if he were in pain or something. I can see what looks like loose skin clinging to his sides and am wondering if he is just shedding?
< Sometimes these guys are affected by excess metals and minerals in the water. Have you tested the hardness of the water? They are also affected by improper water quality: excessive ammonia and nitrites. Last, but not least, air-borne pollutants and contaminants can have this reaction as well. Aerosols, room fresheners, carpet fresh, etc. will cause chemical burn. >
 He is even opening his mouth and making faces, and I wonder is all this normal behavior just to shed his skin, or might there be something else going on?
< Possibly shedding, but more likely a chemical reaction. >
Could he have swallowed a pebble or something and maybe it has nothing to do with the shedding skin?

 Any advice you could give would be greatly appreciated. I've never had any type of frogs before, only fish and turtles.
Thanks.

Paula

Re: Firebellied toad 9/11/06
Richard, thanks so much for responding. Believe it or not, I think he was just shedding after all. After he got the loose skin off, he resumed acting normally. A little later, I was looking through a book from the library on frogs and toads, and there was a picture of a toad doing exactly what mine was doing, and it said that he was shedding his skin and eating it and that this was normal frog behavior. So I think he's OK! He's eating and acting completely normal now. Thanks so much for your response!
< You are very welcome! RichardB >

Sick African clawed frog 8/1/06
I love your website!! Unfortunately, I have a sick albino African clawed frog, Piggy. She is probably about 5 years old and no longer wants to eat.
<This is a good old age for Xenopus...>
She lives in a 55 gallon aquarium with two goldfish and another African clawed frog. There is a Fluval canister filter, a Fluval submersible filter, and a "homemade" canister type filter on the tank. They have all been together for a year or so. Water quality is fine--no ammonia, nitrites, ph 7.4 or so. No new decorations or fish. About a month ago, I noticed she wasn't eating as much (the frogs are hand fed)--maybe one or two Reptomin sticks per day. I didn't worry too much--they do that occasionally. Then, she stopped eating completely. She absolutely refuses to eat anything--not even her favorites--worms and flies.
<A very bad sign...>
She ate nothing for three weeks-I noticed she started to get smaller. She doesn't swim around as much as she used to and sheds more than usual. How long can they go without food??
<Perhaps a few more weeks>
She has no other physical symptoms--no injuries, red leg, fungus. I decided to force-feed her and see if it helped. I've been able to get several earthworms into her over the past week.
<Good>
I only force-feed her a few pieces every day or so (whenever I can catch up with my brother who is good at holding her and opening her mouth while I shove a worm piece in). She doesn't seem to have anything caught in her throat or mouth--we can see almost down into her stomach when we get her mouth opened sometimes. She doesn't spit the worms back out once we get them in her and she definitely swallows them. Since feeding her, she has gotten more active and not as skinny, but she still refuses to eat on her own. Can anyone help?
<Mmm...>
I've tried Maroxy and salt in the water, but neither seemed to help. I've read about all sorts of medicines to treat bacterial, fungal infections, but I don't' know if I should try something else or just wait. Maybe she has a blockage and needs Epsom salts???
<Doubtful, but as a "last ditch effort" worth trying>
I can't tell if she is pooping or not. I have read that a Chloramphenicol bath may also be effective, but for how long???

A bath for a few minutes or hours?? I work in a lab and we use Chloramphenicol on fish eggs to prevent bacterial/fungal contamination. Or would an antibiotic from a pet store be better?
<These are identical to human use... though often "post-dated", old>
Any suggestions would be appreciated. I've had many of these frogs over the years and just love them. They are so personable.

Cuban Frog - Damaged Leg - 07/18/2006
Hi Bob,
<Actually, Sabrina with you, tonight.>
Here at work we have a Cuban frog that has taken up residence outside. He seems like a friendly fellow, however, this morning when I saw him, apparently the lawn person had cut off the frogs rear foot with the weed eater.
<Ouch!>
It looks like a clean cut, but can you tell me if the foot will grow back or have problems healing?
<It will probably grow back. Frogs are pretty resilient animals.>
Is there anything I can do to help? I would be open minded to setting up a terrarium for him if you think the frog would do well in captivity or make a good "pet". If you think so, then could you recommend set up and food options?
<Mm, sadly, I don't know a huge amount about frogs and amphibians.... but do please take a look here: http://talkto.thefrog.org/ and here: http://www.amphibiancare.com/frogs/caresheets/cubantreefrog.html .>
Thanks so much for your help! Love the website!
<Thanks for these kind words!>
Kimberly Searles
<Wishing you and your amphibious pal well, -Sabrina>

Frog With Respiratory Infection 7/15/06
Hi, my frog has gotten sick about 3 days ago and I was wondering if you all could help me. My frog is doing some thing really strange, he is not really swimming he is just floating above the tank and doesn't move when I come to him. He just stays there. He also shrivels up at times and opens his mouth up really wide. He won't eat much either but he does eat a little when I am not looking. I feed him gold fish flakes and he had no problem eating them before.
Also, he sometimes turns with his belly up when he is trying to swim, when I think he's dead I flip him over and he moves. I have been keeping him in a small tank with about 5 inches of water in it because he cant swim back up to the surface when he is not floating, and I have been boiling and cooling our city water to get all of the chlorine out. What else should I do.
From, Tina, 14 yrs old
< Your frog sounds like it has a lung infection. The lungs fill up with fluid and your frog floats all the time. He stays at the surface and tries to breath through his skin. If this was a turtle I would say to heat him up. A turtle would go up to a basking site and the heat would inhibit the bacteria. At this point I would try to elevate the temperatures slowly to 82 F. Keep the tank clean and the water well aerated. At this point I think you need to take your frog to a vet for antibiotics.-Chuck>

African Dwarf Frogs and fish medications 7/13/06
Hello, my name is Robin.
I have a 45 gallon tank that houses one African Dwarf Frog, 4 Ghost Shrimp, and 12 Bronze Cory Catfish.
Yesterday I noticed that some of the baby (I say baby, my original three bred successfully in my aquarium about four months ago) Corys have fuzzy fungus
growth. I have Applus+ Anti-Fungus Fungus and Fin Rot Treatment, whose main ingredients are Malachite Green and Hydrochloride.
<Toxic to your Frogs and Shrimp>
I wanted to check before I add anything to the tank, because I'm concerned about the frog and the shrimp. Will I have to move them to a different tank while treating the catfish?
<Yes... and do check your water quality... The Corydoras would not "get" a fungal/bacterial infection if all was well here>
Is there a more "frog friendly" treatment for the catfish? I know that the Anti-Fungus treatment is potentially harmful to scaleless fish, and frogs absorb things through theirs, so I don't want to poison the frog.
Thank you very much.
Robin
<You need to separate the non-fish. Bob Fenner>

Frog Damaged 7/7/06
Please help any one out there. It is 2:00am Chicago time and I don't know what to do. I was just awaked to a large rumble, so I start to investigate when I find my 3 year old frogs body hanging limp from the back of a box fan on the floor. I pulled him out and thought he was dead but decided to give him a chance and put him in a quarantine tank (about 2 to 3 gallons) put water in it. Still no movement. By the way he is severely hurt a part of his lip or mouth has been cut off, and still attached and hanging from the rest he is bleeding and I really can't tell if his eye is hurt or not its covered in blood. Well so I decided to put some MelaFix, PimaFix, and ick away in the water and he started to move and hope around again. I dont know what else to do please help me. I want him to suffer to much any info you may need just ask. Thank you in advance.
< The MelaFix and PimaFix were good ideas. Frogs don't like the dyes like the malachite green in the ick medication. Keep the water clean and watch for infection. If any cloudy areas appear on the frog then that is a fungus and needs to be treated with Nitrofuranace. Lots of water changes will help. That is just about all you can do except take him to a vet for a more precise diagnoses and treatment.-Chuck>

Fire Pebbled Bellied Toad 6/16/06
Dear Crew, I know for a fact that my small fire bellied toad just swallowed a large pebble. She was going for her second cricket and missed. I was trying to catch her to pull it out of her mouth, but she choked it down. I don't think that there is any way that she can pass that, unless these critters are extremely stretchy. Is there anything that I can do? I don't want her to suffer. Thank you, Linda
< If the stone went down then it can go back up. When the toad is ready I'm sure he will cough it up.-Chuck.>

Injured ADF's 5/2/06
Hi, I recently brought 3 more frogs after my male died suddenly, & my female became lonely.
Well, the runt (stumpy) of the 3 has no foot on one leg, and a small, deformed foot on the other. could this be infected as the stump looks
slightly ragged & what treatments could be used.
<... I'd be very careful here. Please read: http://www.wetwebmedia.com/FWSubWebIndex/amphibdisfaqs.htm
and the linked files above>
stumpy can swim fine & come up for air & moves around a lot.
Also, on 1 of the other new ones, i noticed a red patch, which i read could be red leg. However, i can't see it now, but they are moving a lot. what can
be done about this. I'm a bit unsure about illnesses as the first 2 had never been ill, & the male died as it was old.
Luckily, my original frog & the other new one seem to be perfectly fine.
Any help much appreciated.
Edith
<Bob Fenner>

Axolotl trouble - 4/20/6
This is the first time I have ever tried to contact any of your crew, but I really am in need of some advice. Firstly I have a 4ft x 1ft x 2ft coldwater tank, how many gallons is it?
<<It is a nominal 60-gallon, but holds a few gallons less than that.>>
Secondly all my fish who cohabit with my two seven year old axolotls are fine except for one, which recently has presented what looks like a few scales missing on one side, but more worryingly doesn't seem to be able to open his mouth, what on earth could this problem be?
<<Could be a myriad of things. Do you mean the axolotl is experiencing this? Do the standard tests for ammonia, nitrite and nitrate, to be sure these aren’t the culprit. Make sure water quality is high, temp is in the low 60’s.>>
And how should I go about helping him?
<<Read here: http://www.geocities.com/Yosemite/4301/axolotlhealth.htm and browse through the topics on the left hand side menu. You should find what you are looking for.>>
Thank you very much for your trouble.
<<No trouble at all, I’m glad to help. Lisa.>>
Emily-Jane, Lancashire.

Newt Growing Spots - 04/05/2006
Hi! I can't seem to figure out what's wrong with my newt, if anything. He has a yellow-orange underside normally, but lately there are black-brown speckles on his belly. He is acting normal and eating well, but if he's sick, I want to be able to fix the problem so he doesn't die. Please let me know what this could be. Thanks! Lauren
< If everything else looks normal then I think the spots are part of the normal coloration. Look for reddish sores or wounds that seem to get bigger. These are bacterial infections that require treatment.-Chuck>

Newts... env. dis. - 04/05/2006
I have 3 fire belly newts in my cage. I have had them for about 3 weeks. I noticed that after two days the water gets really scummy and slimy. Also yesterday I was cleaning the cage and noticed that one of the newts' hand was missing like it was burned off. Also another one of my newts has what looks like burned skin, it is white and on the tip of the nose, tail and body. What is going on? Do they fight or is it bacteria and what should I do.
Jaleesa
<Mmm, reads like you may have environmental/water quality issues... You need filtration here... as the declined state of your habitat is allowing disease to mal-affect your amphibians. Please read here:
http://wetwebmedia.com/FWSubWebIndex/amphibians.htm
the linked files above re Systems, Feeding... Bob Fenner>

Sick FW Frog Does Not Like Ich Medication 3/15/06
Hello and thanks for taking the time to answer questions. I have two small silver dollars, two small pink Gouramis, and one African dwarf frog in a ten gallon tank. My tank was cycled for about one month before the fish were added. Recently I decided to change the gravel because I didn't like the color. I changed half one week and the rest one week later. Nitrates went up a bit but all seems to be leveling back. A couple of days ago I noticed that one of my silver dollars had a small tear on a fin and small white spots. I treated the tank for ich and now he seems to be fine. Now the problem is my frog. Today I noticed that he has an off white film developing on his body. Is it the medication or has the gravel change ruined the biological balance of the system? Can my frog be saved? I am only a beginner but I sure do enjoy my fish, especially the frog. Thanks, Amanda
< Frogs and denitrifying bacteria do not like ich medications. Add a good quality carbon to remove any remaining medication in the system. Check the water quality for ammonia or nitrite spikes. Add Bio-Spira if needed to get the biological filtration going again.-Chuck>

Dwarf Frog Diseases - 03/13/2006
I can't seem to find any info on the diseases dwarf frogs suffer from. I have read that they are very sensitive to the medicine in ich remedies: does this mean they can't get ich? If not, do I still need to be quarantining them?
< Frogs are sensitive to the dyes like malachite green and methylene blue, but they can handle antibiotics used for fish. The frogs may not have ich but the tank water from the store may have the ich parasites in it. I would still quarantine to be safe.-Chuck

Bullfrog with possible fungus? 3/4/06
I have recently taken in a Bullfrog. A Friend of mine found it sitting in a parking lot here in Ohio. It's been snowing here.
<Must've been imported...>
He is very active and has a good appetite. I noticed over the past week he has developed white spots on his eye lid, hind legs and on his back. Is it a fungus?
<Too likely so>
If so what is the best way to treat it?
<Mmm, this animal needs to be in a "proper environment" first and foremost... heated, filtered, with the water checked for metabolite build-up... Please read here: http://wetwebmedia.com/FWSubWebIndex/amphibsysfaqs.htm>
I have read a variety of different things about using fish meds on amphibians and am not sure what to do? Is Malachite Green, Formalin, or Methylene Blue safe?
<No>
Is Maroxy? I read somewhere that Malachite Green could be deadly to amphibians.
<Yes... shades of the Jan. issue of National Geographic... which contained a harrowing piece on the disappearance of frogs... I would try a "sulfa block" devised for aquatic herps here. ZooMed, among others offer these... Along with an adequate environment. Bob Fenner>
Thanks
Erin

Frog with cloudy eyes 2/8/06
HI WWM Crew:
I have had my White's tree frog for 8 years (he was full grown when I
got him, so he is probably 9 or so years old).
<This is a good long time for this species>
I have always kept him in a 20 gal. tall tank with sphagnum moss and a water dish and some live plant, and fed him crickets. Last month I traveled for the month
and put him in a smaller container with moss and a plant which died. I didn't notice at first, but he was sitting in the plant pot and when
I picked him up his eyes were clouded over and so he couldn't eat. I bought some Fluker's Repta-Rinse, but it wasn't working and he wasn't
eating (or pooping) for about a month Finally, I took him to the vet and he gave me saline and atropozine (sp?) drops to treat corneal
edema. His eyes were getting better and he finally ate and pooped and I thought we were good...for 1 week, and now the clouds are back and he
won't eat cause he is blind...again.
Do you guys have any suggestions? I feel terrible and would really
like him to get better.
Thanks,
BEA
<... Not much to do here... "old age"... accumulation of genetic anomalies, lack of ready fit with environment...: http://www.google.com/custom?q=Frog+with+cloudy+eyes&sitesearch=wetwebmedia.com
Bob Fenner>

White's tree frog 2/8/06
We recently acquired a whites tree frog, after a couple of days we noticed one of his toes looks broken or bent backwards. What , if anything can be done to fix or at least prevent further injury. Its possible we got him that way but we still like him.
>> There is not much you can do, and he will likely be ok so long as there is no infection on the toe. Make sure to watch for places where he can break his toes. Screen covers are the worst for these types of frogs if the mesh is too large. Oliver

Albino African Clawed Frog feeding/digesting problems 02-05-06
I recently bought an Albino Clawed Frog about a week ago. I have had quite a few frogs, my last one of six years died last month. I bought this small one
now (about 3 inches) and she does not seem to want to eat anything I give her.
<Very unusual for Xenopus laevis not to feed>
The shop I had bought her from was feeding her cut up meal worms, and so I have reluctantly started to feed her those. I was wondering if meal
worms are okay, seeing as my last Clawed frog had problems digesting them when he was this small.
<Not by themselves, no>
I am also worried because her stomach seems to be growing and I am worried about intestinal blockage. How should I deal with
this? and How would I know if it is? Any help would be AMAZING.
Thank you!
Mallory Wynne
<Perhaps a level teaspoon of Epsom Salt per ten gallons of system water will move this blockage. Bob Fenner>

Fire Belly Toad On Fire 10/22/05
Hi. I have 3 firebelly toads. I've had them for about six years or so. Just today, one of them started acting weird. It is very weak and has constant spasms in its legs and body. Its stomach sometimes pulsates and it can't jump. I have no idea what is going on and I was wondering if you could help me out.
Oh ya, and also its back legs have a lot of mucus on them. I don't know if that's related, but I just want to find out what's wrong with my toad. Thanks
< Frogs can succumb to bacterial infections. One in particular is called red legged disease which is a bacterial infection on the legs of the frog. The mucus on the leg may be this disease. It is difficult to see on a frog when a red pattern is on the belly and legs already. Clean the tank and the filter. Heard of some remedies using dyes and antibiotics with mixed results.
Sometimes the frog is too ill to survive the treatment. Frogs in general are very sensitive to chemicals in the water since they seem to absorb everything through their skin. Isolate the toad from the rest so he doesn't contaminate the other two. I would try a product from Jungle called Start Right.
It is a little Methylene blue and salt. This should inhibit the bacteria and give you toad a chance to fight off the disease on its own. It looks like it is getting worse then antibiotics would kill the bacteria but I am not certain how the frog would react to the medication. I would recommend that you look online at some frog site that have had success in treating this disease to be sure.-Chuck>

Disease? Algae? Dwarf frogs, snails, 10 gallon 10/17/05
Problem: Substantial amount of film extending outward several millimeters with an almost halo-like translucence, not cottony at all, on African Dwarf Frogs lower bodies,
<... mycete...>
on body of at least one Malaysian Trumpet snail,
<Odd... same>
on shells of apple snails and also covering plants, driftwood and filter
<This, likely something else>
Water test results: Ammonia= 0, nitrate= 0, nitrites= 0, PH= 7.2, Temp= 74F, current alkalinity =<40, water hardness=150.
Setup: 10 gallon with Aqua Clear filter for 20 gallon, 2 African Dwarf Frogs, several small Malaysian Trumpet Snails, 1 Ramshorn snail, 2 mystery snails, approx 20 live plants/moss.
I was unfortunately locked out of my apartment for about three days. During this time a new addition African Dwarf Frog, who had been quarantined before introduction into my tank, died. I removed the corpse
<Likely the source of the opportunistic fungus, stress, diminished environmental quality here>
and did a 100% water change.
<Best to avoid such wholesale changes if possible, practical>
At the same time I changed my silica sand substrate, which had been accumulating a black mold and put in a thin, 1/3 inch, layer of calcium carbonate and well placed pebble piles to hold down the plants. After all of the disruption my filter became clogged and was working less than adequately for 1-2 days until fixed. A nearly invisible thread-like algae sprung up throughout the aquarium almost overnight but disappeared once the filter was working properly.
<Is/was a mix of microbes... from the loss of biological stability, "cycling">
Ammonia/Nitrite levels stayed at zero. I noticed the algae like substance remained on and was covering the lower bodies of both frogs and one may have had slight pop-eye (could be my imagination). They started and have continued to shed their skins. There may also be a difference in their dropping, possibly longer and stringier. Also noticed today that long stringy dropping was sticking to the tail of the female. I removed the carbon from my filter, added 1tsp of salt
<Good>
and started and completed the five day treatment with Maracyn 2 adding another tsp of salt on the third day. The filmy clear beard-halo went away for a day and came back. I began today the five day treatment for Maracyn as well as the
first of two (dosage as recommended on packaging for scaleless fish) treatments of APPLUS Anti-Fungus (active ingredients Malachite Green and Acriflavine Hydrochloride)
<... I would not use this here>
I am confused whether this is Columnaris because it is all over the tank and is not white.
<What? Stop! You're going to kill off your livestock with this hypochondriac behavior>
I do not think it is algae since it is harming the frogs and at least one snail. Bacterial, Parasitic or Fungal? What should I do/stop doing immediately? THANK YOU SO MUCH!!!
<Mmm, actually, locking yourself out for a number of days... don't do "anything" more chemical-wise other than finish the Mardel product use, partial water changes, replenish the salt removed from same. Bob Fenner>

Amphibian and Chelonian mix 8.27.05
I keep my red ear slider in an aquarium with 3 firebelly toads, a tree frog, and a chubby frog. I have the aquarium so one side is water and the other side is land. I have been wondering, however, if the mix of reptile and amphibian is safe. I do have a filter and light source and the animals usually keep away from each other. Also, I used to have a soft-shell turtle; I had kept him with the frogs (but at that time I had one firebelly). Sadly, he died in a weird way. A large, black, tube like thing with feathery ends came out of his anus, and hung out about an inch. We suspected that it had to do with the turtles eating habits, for it ate up to six fish a day. Recently, I have been wondering if it had to do with the frogs. I really don't want my red ear slider to die, so please help. Also, we have been feeding the slider a more reasonable amount of food. PLEASE HELP!!
<I am not sure what the large black feathery thing might have been, but it might be worth contacting a reptile Veterinarian to find out. I would not recommend keeping frogs with turtles. Turtles foul the water very quickly, frogs and toads are very sensitive to the quality of their environment and will not tolerate less than optimal conditions for very long. I am not sure if the frogs and toads you are keeping are toxic to animals that ingest them but it is definitely something you will want to look into, I am sure a turtle would sample a frog if given the opportunity. I would definitely keep the turtle in a separate tank. I would also get some care sheets on the different types of frogs you are keeping to ensure that your setup is meeting their needs as well, heating, lighting, feeding, etc. -Gage>

Chubby Frog 8.27.05
My chubby frog has been acting strange. He doesn't seem to be eating and he doesn't move. I picked him up and he barely moved his leg. I have noticed him breathing so he is still alive, but I am concerned. I have also noticed that he is shedding skin. Could this have to do with it? I keep this frog with three firebellies, a red ear slider, and a tree frog. Is this bad? Please HELP!
<In this situation I would seek the advice of a reptile/amphibian/exotic animal veterinarian, or local reptile shop. Your local reptile shop might be the best place to start; all of the reptile stores I used to frequent were pretty good at diagnosing problems and always knew a good Vet to refer me to. The links below are to care sheets for the animals that you are keeping. Best of luck, Gage
http://www.anapsid.org/bombina.html
http://www.anapsid.org/greentreefrog.html
http://www.anapsid.org/reslider.html
http://thelilypad.org/?q=node/view/125 >

Clawed Frog Disease - 09/08/2005
My Frog, Bugzie, has a large bulging, swollen area under her mouth that extends from chin to throat. This occurred 3 days ago and seems to be getting larger and lighter in color....PLEASE HELP!

Thanks. Carole
<Wishing you and Bugzie well, -Sabrina>

Melafix on Frogs 9/8/05
I actually want to compliment you guys on
http://www.wetwebmedia.com/FWSubWebIndex/amphibfaqs.htm
that article.
I'm glad to see that SOMEWHERE on the net someone is able to use Melafix on
frogs with success. I currently have a Whites Tree Frog that has some open
sores ( they're healing with rinsing, but I want to keep them clean) and I
was wondering , Melafix being a Natural substance , would it help me out
with the problem. I see that people have used it with success from this link,
and I really want to thank you! - Alicia
< If you use this product as a bacterial inhibiter then I think it will work OK. If you try to use it as an antibiotic alone then I think you will be disappointed. Good housekeeping and sanitation goes along way in curing diseases. I think a combination of all of these is the key to a full recovery. If the frog shows signs of distress then I would discontinue to use it.-Chuck>

Frog With Bacterial Infection 8/31/05
My Aquababy frog just this morning developed some red, pussy globular thing over his right eye, and it suddenly burst, leaking blood and some other fluids into his tank, his eye looks like it is still there, but it looks like it might also just be an open socket in his head. What may cause this and what can be done to help him. He has been eating everyday, and I just cleaned his tank yesterday (which I'm worried may have been the impetus behind this injury). Thank you
< You frog probably got a cut or scratch that got infected. As the infection got worse it grew until it ruptured through the skin around the eye. With it now opened up you need to treat the infection with Nitrofuranace. He may lose the eye but at least you can save the frog.-Chuck>

Tadpoles, Anchor Worms? - 09/16/2005
Hello. I recently acquired two new albino bullfrog tadpoles from a local PetSmart. Having worked in a reptile store a couple years ago, I know that PetSmart isn't exactly the place to get healthy animals, but because I had successfully raised another bullfrog tadpole that I got there, I thought it would be fine. Not only are these new tadpoles sickly, lethargic, and tiny (about an inch long still, as compared to my frog who was 3 inches or so) but they each have 3 copepods.
<Hmm....>
I am fairly sure that these are what they are, having skipped my first class of the day (ironically, biology) to do some research. They are about half a centimeter in length, thin, white / clearish yellow in color. They branch at the end.
<Could be parasitic copepods called "anchor worms", Lernaea sp. Definitely fits your description.>
At first I thought they were small limbs, but unless the tadpoles are infected with trematodes, this wouldn't make sense. If I look really closely, I can see that there is some sort of "pulse" inside of these things...a very tiny one but I don't know how to describe it other than that. In any case, my question is this: could the copepods, if that's what they are, be parasitically harming my tadpoles?
<Yes. And once reproductive, can be of more concern from greater numbers of them attaching....>
They have both been sluggish and very very weak-looking lately. In fact, if I didn't think that removing the copepods would somehow harm my tadpoles, I would perform a small operation right now. How do I get rid of them?
<Look up some images of Lernaea/anchor worms (many available on the 'net) to verify that's what they are, first. Then, if so, you can remove these with forceps.>
Thank you so much for your help.
Sincerely, Marisa
<Wishing you and your frogs-to-be well, -Sabrina>

Frogs and drugs (no toad licking here)
Hi, I just treated my freshwater tank for what appears to be velvet. I bought Greenex to treat the tank. I have an African Albino Clawed Frog in there that reacted badly to this. Am I going to lose the frog due to using this product? Thanks, Lynn
<wow... I must admit that is doesn't look good for the frog. Do remove it from the tank or the medication from the water immediately (water changes and carbon). Medications that include metals (like copper) or organic dyes should never be used on invertebrates or scaleless animals (including some fish). The frog was indeed overdosed... but don't give up, please. They are hardy. Fresh water ASAP. Best regards, Anthony>

Re: frogs
Anthony, Thanks for your reply. The frog was dead by morning : ( I sure felt bad. The rest of the fish are dropping like flies. I wish that I had gone on line before I bought the Greenex. The product said it was safe, HA! Now I am just trying to save as many of the fish as I can. Thanks, Lynn
<alas... sorry for the loss too. Some such meds are not necessarily bad, but rather cure or kill remedies. For virulent infections they may be called upon. I personally do not care for this medication in most applications, but many fine aquarists have had very favorable results with it. I do not recall the manufacturers warning to know if it considers invertebrates, amphibians and the like. I suspect it must mention scaleless fishes/animals though. Best regards, Anthony>

Axolotl with a belly full of?
Good morning! I have a long question that might not have a very happy answer. I recently purchased an axolotl at a local pet store, he seems to be in good condition and he acts normally. (He's really nearly the neatest thing I've had in my freshwater tank) but he's got a large mass in his stomach, it's black. I'm well aware that anything they can fit into their mouths, they will, but are they able to pass anything they can fit in? The place that I bought him from admitted they didn't know a whole lot about him, just the basics, "They're freshwater....and I guess they'll eat just about anything" And that was it. I bought him and spent the evening doing research (I know I know! that's the wrong order, but he was so cool!) So in my reading I found out that they shouldn't be kept in gravel bottom tank because they have a tendency to swallow gravel, and therein lies my problem. The tank at the LFS has a gravel bottom, as does my own tank, I quickly moved the gravel to only one side of the tank (the side that I don't put the food on) but I think he swallowed a fair amount of gravel regardless. This particular axolotl is 4-5 inches long, he's been eating normally and I haven't really noticed anything weird except for that his belly looks like its full of something black. I haven't seen any evidence that he's passed anything since I brought him home (god knows he's been eating though - two dozen white cloud and more brine pellets than I can imagine.) I'm not sure if I should just wait it out or what I should think. Forgive me for my lack of preparation! You're advice would do me wonders. Thank you for your time.
Rachael
<Not much to do at this point with this neotenic salamander. I would just keep up its maintenance and hope for the best. Bob Fenner>

Bloodworm Infestation (HELP!!)
Hi, you're site's really great! I really hope you can answer my question I'm at my wit's end! ). My question is ( I admit ) a bit off the subject BUT still is related to external/internal parasites. OK, my fish ( guppies, silver hatchets, loach, emerald cat, iridescent shark ) and one of my African Dwarf frogs are infested with bloodworms. I am POSITIVE they are bloodworms (thin, red, protrude from vent, and aquarium has no other parasitic contact). Anyway, my frogs NEED the bloodworms to eat (they won't eat anything else.
<Have you tried "Glassworms"? (actually chironomid/midge fly larvae), small frozen/defrosted marine crustaceans? There are quite a few of these offered by the pet-fish trade. Look for the Gamma brand...>
I feed them frozen ones, never live. ). I now know a feeding method that prevents the fish from getting infested, but, now one of my frogs is "wormy". Whenever my fish got wormy, it always died in the end. I try to halt parasitic invasion by plucking the worms out of their ventral areas ( it's really gross and I'm rather squeamish. ). It seems to help, but my fish still die. Is there any medication or wormer that I can use?
<There are... a few worth trying. Piperazine and Praziquantel may be had through your veterinarian... you are looking for a vermifuge (as in "flee worm") medication that won't harm fishes, frogs...>
I have no invertebrates in my tank, and all of the plants are fake yup, plastic. ). I really don't want to hurt my fish and frogs. It'd be great if there is a medication available. Please help me!
- "Worm Picker-Outer"( that's really grossed out )
<Do keep us informed of your progress. Bob Fenner>

Re: Bloodworm Infestation (HELP!!)
Whoa, that was quick! I didn't get the stuff yet ( It's Sunday night ), but I was hoping for a bit more information ( the info you sent me was great! ).
I think the frogs would like the glassworms, but if the glassworms hatch...?
<This won't happen... or you can just try them as frozen/defrosted...>
There is a small chance that they will grow into flies, right? And if they're flies, they aren't parasitic...?
<No my friend... the world is comprised of much more than hosts and parasites... these are "free-living" organisms>
Or do they just swim around?
<The do wiggle quite a bit>
If given the chance, do they multiply rapidly?
<Mmm, no... please use your search engine and the words "glassworm" or "chironomid"... The adults lay eggs, which hatch into larvae... You won't have adults>
Do they smell (like brine shrimp)? Will they carry disease/irritate fish?
<None of the above>
Or will fish enjoy them as well?
<Likely very much so>
Please answer as many as you can ( don't feel pressed; I'm just a kid ). Also, about Pip. and Praz. We don't have a regular vet (but we can find one). How is the medication administered? Are there needles (shudder)?
<As powders in the food. 10 mg of Piperazine sulfate/kg for three days... the equivalent of 0.10% Piperazine at a rate of 1% body weight/day. Praziquantel can be administered via baths of differing strengths, durations or orally at 50 mg/kg of fish... or 0.50% fed at a rate of 1% body weight per day>
Is it a dissolvent? Will I have to force feed the frog ( their mouths just won't open! )?
<It is necessary that the animals ingest the food-laced with chemical, or that they be immersed (about 2 mg Praziquantel/l or 7.6 mg/gallon for 24 hours>
And last, what should I ask for ( kid at counter, embarrassed, doesn't know which medication out of dozens to choose )?
<Please consult with your parents/guardians here (do show them our correspondence). It will likely be necessary to purchase one or both of these compounds from a veterinarian source>
Again, don't feel pressed. Thank you sooo much for your help and time!!!
<You are certainly welcome. Bob Fenner>
- "Worm Picker-Outer"( that might be SAVED!! )

Fire Belly Toads
I've had my 2 fire belly toads for 3 years in a filtered 10g 1/2 full tank with 1/3 land today while feeding one frog has lost more then 1/2 body weight and seems to have an equilibrium problem only seeming to move one direction (very little movement )
basking on land , with other frog standing guard in some type of protective mode the sick frog was not strong enough to eat. I feed once a week and dust crickets with Reptocal is there any thing i can do i don't think it will make it very long and is there any thing I'm doing wrong.
<Well... you've got me stumped here, I do not have much experience with fire belly toads. If I had to guess I would say the problem may have started with the diet and developed into something else. Most problems that I have encountered with amphibians were related to problems with their environment. The link below has some good information on captive care of the Fire Belly Toad.
http://www.livingunderworld.org/anura/database/bombinatoridae/bombina/orientalis/
I would make sure I am meeting all of their requirements. You could also try using google.com to search for common ailments or diseases. A local reptile shop may have some good information as well. Best of Luck, Gage>

Dwarf frog and ich meds!
Hi there!
<Hi! Ananda here tonight...>
I have two Dwarf frogs, and I had them in a tank with a goldfish and a black moor. The black moor came down with Ich and died. So, I moved my goldfish (Herbie) to a quarantine tank w/meds. Then, I cleaned out the other tank, removed all the decor, to remove the ich from it, and put meds in that water as well. After putting my frogs in the water, about half hour later, I realized one of my frogs turned pale!!! Can you tell me what is wrong? Or am I just freaking out over nothing?
<It is entirely possible that your frogs cannot tolerate the medication at the strength you're using it. I would quarantine the frogs in their own bare tank, with no medication.>
I really appreciate your help!!
<You're welcome.... --Ananda>

Frogs and Fungus 10/8/03
I hope you can give me some advice on what may be wrong with my Congo frogs. I have had them about a month. They are only young. They were in with an African clawed frog but I put her in another tank as she will soon outgrow them and eat them. Since she has been out of the tank, the water became very murky. I feed frozen Blood worms which seemed to go moldy an hour or so after they go in. I know the Congo frogs can't see as well and so maybe not all the worms are getting eaten now the African Clawed frog is out but the mould that started to grow on the worms has now begun to grow on the frogs. One of them is particularly bad. I use spring water and keep the frogs at a temperature of 70 F. and try to remove the uneaten food. Is there anything you can suggest might be causing this fungus to grow on my frogs and if there is a treatment I can use to clear it? Thank you in advance for your help. I look forward to hearing from you. Miss Vaughan.
<Miss Vaughan... my apologies for the delay in reply. But we have been swamped with mail lately. It is also not clear what species your frog is. Do you have a scientific name to clarify... or more information to share? As to the fungus on the frogs, improved water quality alone (smaller but more frequent feedings... and bigger/more frequent water changes) alone can reduce the growth. Adding a small amount of salt to the water (1TBN per 10 gallons) is also quite safe and therapeutic. Best regards, Anthony

He Put the "Otl" in Axolotl..
My axolotl's gills are badly damaged! What can I do?!?.
<The best thing to do with any sort of amphibian/salamander/axolotl when they have body damage is to simply make sure that the animal has freshwater in which to live in. They usually heal themselves quite quickly when given a bacteria free environment with nice freshwater.>
Can the water's PH balance cause this? Can he repair himself?
<The pH shouldn't have effected the animal in that way, unless the water levels are extremely acidic. If his gills are damaged by tears then hi might have an aggressive tankmate that's hurting him. Or perhaps he has some skin/gill parasites that are making him rub on things damaging his own gills. There are some great sources online to learn more about axolotls. here is one with some brief info. http://www.geocities.com/Yosemite/4301/axolotlhealth.htm
Hope that helps.-Magnus>

Amphibian Ailments (4/2/2004)
Hi your site was suggested to me by a rep a pet land. <A well informed pet store employee> I have 2 African albino clawed frogs and one of them seems to have some thing wrong with its foot. It looks like the skin is peeling off, or shedding. Its also blood shot. <Could be bacterial or fungal...is there any "fuzziness" or anything indicative of a fungal infection, or is it more red and swollen, possibly indicative of a bacterial infection? As a side note, do check your ammonia levels, and I assume you are not using chlorinated water?> I at first thought that it might of hurt it self or the other frog bit it. But today it looks a little better. But now if you look at it, you can see the bones on the foot. <Not good. Does it appear to be spreading? Any red\swollen skin or any red "blood poisoning" obvious in the legs\blood vessels? Frogs of this species are especially susceptible to "Septicemia"> Would you guys have a idea as to what it could be? The guy at Petland thought that it might be a fungal infection, but the other frogs seem ok. <Probably bacterial (Septicemia), a nasty and all to common infection of these animals.> If you can email me back at * I'd be grateful.
<Try treating the frog with 'Triple Sulfa' by Aquarium Pharmaceuticals or Tetracycline (available from Kordon and other vendors, shouldn't be hard to find at your local pet store). Do this in a separate container of tank water or a quarantine tank. Dose appropriately and make sure to keep the water heated. If you don't notice any improvements in 4-5 days, do send me another email, along with the aquarium size, tankmates, and a picture of the frog if possible>
Thanks
<No problem, let me know if your frog doesn't improve in health in a few days. M. Maddox>

Frog Demise (4/6/2004)
Thank you for taking the time to write back. <My pleasure> I have to tell you that the frog did not make it. It died the next day. <Sorry for your loss :[ Septicemia is a vicious killer among aquatic amphibians, and often is extremely difficult to treat successfully> The other frogs seem to be ok, I did a 40 % water change the same day. <They most likely won't become infected unless they have some sort of injury or are otherwise stressed> Is there any thing I can do to prevent this from happening again? <Maintain good water quality and feed a variety of foods. If you notice injury, or know your frogs have recently been stressed, keep a very close eye on them, and treat at the hint of an infection. Be sure to run the full course of the antibiotics: don't stop dosing even if the symptoms disappear until the rededicates have run their course> I am thinking it was the septicemia that you mentioned. <Very probable> I haven't been using chlorinated water, should I be? <Most definitely not!> I use a chemical to treat the water I put back in. <Highly recommend Amquel+> How do frogs get this kind of infection? <Anything that stresses a frog could cause it to fall ill to this infection. Not all that different from people getting sick: excess stress or injury leads to illness in all species>
Thank you for your time again. <Not a problem, sorry about your frog>
Luke
<M. Maddox>

Clownfish, cant find help anywhere
I've been researching the web for over an hour and cant seem to find what wrong with my pair of freshwater clownfish.
<I have never heard of a fish with the common name "Freshwater Clownfish". Do you know what the Latin name or other common names are for this fish. I really can not help because I'm at a loss of what fish you are referring to.
 They can only swim up, not side to side anymore. This behavior has been going on for weeks, but never so bad.
<That is also something unusual in any fish...>
They had ick about a week ago and doesn't seem to be there anymore, I treated it. In addition, there may or may not have the white cotton around mouth.
<The white cotton around the mouth is a Fungal infection that you can treat with medicines. But, if it has cleared up already then most likely the medicine you treated with helped fight the infection.>
I cant tell what's normal. Please help. Also, my newt wont eat, has no arms. but has been alive for weeks, should I perform euthanasia.
<Did your newt have it's arms bitten off? did the newt lose it's arms? a bacterial/fungal infection? Is it sharing the tank with the fish? If so, Newts really shouldn't be with fish (aside from feeder guppies), they should have their all their own. If you have the newt separated, and are providing it with constant supply of freshwater then there is a chance that your newt will regrow it's arms. To learn more on newts go to this site: http://www.centralpets.com/care/pets/reptiles/salamanders/2541/1/1/petcare.php It should offer you information on how to care for your little guy.>
thanks so much Diana Boyer
<good luck, and let me know what type of fish is a "Freshwater Clownfish". The only thing I can think of is a Marine Clownfish that was forced to acclimate to lower salinity. -Magnus>

No idea what's wrong with my clownfish
First of all, i really appreciate your response i am really new to this whole thing and so far it seems pretty hard.
<No prob, that is what we are here for. Once you get the hang of it, it won't be hard at all.>
I've had the tank for about a month now. its a 30 gallon tank. ammonia was high one time, so we put AmmoLock in it, and just did again today.
<With all new tanks there is a point were the ammonia builds up. It's the start of the nitrogen cycle. You need to give tank time to build up the beneficial bacteria to help break down waste and other harmful things.>
 to treat the ick, we used Ickguard. i don't think the newt has ever eaten. he is in the same tank.
<You should set up a tank specifically for these animals. They need specific environment to thrive. Here is another reference for you to read and learn more about these amazing critters.
http://www.livingunderworld.org/caudata/database/salamandridae/cynops/
Our newts have tanks specifically designed for them, and are very happy and healthy.>
we have tried 3 different foods, but he is still alive despite having no arms, he swims fine too.
<They loose their arms in nature from disease or predators, and have the ability to regrow them given the proper conditions.>
but doesn't look very happy.
<I wouldn't be happy if I had no arms and hadn't eaten in a while either. heh )
the newt chills on a raft at the top of the tank, he is a Chinese fire-belly newt, it is obvious to me that he has lost a lot of weight since when we got him over 3 weeks ago.
<The best course of action is to set up a tank for him. It does not need to be large. We have a 3.5 gallon hex tank with rock work and water at the bottom so our can swim and climb out when he wants to. We have had ours for many years.>
 i have seen one of the fishes in the tank snip at the newt, but i also read about the possibility of him having a disease.
<if a fish should nip at the newt it can break the skin and allow bacteria to get into the wound and thus give the newt bacterial infections that can lead to bacterial rot of limbs or death.>
in the beginning, he had a newt friend that somehow disappeared, so i was afraid he got depressed, but am weary about putting another newt in there and getting that one sick.
<"somehow disappeared" isn't good. it could possibly have been eaten. I would NOT but another newt in this tank! You have already lost one, and this one is not eating and has lost it's arms. That should tell you that the conditions are not right and you shouldn't have one in this tank, let alone add more to the mix. Read everything you can on the care of newts and set up a tank specifically designed to care for these animals. Once this newt becomes healthy and eats, then and only then should you even think about getting more.>
since last night, i lost one of my clownfish. the mouths of the clownfish (clown loach), seem to always be open.
<If fish have their mouths always open it could be a sign that there isn't enough oxygen in the water. or that the ammonia levels are high enough that it's damaging their gills. I would start by adding an airstone and airpump to the tank to help raise the oxygen levels.>
we have only done one partial water change this month, and it was for the ick treatment. also, the heater kept coming unplugged, so the water temp has been up and down, i did not raise the temp. of the tank when putting the ick treatment in. i will definitely purchase a water testing kit this weekend.
<having a test kit will really help you realize what is happening with the tank. and know where the cycle level is at.>
and ill email you with the results. i know something is wrong, because i lost my two catfish last week too. thanks a lot. diana Boyer
<I suggest you also look at getting some books on freshwater tanks. Read and research as much as you can, this will help you understand what is happening in your tank. You can't rush into setting up a ecosystem like this. Good luck. -Magnus>

Frog missing foot
I have two African dwarf frogs in a 2 and a half gallon tank. One is a female and one male. At least that is what I think. I noticed today that my male is missing his foot. Upon searching the tank to figure out what might have happened, I noticed that my thermometer was broken on the top. I have no idea how this happened. My main concern is that he will be okay and is not suffering. I was worried that he will get infected. Please tell me what to do. Thanks.
< Years ago I had a newt in which my cichlids chewed off one of the feet. Keep the area clean so it doesn't fungus. Furanace is a good drug to use if you notice any cottony growth developing on it. It should soon heal up in a few days.-Chuck.

Dwarf African frog with fungus 8/19/04
Bob and crew,
<Hi, Pufferpunk here>
I am currently having a problem with a fungus affecting one of my dwarf African frogs. I have a 2 gallon acrylic tank with a BioWheel power filter that houses two dwarf African frogs and one immature guppy. Life has been good for a while a